Swings are a favorite pastime for people of all ages. They calm, train the vestibular apparatus, allow you to relax and discard all routine worries and problems for a while.
There are many ready-made models on sale, but most users prefer to build a swing personally, with their own hands, using the available material.
Consider how this is done and what nuances must be taken into account during the assembly process.
Content:
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Types of swings, design features
Children's swing-balancers
Before proceeding with the manufacture of a swing, it is necessary to determine their size, shape and other design features. To do this, you need to have an idea about the variety of types, the material of manufacture, the pros and cons of one or another option.
In terms of design, the swing is a kind of pendulum. This is a platform (or seat) attached to the upper support beam using rigid or flexible suspensions. There are a lot of varieties, but the basic scheme is preserved in any case. The main differences relate only to the shape of the design details, the degree of decoration, and size.
There is another design option that operates on a different principle. A board is used, the middle part resting on a support.
Such structures are in abundance on playgrounds, but they have a noticeable drawback - you can only swing on them together, moreover, the mass at different ends of the board should be approximately the same. They are arranged very simply, so it is impractical to consider them separately.
The main task that needs to be solved when making your own project is security for users. It is necessary to ensure the stability of the structure, to exclude the possibility of falling, injury. The larger the structure, the higher its inertia during swinging. It is difficult to stop a moving pendulum of a large mass, so you need to take into account the age and capabilities of people.
Consider the main types of swings and some features of their design:
Classification
Swing
Swings, as a form of entertainment, have been known for a very long time, therefore, at the disposal of the home master there are a lot of options. All known models can be conditionally divided into groups with common features.
According to the degree of mobility, the swing is:
- stationary. They are rigidly fixed on the site and remain in place during the entire service life;
- portable. This is a swing of a relatively small size, which, if necessary, can be moved around the site.
There are single and multiple types. Single seats are designed for one person, multi-seat seats are equipped with a wide seat for several people.At the same time, a large number of single or multiple hangers can be placed on one support beam.
According to the shape of the mobile platform, there are:
- deck chair. This is a seat suspended from a support at one point;
Deckchair
- hammock. Lightweight structures that can be attached to random supports (tree branches, poles, openwork walls of the veranda, etc.);
Hammock
- swing sofa. This is a multi-seat facility that can be used by 2-3 people at the same time;
swing sofa
- standard models. As a rule, they have a large height and are intended for adults.
By material:
- metal;
- wooden;
- combined.
All varieties have certain advantages and disadvantages. For example, upholstered seats can be damaged by rain or morning fog, so they will have to be protected from moisture somehow.
Stationary models will have to be painted, repaired, and put in order every year. Mobile products need storage space. All these features must be taken into account when choosing the right option.
Wooden swing
Log swing
Working with wood is familiar to most home craftsmen. The material is available, easy to process, has sufficient strength. In addition, wood has a relatively low weight, which makes it possible to make portable structures from it.
However, the material has a lot of disadvantages, the main of which is instability to water. There is a danger of warping, the wood rots, the joints are destroyed. This property requires constant attention from the owner, the application of protective coatings, and the performance of repair work. At the same time, wooden products can be repaired in different ways, any details can be changed.
The advantage of a swing made of wood is the ability to use ready-made supporting elements. For example, dried trees can serve as load-bearing elements:
Logs with shape defects are not suitable for use in construction, but for the manufacture of the original swing, this is quite a good option. They do not need processing; ordinary brackets and bolts can be used for connection. The only task in this case is processing, applying a decorative coating to protect against moisture.
However, other forms are also possible. If you have the necessary tools and skills, a swing of a fairly strict, neat shape can be made:
Metal constructions
simple swing
Metal products are able to withstand significant loads. They easily tolerate temperature changes, can be collapsible or stationary.
In addition, the assembly of the swing is made from finished profile elements - pipes of various shapes, channel, angle, etc. They just need to be cut to length and connected to each other. This simplifies assembly, but requires the appropriate tools and material handling skills.
There are different types of metal swings. They can be simple, assembled from standard elements:
There are more complex models with curvilinear outlines, decorated with forged details:
Forged swing
The only drawback of the material is the tendency to corrosion. It is necessary to apply a protective coating and periodically update it in order to keep the structure in good condition.
At the same time, modern materials provide reliable protection for several years, which simplifies the task. In addition, you can not paint the entire surface, but only cover some problem areas.
To assemble the swing, welding or bolted connections are used. Both options have their pros and cons - welding requires appropriate equipment and skill. Bolted (threaded) connections require a certain position of two parts, which limits the design possibilities.
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unfinished construction
The main selection criterion is the personal taste of the master, the availability of a particular material and the possibility of processing it. Sometimes they use ready-made structures or supports - they leave old dried trees, attach horizontal beams to other structures or walls. An important factor is the cost of one or another option - assembly costs may be too high.
Sometimes, after construction, there are surplus materials that can be used. In addition, the age of users must be taken into account. The best option is to make a swing suitable for all age categories.
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Step-by-step instructions for making a wooden swing
Wooden swing
The use of wood allows you to work only with hand tools. This is convenient in garden plots in remote villages that do not have a connection to the power supply network.
However, if possible, it is better to use machines and power tools. This will improve the quality and significantly speed up the manufacturing process. Consider the assembly order of a wooden swing in stages:
Design choice
There can be a lot of design options for wooden swings. In order to avoid mistakes and correctly assess your capabilities, it is recommended that you first create a construction project. It is necessary to decide on the size and capacity (single or multi-seat view), choose the type of suspension (at one or two points).
The main selection criterion will be the availability of skills and experience. You should not take on the manufacture of a complex structure if you have not had to do anything like this before. You need to approach your capabilities more critically, or invite a more experienced consultant.
Schemes, drawings
The simplest scheme of a wooden single swing from the network
Before starting work, an assembly drawing should be prepared. It is necessary for a better understanding of the process, sizing and clarifying some points of the assembly. It is not necessary to draw it according to all the rules of GOST, you can draw it by hand. The main condition will be a complete understanding of the design features, methods of connecting parts, their size and shape.
When the drawing itself is created. It is necessary to draw up a specification - a list of all parts with dimensions. This is an important point with which you can significantly save time and eliminate errors in the work.
If there is no opportunity, time or desire to create your own project, you can use a ready-made scheme (drawing) taken from the network. There are a lot of ready-made drawings with dimensions that you need to print and use in your work. This method is the fastest, but it will not allow you to fully apply your creative abilities.
It must be borne in mind that the finished drawings are not the only possible options. Sometimes they are used only as a basic structure, which, if desired, can be supplemented, resized or shaped.
Tools and materials
Tools
To work with wood, you will need the following tools:
- electric saw (disk or reciprocating), electric jigsaw;
- electric planer;
- electric drill;
- hand saw;
- ruler, tape measure, square;
- awl, screwdriver (under the cross and straight);
- hammer and pliers;
- brush, roller, spray.
Materials you may need:
- edged boards 120-140 mm wide and 50 mm thick;
- timber 100 × 100 (for large models, timber 100 × 150 mm is used);
- chains or strong cables for suspensions;
- varnish, paint, solvent;
- nails, bolts, screws.
Only the most necessary materials and tools are listed. The possibility of creating a canopy or soft elements for the seat is not taken into account.Depending on the chosen design, additional accessories and devices are used.
Procedure
supports
Consider the order of assembly of a simple swing. Edged boards 50 × 140 mm were used. After sharpening, their thickness decreases depending on the initial curvature (sometimes up to 45 mm).
The assembly process is divided into 2 parts:
- manufacturing of the support system;
- seat assembly.
Consider the first stage step by step:
Crossbar fastening
Two triangular supports are made, connected from below by crossbars. They determine the height of the seat suspension. Two boards are set flat against each other, the top is left connected, and the bottom is spread to a predetermined width for stability. Then bevels are made from above to ensure the parallelism of the connection.
The crossbar is a board that is installed between the beveled parts of the supports and pressed with a threaded pin or a long bolt. If you do not plan to disassemble the structure, the connection can be reinforced with glue. The crossbar is attached to both supports.
crossbar
The crossbar can be attached to the edge of the boards, or cut off with a slope and fixed with self-tapping screws to the supports.
Cross member fastening
To strengthen the supporting structure, you can use additional braces connecting the supports and the crossbar. These are not mandatory elements, but, with a large swing width, it is recommended to use them.
The second stage of the assembly is the manufacture of the seat. Various options are possible here - from a simple board to an elegant wooden sofa.
The easiest way to make a seat
The main selection criterion will be the availability of skills, experience in assembling certain products. Sometimes the work on the seat becomes the most difficult part of the whole process, but most often they use a finished bench or chair.
Suspension is made on cables or chains of the same length. The wider and deeper the seat, the less deviation from the plane will be when swinging. To attach the cable, you can use metal eyelets, or simply throw the cable over the crossbar.
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Metal swings are strong and durable. However, the manufacture will require a special tool, experience and ability to work with metal.
Let's take a closer look at the build method:
Schemes and drawings, drafting
Typical design of a metal swing for one person
The first step should be the work on compiling a working drawing. This is a necessary procedure that allows you to better think over the design, to clarify for yourself some questions regarding dimensions, connections, unclear points.
More experienced users make their own working drawings. If there is no preparation, or there is not enough time for a detailed study of all the nuances of the assembly, you should look for a finished drawing on the Internet.
Tools and materials
Bulgarian
To make a metal swing you will need:
- grinder with a cutting wheel;
- welding machine with a set of electrodes;
- tape measure, ruler, square;
- scriber, a piece of chalk;
- electric drill (powerful, designed to install large drills);
- replaceable discs for the grinder (metal brush, emery discs for cleaning and processing seams).
Eye boltMaterials for assembling a swing:
- metal pipe of rectangular or round section. Its size can be from 50 mm (diameter) or 50 × 50 mm (40 × 60 mm);
- metal pipe of rectangular section 20 × 20 mm (or 25 × 25 mm) for the manufacture of the seat;
- a pair of eyebolts for attaching suspensions (if you plan to install two seats, you will need two pairs, etc.);
- paint, brushes or spray to apply a protective coating.
The above list is not meant to be exhaustive, since various additional elements can be used as part of the structure - a canopy, a seat made of other materials and other details.
Build steps
Details of the desired length
The assembly of the metal swing takes place in stages. Procedure:
preparation of parts. According to the specification drawn up according to the working drawing, parts of the desired length are cut off. For this, a grinder with a cutting wheel is used;
manufacturing of support structures (lateral). A larger pipe is used. Using a pre-prepared template, the contours of the corner elements are outlined, cut off by a grinder. After that, the supports are connected for welding, crossbars (spacers) are attached to the lower part;
Support structures
crossbar manufacturing - consists in preparing areas for connecting pairs of eyebolts (or one pair, if the swing is single);
assembly of the support structure. When connecting, make sure that the eyebolts are oriented exactly down. This is especially important if a round pipe is used;
seat manufacturing. There are different options here, the degree of complexity of which depends on the project, the level of training and skills of the master. If there is no experience or time, ready-made metal chairs are used, to which lugs are attached to attach suspensions.
Seat
The advantage of assembling by welding is the ability to connect parts at any angle. However, some areas will require reinforcement with scarves or additional bosses. Sometimes they have to be installed on an already finished structure, if during the tests there were doubts about the strength of the model.
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Installing a swing on the site
support socket
Most swings are simply installed on a flat area, without a rigid attachment to the ground. However, if the structure is large and there is a risk of tipping over, it is necessary to fasten it to pre-concrete supports. To do this, at the points of contact of the lower elements with the ground, recesses of about 1 m with a diameter of about 30 cm are made (usually the size of the shovel bayonet becomes a criterion).
When the recesses are ready, a sleeve from the pipe is inserted inside (you can simply roll 2 layers of roofing material into a roll and distribute it inside the nest for a snug fit to the walls). After that, threaded metal elements (anchors) are installed that will protrude from the concrete.
When the preparatory procedures are completed, proceed to the pouring of concrete. It must be fed into the nest in one stream, it is not recommended to take breaks.
The filled nests are kept, waiting for the final crystallization of the material. The process lasts about 2 weeks, so you need to choose a warm season. When the concrete hardens, the swing support parts are attached to the protruding threaded elements using specially welded lugs and nuts with washers.
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When creating a project or assembling a swing, it is recommended to follow some tips:
- high height creates the danger of capsizing, so it is necessary to limit the size of the structure;
- a swing should not be placed if the seat, during the swinging process, is above a fence, a well or other dangerous elements of the site;
- for soft elements of the seat, polyethylene covers must be immediately prepared to protect them from atmospheric or rain moisture.
These simple tips will help you avoid mistakes and injuries, so you need to take them seriously. It is recommended to watch videos about assembling wooden and metal swings on YOU Tube:
DIY garden swing
How to make a swing with your own hands: design features, step-by-step instructions (drawings with dimensions) | (100 Photos & Videos)
Children's single swing
How to make a swing with your own hands: design features, step-by-step instructions (drawings with dimensions) | (100 Photos & Videos)
There are many of them on the network, you can get a completely exhaustive idea of the process of performing work.
Independent production of a swing on the site of a private or country house will allow you to show your creative abilities, apply your existing tool skills. It is not necessary to use the most complex project with multiple decorative elements, decorated with forging or other decorations.
You can assemble a simple structure, but it must be strong and reliable, excluding the possibility of injury.
My first impressions: there were no problems during installation, everything was installed clearly and efficiently, the first one who tried the rocker was my cat, so I couldn’t lie down), which I dreamed about on a hot, hard day, but ...
I won’t write much about the assembly, I note that it is advisable to assemble the swing not alone, since there are a lot of parts, they are bulky and heavy, it is also important that there is a flat surface for assembly, to observe symmetry in the assembly when tightening the bolts. This four-seater swing when assembled is 2.32 meters long, 1.25 meters wide, and the height of the swing with a roof is 1.65 meters. The swing frame is made of durable steel, parts of different diameters from 15 mm to 45 mm; the awning and seats are covered with synthetic material - polyester, and the filling of the mattress - fiber.
There is an instruction, an assembly diagram, but we didn’t see it right away, as it was packed with a mattress under a film. Therefore, at the very beginning they assembled without a scheme, and when it was discovered, things went very quickly. Here is such a step-by-step diagram, the details are marked with the letters A, B, C, D, etc., the bolts and nuts were clearly in the right quantity in different bags.
The mattress cover is fastened with two zippers, they are located in the center about three quarters of the length of the mattress, they can be removed and washed, all stains from such a synthetic fabric can be easily washed off, the fabric does not shrink and the cover will not decrease in size. I haven't needed a wash yet.
A dream come true, we finally bought a garden swing. We thought for a long time to make or buy ready-made ones ourselves and, fortunately for us, the Lenta hypermarket sold these 4-seater swings on the client’s card with a very tempting price, and we could not resist, as in a joke, well, I couldn’t, I couldn’t ... pass by.
While I was going to write a review about the swing, the photo of the assembly flew away, so I am attaching only a photo of the assembled swing.The box is big and long. When buying a swing in mid-April, the seller said that the guarantee is 1 month and begins on May 15, in fact, the guarantee turned out to be two months.
Recommended load up to 300 kg. Country of origin China.
The assembly was carried out according to the scheme supplied with the swing.
The pipe is covered with powder paint.
The base of the ski swing and 4 legs, which allows the whole structure of the swing to stand stably.
The back of the swing was laid out once checked and installed in a sitting position. I liked that, when disassembled, the seat of the swing is fixed and they do not swing, but represent a sleeping place.
My daughter was born almost a year ago and recently there was a question about buying a swing, but I needed an option both for an apartment and for a summer residence. My wife and I began to choose and realized that there were not so many such options. In general, I decided to do the swing myself) To tell the truth, I did not even expect that it would turn out so cool. My daughter fell in love with them so much that at first it was impossible to tear them off at all, several times she even fell asleep in them. And when traveling to the country, it is very convenient, I took it off the hook and drove off.