nCage Varsity 4 Section 55 ft Long Outdoor Batting Cage Frame Instructions By tony | Published on August 10, 2021 nCage Varsity 4 Section 55 Ft Outdoor Batting Cage Frame Instructions Congratulations Congratulations on your purchase. These are the instructions for the nCage Varsity 4 Section 55 ft Long Outdoor Batting Cage. This frame supports batting cage nets up to 55 ft in length. A Few Tips Everyone hates reading instructions, but please, before you begin, take the time to read these instructions from start to finish. It helps! Also, it really helps to have another set of hands on a project like this. Grab a friend! If nothing else, they can keep you company while you’re busy digging holes. Experienced do-it-yourselfers should plan on about a 4 hour installation time, not counting concrete cure-time. Anyone without experience can plan on doubling that installation time. Just In Case Personally, we think you’ve got this, but after reading the instructions if this project seems beyond you, no problem. The majority of our customers employ the help of local fence installation companies to install their outdoor batting cages. Fence installation companies are familiar with planting poles in your local soil conditions, so can usually handle a project like this with ease. Table of Contents Part 1 – Installing the Batting Cage Frame Check the Parts List The Layout Digging Holes Setting the Ground Sleeves Install the Uprights & Cross Bars Part 2 Installing The Cable Lines & Net Install the Fence Collars, Snap Hooks, and Turnbuckles Install the Cable Lines Attach the Net to the Cable Lines Recommended Tools Here are some tools that can help make the job easier. Spending a little time sourcing these tools now will help make the process much easier when you begin. shovel post – hole digger, or auger 9/16 inch wrench pliers, or channel locks 1/2 inch and 9/16 inch sockets and ratchet pole level wheelbarrow tape measure (2) 8 ft ladders hex keys, also known as allen wrenches bucket concrete water plumb – bob or spool of string 10 or more wooden stakes hammer or mallet Step 1 Check the Parts List Let’s make sure we actually sent you everything you need to complete your project successfully. (8) 13 ft 4 inch uprights (allows 2 ft to insert into ground, allowing 8 inches of net sag and 11 ft 4 inches of playable height) (4) 15 ft cross-members (provides 6 inches of buffer on each side of standard 14 ft wide net) (8) 2 ft PVC Sleeves (includes Bottom Caps to prevent sinking) (8) Cast-Iron Elbow joints with set-screws to secure sections (allen – wrench needed) (3) 60 ft Rolls of 1/4 inch Galvanized Steel Cable (3) 6 ft x 1/2 inch Galvanized Steel Turn-buckles (20) Ground-Spikes (for anchoring the bottom of net into ground, to help keep shape & maximize playable area) (20) Frame Collar Clamps – Anchor Points (for 2-3/8 inch OD (outside diameter)) (85) Steel Snap-Hooks (to connect from cable to top of net) (12) 1/4 inch Cable-Clamps Step 2 The Layout This step is for planning exactly where your poles are going to be planted. (You’ll thank us later when you have fewer ground holes to dig.) Grab your wooden stakes, the tape measure, and a hammer or mallet. The string, or chalk line, and your partner can also be helpful here. You’ll be setting the wooden stakes in the ground where the poles will eventually be. Equally space (4) stakes for the 57 ft frame 19 ft apart on center. This is row A – D on the Overhead Layout diagram. You did check out the diagram, didn’t you? You’re going to need these 4 stakes in a straight line, so laying down the string with your partner can help out a lot here. (Depending on your local soil conditions, that hammer or mallet may come in handy here. It surely beats trying to hammer in the stakes with the palm of your hand. Believe me.) 15 ft and 2 inches away from your first row of (4) stakes, you’ll be laying down your second row of (4) stakes, E – H, straight across from the first set. You can double check your stake placement by cross measuring Stake A to Stake H. And from Stake E to Stake D. That measurement should be 59 ft. Take the time to make sure you’ve got your stakes lined up and the measurements correct. Having your stakes correctly laid out will help keep you from having to dig unnecessary holes. Which brings us to our next step. Digging holes! Step 3 Digging Holes Based on your region’s ‘frost line’ you may need to dig your holes deeper than the recommended minimums noted here. A quick call to a local fence installation company to confirm your local soil conditions can be a big help at this point in the installation. Grab your shovel, post – hole digger, auger, or better yet, all three, and your partner, because you’ve got 10 holes to dig. You’ll want to dig your holes exactly at the locations of your wooden stakes. (You did lay them out correctly according to the instructions in step 3, right? If you’re not sure, go back and double check. Again, you’ll be glad you did when you don’t have to dig more holes than you need to.) The holes for the end poles, locations A, D, E, and H, will need to be 24 inches deep and 16 – 18 inches wide. Holes B, C, F, G, will need to be a minimum of 18 inches deep, and 16 – 18 inches wide. (We’re having you dig the center holes 6 inches shallower than the end holes so that the the center poles will be 6 inches taller than the end poles. This helps with the overhead cable line installation, allowing the cable lines to pass under the crossmembers. Ok. Great work. You’ve got your holes dug in their correct locations, to the correct depth and width of your local soil conditions. Up next will be setting the ground sleeves in concrete. Step 4 Setting the Ground Sleeves in Concrete Digging the holes in the last step was hard work, but simple. This next step is easy, but complicated. You’ll be mixing concrete in this step, so please review all of the instructions for this step now. This will help you plan when to have your concrete ready. Since you’ll be mixing concrete, you’ll want your your shovel, bucket, wheelbarrow, and water ready to go. Grab your ground sleeves and a a plumb – bob or string for this next step. You’ll also need at least one upright at this stage Don’t worry, though, you’ve got this. Ground Sleeves for the Inner Holes If you purchased the 13 Gauge 1-7/8″ Poles you’ll need to first position the ground sleeves for the inner holes, B, C, F, and G, and then use a separate method, outlined below, for the outer sleeves. If you’ve purchased the 2-3/8″ pole diameter or the 10 gauge 1-7/8″ you’ll be using the same method for all of your ground sleeves, A – H. Hopefully, you still have your partner to help you position the ground sleeve in the center of your hole. Your partner can hold the sleeves in the correct position in the center of the hole. This frees you up to pour in enough concrete to allow the sleeve to remain in position. (Probably about halfway to 3/4 of the hole height.) We’re burying these two feet sleeves at a minimum of 18 inches deep, so there should be about 6 inches above ground level. Be sure to check the distance from center to center of the sleeves before the concrete has set. While the concrete is still wet, you can level the center uprights by gently positioning the upright poles into the sleeves. Do not leave the uprights in the sleeves while the concrete cures. The Outer Sleeves for 13 Gauge 1-7/8″ Poles Now let’s tackle the outer sleeves for holes A, D, E, and H. If you’ve purchased the 1-7/8″ 13 gauge option, you’re going to be installing these ground sleeves and uprights, ‘off plumb,’ outward from the center of the frame, about 3 inches past straight up and down. That means the uprights will be pointed three inches away from the center of the cage. Please review the following diagram. We have you take this additional step because once you’ve got tension on the cable lines, the poles will be pulled towards the center of the cage. To position the outer sleeves at the correct angle in the concrete, tie a plumb – bob or string to the top of the upright pole. Position the pole 3 inches outward away from center. Fill the hole with concrete to ground level. Do this for holes A, D, E, and H. Before the concrete has set double check your center to center measurements between hole pair A – F and E – J. Do not leave the uprights in the sleeves while the concrete sets. Step 5 Install the Uprights and Crossbars Once your concrete has cured according to the concrete instructions, you can install your uprights and crossbars. A second set of hands for this next part will be a big help. You’ll also need your ladders, and allen wrenches. Let’s start with section A – E. First install your uprights into the ground sleeves of holes A and E. Now install an elbow joint on the top of each upright. You can tighten the screws of the elbow to the upright, but not too tight at this point. Now install one end of the cross member into hole A or E. Once that end is in, you can have your partner install the opposite end of the cross – member into the other elbow. You can now tighten all the set screws at this time. Repeat the above steps for hole pairs B – F, C – G, and D – H. Step 1 Install The Fence Collars For the first step, you’ll need (12) frame collars, (10 – 12) snap hooks, and (3) turnbuckles. You will also need your stepladder(s) and 9/16 inch socket, rachet, and wrenches. We will be installing three fence collars on each crossmember. Secure one fence collar in the middle of the crossmember. The tabs for the fence collars of the inner crossmembers should be facing towards the ground. The tabs for the outer crossmembers should be facing towards the center of the frame. Secure one collar near each elbow joint. Secure the collar on the crossmember, about 6 inches from each elbow if your net is 14 ft wide and about 18 inches in if you have a 12 ft wide net. You can attach 1 – 2 snap hooks to each frame collar tab at this time. You won’t need snap hooks for the A – E crossmember, instead you will attach a turnbuckle to each frame collar on the A – E crossmember. Be sure to extend the turnbuckles to their full length at this time. Do this for each crossmember. The remaining fence collars can be installed on each upright at the mid-point, about 6 ft from ground, to give you a “tie-off” point to help expand your netting. Expanding your netting will help prevent the wind from blowing the net in the way of the batter. You may use rope, not included, to attach the net to the collars. Step 2 Installing the Cable Lines For this step, you’ll need the cable line spools, and cable clamps. You’ll also need your wrench, pliers, and, of course, your ladder. Unspool the cable lines and lay them down the length of the cage below the cross members. Loop the cable line through the turnbuckle of your choice and clamp it off with a pair of cable clamps. Lace the cable line through the snap hooks of each crossmember. Loop the cable line through the last snap hook on the opposite outer crossmember and clamp it off with a pair of cable clamps. At this time you can tighten the turnbuckles to remove the remaining slack in the cable line. Repeat these steps for each cable line. Step 3 Attach the Net to the Cable Lines For this section you’re going to need the net, all of the remaining snap hooks and your ladder. It will also be helpful to have that partner handy. The cables should be in place and tightened to your frame sections. At this point, you’ll want to stretch the net out to it’s full length, and position the net on the ground underneath the overhead cable lines While the net is on the ground, attach the snap hooks about every to feet to the border rope and center rib line of the ceiling. Snap hooks are designed to be snug on the rope to reduce friction & wear. Starting on one of the outside lines (while on your ladder), have your partner hand the net to you. Attach the pre-loaded snaps to the cable. Repeat this until one side is completed. Repeat for the middle and opposite side cable lines. Congratulations! You’ve installed your Varsity Outdoor Batting Cage and net. Note: Included ground spikes may be used as needed to help anchor the base of the net into the ground to help prevent wind damage and balls from escaping. Do not secure the net tight enough to remove all slack from the net walls. A trampoline – tight net will reduce the netting life-span. Netting should flex when impacted, to absorb the impact. Disclaimer Installation instructions are provided as a guide only, and are not absolute, nor are they guarantees. Equipment should be installed by qualified and experienced personnel only. We cannot guarantee the functionality of our equipment when installation service is provided by a firm other than Practice Sports, Inc. Please use all safety precautions when installing equipment. Certain environments may require additional materials to ensure maximum safety, which is the installer’s responsibility to identify – please contact us to purchase additional materials, or source from your local hardware store. Regular safety inspections are strongly advised. Installation of equipment represents user’s acceptance of all safety liabilities & maintenance responsibilities. Practice Sports, Inc. is not liable for any injury or damage sustained as a result of the use of equipment.
