Dunk Bucket

Play Experience
The bucket is filled with water and the trap is set.  Someone sits under the bucket.  The anticipation builds as other people try to hit the target with a tennis ball.  When the target is hit the trap is sprung and the bucket tips over spilling water onto the waiting person.

Material

• Bucket
• Marine ply
• White and red paint
• Five lengths of wood
• One large metal 90 deg bracket
• One small metal 90 deg bracket
• Clip or something to hold the lip of the bucket
• Screws
• Rubber (from an inner-tube)
• Two hinges

Procedure

1. Cut a length of wood to fit the length of the inside of the bucket and a strip of rubber to go underneath the wood to act as a seal. When the bucket tips it will be under a lot of stress.  The wood in side will spread the load so that the bucket does not rip away.



Length if wood inside with a strip of rubber underneath

2. Cut a length of wood slightly longer than half the length of the bottom of the bucket.  The bucket needs to be balanced just right so that slightly more weight is hanging over the end of the supporting beam.  Also cut a strip of rubber to go under the bottom piece of wood.  (I forgot to do that.)

3. Attach the bottom small length of wood to one side of a hinge and the other side of the hinge to the support beam.  
4. Place the two hinged lengths of wood so the hinge is on the underneath side away from the bucket.  Attach the inside length of wood to the small bottom length of wood by driving four screws through the wood, rubber, bucket, rubber, and into the short bottom length of wood.
5. Attach an upright length of wood to the bottom support beam using a 90 deg metal bracket.  This main upright beam being the same height as the bucket.
6. Attach a hinge to the top of the main upright on the side away from the bucket.
7. Attach a thin upright length of wood to the hinge running at 90 deg away from the hinge.  This thin upright will hold the target.



The hinge folds at 90 deg over the top of the main upright

8. Attach a short length of wood to the remainder of the hinge that will protrude over the top of the bucket and hold the lip.  I used a small 90 deg metal bracket to attach the short length to the thin upright.  
9. Attach a small clip (or small length of wood, screw, etc) to the end of the protruding length of wood to hold the edge of the bucket.



Clip holds the inside lip of the bucket

10. Create a target and screw to the thin upright.



Target attached to the thin upright and the trap is set

11. I attached the contraption to a ladder using clamps.
12. Fill the bucket with water.

Play Time

Awaiting a tennis ball to hit the target

Target hit and splash down!