DIY Training Platforms

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#1
I want to build some platforms because I haven't found anything that meets my needs and isn't prohibitively expensive. I'm a little unsure about how to go about it and was hoping you all could help me brainstorm. Here's what I need:

- aprox 18" x 24" x 3"
- won't slide on variable surfaces (carpet, snow, grass, etc) when hit by a dog at speed
- comfortable enough to sit on for up to 3 minutes.
- reasonably portable, 90% of the time I'll have to haul them around and set them up myself.
-at least 4, 5-6 would be better

Something like this would be good, but it's taller than I would like:


I've thought about just making wood boxes, but I don't have easy access to power tools (particularly a saw, I could borrow a drill pretty easy) and I'm worried they'll be too heavy for practical use.


Foam is probably too light:


Any ideas?
 

CharlieDog

Rude and Not Ginger
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#2
I have a wooden box, but it's made out of 2x4s, and it is quite heavy. It lives at home though. It won't tip over for any of my dogs, and none of my old bosses dogs or clients could knock it over.

If you DO decide to build it out of wood, Home Depot/Lowes will cut wood for free for the first couple of cuts and then they may or may not charge you a small fee for the rest of them. My friend had them cut her box and she just put it together at home, they made all the cuts. I wish'd I'd thought of that lol
 
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#5
Perhaps build your own low Kubota beds?
OH! I haven't wanted to use a bed like that*, because the fabric will have a little give/stretch out over time, and it would encourage sloppy positions. BUT, what if I drilled some plywood onto the top? That would be light and, with wide enough PVC, I'd probably go up to 1 1/2", maybe even 2", sturdy too.

*Assuming we're using the same mental picture:


Hmmm, I could build it like a bed, with four legs, but maybe with wide enough PVC I could lay it on the side, like a box. With some tractiony stuff on the bottom to keep it from slipping around.

 

Shai

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#6
Yeah you could even have a cross brace with plywood on top (the hardware store folks should cut it down for you if you have dimensions ahead of time) and you could paint with a sand mix like we use for agility equipment for weatherproofing and traction?
 

Shai

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#7
I was kind of picturing a sort of small kuranda bed/pause table hybrid lol





With a top like a pause table (sans the side panels) but with a frame like a kuranda bed for stability on uneven ground and to make it more portable.
 

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