Intro

A lot of agility equipment can be built for "dirt cheap" for practice purposes.  Note that absolutely none of this equipment is regulation, it is just meant for home practice.  Also, this equipment has not been tested and you assume any and all risk by building it yourself  (i.e. if you snip your thumb off with PVC cutters, don't blame me!) 

This information is just from personal experience.  There is no guarantee that this equipment is safe for you or your dog.  Consult with your vet, agility trainer, etc... before attempting to build any of these obstacles.

Basic Tools Needed

Are just PVC cutters and PVC cement.  PVC pipe goes for about $1.25/10ft at Home Depot, so a lot of equipment can be built really cheap.  To start you need a set of PVC cutters (~$10) and PVC Cement (~$2).

• All PVC Pipe used is 3/4" schedule 40
• All PVC Connectors are 3/4" (Home Depot marks them with blue labels)
• PVC Pipe comes in standard 10' lengths, but I usually have them chop it in half for me so it fits in my car
• Buy a ton of PVC connectors, you need end caps, T-connectors, and 4-way connectors.  Caps cost $0.25, and the other connectors are around $0.50

Weave Poles - Set of 6

Materials:

• PVC - 6x36", 3x24", 8x12"
• PVC Caps - 10
• 4-Way connectors - 2
• T-connectors - 6

Start by cutting six 36" poles.  To build the base, use a T-connector at each end, and a T-connector for each upright pole. Poles 1-2 , 3-4 and 5-6 are connected with the 24" pipe.  Note - you may not want to cement poles 3-4 so you can break it down later.  Also, don't cement the upright poles so you can collapse the set.

Poles 2-3 and 4-5 are connected with 14" PVC.  Use a 4-way connecter with these, and use the 12" PVC to form the base poles.  The picture above shows 6" base poles, but it was later modified to 12" for greater stability.

Use PVC Cement on all the T-connectors that form the upright poles to keep them straight.  Also use PVC cement on the base 4-way connectors.

Jumps

Materials:

• PVC -2x36", 1x48", 1x54", 4x8", 6xYourDesiredJumpHeights
• PVC Caps - 10
• 4-Way connectors - 2
• T-connectors - 6
• 2" PVC connectors 6 (or you can just cut 2" sections of PVC Pipe

Form the base as above, with the 2 4-way connectors and 4 8" base poles and cap them.  Use T-connectors to form the uprights.  Cut PVC in 3 sections at your desired jump heights.  The holding bars are just 2" PVC connectors with a cap that keeps the bar on.  The bar is just a 54" section of pipe with the end caps.

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