If you have ordered the Kewlus Cobra Bag kit that includes the Multi Base, the best way to set it up is to make a baseboard for it. If you can't make it yourself, then just find a local cabinet maker or carpenter who will make it for you for a small fee - it should take a professional just 30 minutes to make and the materials would be minimal (low cost MDF boards).
1.5 Inch Thick Baseboard - The "Lightweight"
For a light-weight setup I recommend making a 1.5 inch thick baseboard (minimum thickness required for the 1.5 inch screws) with a length/width roughly 2 feet x 2 feet. To achieve the required thickness, glue together two or three MDF boards. For the screws I recommend using 8 x 1.5 inch long countersunk wood screws.
The thicker the baseboard, the heavier the base, thus providing extra stability.
Watch the video to see it in action with the KS3 spring:
5 Inch Thick Baseboard - The "Stubby"
If you're willing to put in a little extra effort, then I highly recommend making the "Stubby" baseboard which is about 1.5 inches in width/length and about 5 inches thick. Watch the video below for a demo and build instructions.
Key Advantages:
- Adds extra height to your cobra bag - the one in the video adds 5 inches!
- Adds extra weight to your base - the one in the video adds 40 pounds!
- Adds extra rigidity if the extra height is not required - I'm 6 foot tall, so I don't need the extra height, which means that the bottom Click Bar can sit lower in the Click Mast, adding to the rigidity of the bottom section.
- Smaller footprint - the extra weight means you can use smaller size boards for a smaller base area or "footprint". This gives you the advantage of being able to step in closer to the target when training. 1.5 inches in width/length is probably the smallest you should make it to maintain stability.
Adding Extra Rigidity - Second Deck
By adding a second point of support for the Click Mast you will massively enhance the rigidity of the mast, which will greatly improve the performance of your cobra bag. This can be achieved by adding a second "deck" to your base in one of three ways:
- Using a single 1.5 foot long/wide MDF board with a 1.26 inch (32mm) hole in the centre and a second set of sandbags. If you have trouble getting the right drill bit to make the perfect size hole, you can make the hole larger and then just wrap enough tape around the mast at the point where the board sits to fill the gap. Whichever way you do it, the hole in the top deck board needs to be flush with the mast to stop any sideways movement.
- Using one or more Olympic weight plates with a 2 inch (50mm) hole in the centre. Make sure to wrap enough tape around the mast at the point where each weight plate sits to fill the gap. The tighter the fit, the more rigid your mast will be. Stay tuned as I will soon be releasing an Olympic Weight Plate Sleeve to to be used with the Click Mast instead of wrapping tape.
- Using a second Multi Base with a set of Paddles attached. The only thing you need to do is drill out the centre hole after attaching the Paddles to the Multi Base. Instead of drilling a hole, you could just cut off the inner corner of each Paddle so that the centre hole of the Multi Base is fully exposed. Slide the whole thing onto the Click Mast over the top of the first set of sandbags, and place a second set of sandbags on top.
For detailed instructions and a demo, see the following two videos:
