Intro
The suction cup base is by far my favourite base for both the cobra punching bag and the spar bar. I've tried them all: water filled bases, umbrella bases, weighed down boards and stand-on platforms. The suction cup base beats them all in terms of rigidity, and rigidity is what you need for an effective cobra punching bag or spar bar.
Did you know that you can also use the suction cup base on carpet? Simply get a large laminated chipboard and stick your suction cup base onto that. You can then use weights to weigh it down. I recommend using two laminated chipboards and locking them together with the suction cup base itself - this allows you to have smaller boards and easier to put away.
This is the latest version: V3 (Aug 2021).
Items You Will Need
- 2 Double Suction Cups - you can buy these on Amazon US here: https://amzn.to/3bkBQN1 (also sold at Bunnings in Australia).
- 1/2 inch (or 12mm) thick plywood board (8 inch x 8 inch) for your base board. You can buy it on Amazon USA here: https://amzn.to/3yfXOJL.
- 1 inch galvanised flange - I recommend using a 1 inch pipe for your base pipe that goes up to your thigh and connecting a 3/4 inch to it using a reducing coupling. For details, see https://kewlus.com/blogs/diy/how-to-make-pro-cobra-punching-bag. The 1 inch flange is nice and wide and will give you the most rigid base.
- 4 Nuts, bolts and washers - I recommend using 5/16 inch (M8) bolts that are at least 1.5 inches (35mm) long to bolt your flange to the plywood board. You'll also need a drill and a matching sized drill bit.
4-Step Instructions
- Download the PDF template here. Print out the template on an A4 page using 100% scale and cut it out. Use a ruler to double-check the measurements as indicated on the template.
- Trace the outline of your template on your plywood board and cut it out using a saw. This is your base board.
- Place the 1 inch flange in the centre of your board and mark the holes using a pencil. Drill out one hole and attach the flange using one of the bolts/nuts/washers. Drill the rest of the holes using the flange holes as guides. Connect each bolt/nut/washer as you drill out each hole. This method will ensure all holes are perfectly aligned.
- Take an A4 sheet of paper and fold it until it forms a 1 inch x 3 inches (30mm x 75mm) rectangle. Tape this rectangle to one of the wings on your base board. Make one more and tape it to the opposite wing. This will close the gap between the board wings and the suction cup handles and make your base super rigid when connected to the floor.
Related Videos
- This is the suction cup base where I used a 16mm MDF board: https://youtu.be/r3hcwWSrCVU. MDF boards (or particle boards) are slightly more rigid than plywood, but may be harder to find. I recommend using an MDF board if you can find a suitable sized one.
