Simple and Cheap DIY Chalk Stand
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(This article is a Blast from the Past article originally posted on 02/26/21.)
When you chalk up for your next set, it’s nice to have a chalk stand. It’s not absolutely necessary, of course, as you can just use a bag of chalk or - better yet - a chalk bucket sitting on the ground. Although those options work, a chalk stand makes much less of a mess than a bag of chalk, and as the stand is raised, you don’t have to reach all the way down to the floor level as you do with a bucket of chalk, which can be a bit of pain if you already have your belt tightened.
With all this in mind, here’s how you can make a simple and cheap chalk stand:
Go to your nearest hardware store and purchase the following (you may already have some of these items at home):
Two 5-gallon buckets. Choose a color option that allows you to find matching spray paint.
A lid for one of the buckets (preferably the same color as the buckets). You only need one lid.
One can of spray paint - ideally the same color as the buckets.
One roll of duct tape.
Set one bucket on the ground - upside down.
Set the other bucket on top of the first bucket - right side up. The closed ends of the two buckets should now be touching.
Tape the two buckets together by wrapping duct tape around the buckets several times. Tape the “seam” between the buckets as well as above and below the seam. Five or six times around the buckets should do nicely.
Spray paint the buckets. This step is optional and is for aesthetic purposes only - it covers up any logos or printing on the buckets. It’s nice to have the paint match the buckets (or as closely as possible) for two reasons:
This is supposed to be a quick process, so don’t worry too much about whether you’ve painted the entire apparatus or not. If the logos are covered and the paint closely matches the bucket, it will look just fine.
Eventually, the paint will chip or wear in places, and if the bucket is close to the same color as the paint, this won’t be a big deal.
Place the lid on the ground - upside down - with a brick, 10 lb plate, or some other relatively heavy object on top of the lid, and then set your new chalk stand on top of the lid and press down so that the lid is attached to the stand. You’ve now weighted the base of your chalk stand and made it much less likely to tip over and spill.
Put a chalk-topper over the top of the stand. This is optional, but if other people use your chalk stand, you’ll find this greatly helps keep the chalk dust inside the stand. Our chalk toppers are from www.junkbrands.com.
Place some chalk in the top bucket, and you’re good to go!
