Do-it-yourself garden swing made of logs, metal, drawing and step-by-step assembly of a suspended street structure and a bench for it

Types of swing

The easiest way is to hang a strong rope of sufficient length on a stable tree branch, fixing a kind of seat on it from a thick plank. It is better to take a nylon rope, passing it through the holes drilled in the board. For reliability, you can use chains by placing them in plastic tubes. Well, do not forget to check the strength of the structure from time to time, because with active use, the tree branch will gradually collapse.

However, it is much better to make a home-made mobile structure that would be easy to move around the site. Such a swing can:

• provide a canopy from the sun or rain;
• equip with a comfortable seat for several “seats”;
• make folding and clean the house with the onset of cold weather.

As a material for the construction of such a structure, use:

• timber;
• strong elastic rope;
• metal pipes;
• wooden pallets;
• plastic;
• an old armchair or sofa with legs removed.

However, if necessary, the swing can be made stationary by securely digging in or concreted the support posts.

Video “Do-it-yourself garden swing”

From this video you will learn how to make a quality wooden garden swing.

How to make a frame

Structurally, the swing consists of a support frame: two triangular sidewalls and an upper crossbar. A bench of suitable width is suspended from the crossbar on cables or chains. Consider several ways to make a frame.

Of wood

This is the simplest and most affordable version of a children’s garden swing. Materials can be purchased at any hardware store.

You will need four beams for side racks 2 m long, which will allow you to get a swing 190 cm high. The cross beam should be 180 cm long if you want the swing to accommodate two people. A bench for sitting should be made 40 cm high and wide. It is advisable to hang the seat on two chains of 2,5 m each.

For work you will need an electric saw, a drill with a set of drills, a ruler.

The wooden frame is created in several stages:

1. With the help of an electric saw, the bars are prepared: first they end on one side, then on the other, adjusting to one size.
2. You need to connect the side supports in pairs with the help of small bars. One is located at the very top – a crossbar will later fall on it, a pair of others of different sizes fastens the supports in the manner of the letter “A” – at the top and in the center.
3. Having attached the bars, they drill them together with the racks. Recesses are made in the bars so that it is easier to screw the fasteners later with a special key.
4. All parts are fastened with hex-headed screws (“capercaillie”).
5. In the racks, holes are pre-drilled for self-tapping screws that will hold the crossbar.
6. They put the racks vertically, put the crossbar on top, begin to fasten it with self-tapping screws, then with metal corners.
7. For reliability, spacers are added on both sides of the structure: one end rests on the ground, the other should be fixed at the top at the intersection of the bars.

Instead of timber, you can use logs of arbitrary thickness, the number of parts and dimensions are about the same.

Of metal

The metal frame is much heavier than the wooden one, therefore, mainly stationary swings are made from this material. You can use profile pipes of square or round section. The frame is strong, this design successfully withstands the weight of two and three riders.

There are many options for building garden attraction schemes. According to the drawing, the required amount of materials and their dimensions are already selected. Profile pipes with a diameter of 2 cm, steel corners and steel arcs with a diameter of 1,5 cm and a length of 25 cm are suitable for the frame.

Of the tools you must have:

• welding machine;
• pliers and hammer;
• hacksaw for metal (preferably a grinder);
• tape measure and building level.

For fastening, you will need M6x30 bolts with appropriate nuts, spring washers, shackles and eye screws 5×80 mm.

Here are the main stages of assembling a metal structure:

1. 4 side racks 2,5 m high and a crossbar 2 m long are cut.
2. One end of the pipe is cut at an angle of 30°.
3. Pipes are welded in pairs into isosceles triangles.
4. At a height of half a meter, a transverse crossbar of a meter length is welded.
5. A cross beam is welded on top. It should protrude about 5 cm on both sides.

The bench is attached to the metal crossbar in two ways:

1. With the help of a spring. Such a mount at the same time will play the role of a shock absorber. The eye for the spring is welded to the cross beam.
2. Through the ring It is fixed with an anchor or a special mounting platform is constructed. The metal beam will have to be drilled, then a fastener is inserted into it and the bolts are securely tightened.

It is advisable to securely fix a stationary welded swing in the place where you are going to place it. For this:

• dig 4 holes for all side racks;
• a sand cushion 10 cm high is built at the bottom;
• a structure is installed in the pits, some large stones are thrown in, then concreted to the surface.

In a few days the concrete will harden, the swing will be ready.

Bench Options

If the finished bench is not at hand, you can also make it yourself. We describe step by step the process of manufacturing and assembling from wood:

1. We cut six wide boards of the same length – three for the back, three for the seat.
2. For beauty, the upper board of the backrest should be processed by sawing simple waves along the upper edge, rounding the edges and removing the edges.
3. On all boards, we remove the edges, grind with a drill with a sticky nozzle.
4. A bench is assembled on long bars. The extreme bars are made longer so that they protrude 4 cm on both sides, chains will be attached here.
5. In the center of the seat, two supporting bars are mounted with a step equal to the thickness of one (the central bar of the back will be fixed between them).
6. According to the same approximate scheme, we connect three boards in the back. The central support bar is immediately placed in the middle between the two from the seat.
7. Lean the back against the wall, set it in relation to the seat at the desired angle, then connect the two parts.

You can also equip the bench with armrests by cutting them into the desired shape and sanding. It is better to attach them to the seat using cylindrical bars.

If you are assembling a metal swing, you should take the same profile pipes as the basis for the frame, but the bench itself is still made of wood.

This is done as follows:

1. 24 bars are cut one and a half meters long each.
2. All blanks are deburred on the machine or with sandpaper.
3. Wooden parts are varnished and allowed to dry. This will keep the bench from rotting and give it a more elegant look.
4. The frame is made of pipes with a diameter of 1,5 cm. The pipes are slightly bent in the back area, then welded into a curved frame.
5. Wooden blocks are attached to the frame in increments of 2,5 cm.
6. Two eye nuts are welded along the edges, to which the chains will be attached.

All metal parts are recommended to be painted with anti-corrosion paint upon completion. However, for greater safety, and also to extend the durability of the material over the structure, it is desirable to build a canopy that protects it from the weather.

Canopy

The canopy for the outdoor swing is optional, but makes it more comfortable to use. The canopy will perfectly protect from the sun’s rays, under it you can wait out a short summer rain. The visor is made of polycarbonate sheets or PVC. The frame can be built from wood or metal.

For installation, a rectangular frame is constructed from any strong material. Polycarbonate is attached on top or simply covered with a cloth to save money. It is desirable to attach the canopy to the swing at a slight angle so that the water flows back during the rain.

Decor

Since the building will be located all the time in the open air, the first decorative decoration should at the same time perform the functions of protection.

The metal frame of the swing is painted with a special anti-rust paint. In addition, the metal can be coated:

• rust solvent;
• enamel;
• primer.

It is advisable to repeat this treatment every six months to a year.

Wooden parts are painted or varnished.

To increase comfort, it is advisable to cover the hanging swing with pillows or a mattress to make it more comfortable to sit. Often, beauty seats are covered with thick covers. The latter are best sewn from a material that is not afraid of moisture.

The side support posts can be painted with patterns or pasted over with stencil pictures (this work should be entrusted to the smallest).

Whatever swing you build on the site, the main thing is that they are strong and of high quality. After all, not only children will ride them, but also adults, and all without exception. Therefore, reliability should be put at the forefront.