As football season is upon us I see the official skill games of drinking are being dusted off and brought out of the closet. Although I enjoy almost all games immensely, Cornhole in my mind is the chess of tailgate games. Cornhole has taken many different names to try and grow its popularity because of obvious "perversions" of the term. The game is referred to as corn toss, bean bag and bean toss. All of these would be great names if someone had thought of them first, but for the integrity history and tradition, I will be calling the game by its original name of Cornhole.

I have seen Cornhole courts built and bought. The purchased version (from Wal-Mart) I find is flimsy and cannot withstand the constant beating of corn bags landing on its surface. In this blog I will write not only the dimensions of how to build your Cornhole court, but also the best method to find materials, smooth the landing surface and personalize the graphics. 

Tools and Materials 

In building your Cornhole platforms you will need:

Drill, circular saw, jigsaw, 90 and 200+ grit sandpaper, 50 2 1/2" phillips head screws, (2) large foam paint brushes, (4) 4 1/2" crown bolts w/nut, 1/2 drill bit, Cornhole bags http://www.cornholesupplies.com/order.html,Your favorite team decals (these guys are good http://www.footballdecals.com/highdef.htm) wood putty fill, 1 quart of high gloss white paint and 1 quart of Behr Log Home Gloss Finish.

Wood Materials

Although I take this game seriously, I do not believe you should purchase this small amount of wood unless you truly have to. There is always some construction job happening around that has scrap wood you can usually take. I would warn to first ask if it cool to take the scrap. You will need:

A. (2) pieces of 1/2 thick plywood measuring 24x48 inches. Avoid particle board and anything with nail holes to reduce surface sanding time.

B. (4) pieces of 2x4 boards measuring 49", (4) pieces of 2x4 boars measuring 25" and (4) pieces measuring 12".  These boards don't have to be perfect, but try not to get anything that is warped.

*like I said, don't steal. Ask and offer beer.*

Cutting

Cut your big pieces of 2x4 first down to (4) 48" boards. Next cut your (4) short 2x4 boards down to 21". Now cut your (4) leg 2x4 boards down to 11 1/2". Lastly, cut your deck (1/2 plywood) to measure 24"x48."

*Remember, measure twice; cut once and watch your thumbs*

Building

Now the fun part.

1. Build your frame: Screw the 48" 2x4's into the 21" 2x4 boards, sandwiching the 21" in the middle. Use 2 screws per joint (as it refers to the corners)

2.  Attach the deck to the frame using 1 screw per 10". Pre-drill holes to reduce the chance of pulling the plywood up.

3. Drill a 1/2 in hole in the side of the long frame 2x4. Should be in the top left and right corner, one inch off the deck and 2 inches off the top corner. This is for the folding leg bolt.

4. Drill matching holes in the 11 1/2" leg 2x4's in the top middle of one of the ends.

5. Attach the legs to the frame using your 4 1/2" bolt and nut. Make sure you gave yourself enough space to fold the legs under the frame with enough clearance.

6. The hole in the cornhole platform is next. It shall be six inches in diameter and be centered nine inches from the top and 12 inches from each side of the cornhole platform edges. I would recommend using a piece of paper a string 3" long and a pencil to draw a test hole. Cut out the hole, trace it onto the deck. Drill a hole large enough to slip in your jigsaw and cut the hole.

Should look something like this:

Sanding

Fill all screw holes with wood putty.

Sand and sand and sand until the deck and inside of the hole is uber smooth. Even when you think you are done...keep sanding. The paint will raise the splinters, so keep sanding.

Painting

1. Put on 3 coats of paint giving at least 12 hours between layers and sanding with the fine grit sandpaper to knock down splinters.

2. Apply decals of your favorite teams or rivals. Whatever floats your boat.

3. Start applying the clear coat. Sand in between layers using either the sandpaper, or steelwool. (I applied 15 coats before I was happy)

Once you have a smooth surface and a sturdy deck, you are done. I hope this has all been helpful. I thoroughly enjoyed making my Cornhole decks and I think it makes playing the game more fun.

If you did not find this helpful and want to save yourself some time and possibly thumbs,  just buy your boards and gear here: http://www.cornholesupplies.com/index.html    

 Cheers!