Entertaining your children is not rocket science. You can easily turn your exterior into a mini amusement park. And if there is one that can delight toddlers, it is the swing. The assembly of the latter only requires time, perseverance and a few basic tools that any handyman can easily find in a hardware store or in a DIY store. Follow these steps to make one in your garden.
Even though a swing is safe, it's always best to keep an eye on your children. Choose a location that remains visible, so that you can intervene in the event of a fall or minor injuries. Also put it in a place with shade. Playing in the sun all day is not ideal. Now let's move on to the actual construction.
You won't need a lot of stuff. First, take strong wooden posts that can serve as a support and a beam, the best being pressure-treated pine with a diameter of 8 to 10 cm. The length will depend on the height of your swing, but it's usually 2.30 to 2.50 m. You will also need a perfectly smooth plank of wood to make the seat as well as thick cleats to consolidate the whole structure.
Then buy bolts with nuts, the length of the bolt should be longer than the two overlapping round timbers. You will need your drill to complete the work. Do not forget the hooks to hold the seats as well as the tools such as the screwdriver and the sets of spanners. Finally, plan a small amount of cement, sand and gravel to make the concrete. Everything is ready, all you have to do is start building.
Start with the posts. Assemble two posts so as to obtain a cross. The junction will be held by a nut bolt. Make two, they will support the whole swing. With the help of a friend, stand the posts upright to place the crossbar on the crosspieces, i.e. the third post.
Fix this beam to the posts with the bolts with nuts, taking care to leave at least 10 cm protruding at each end. Once everything is in place, consolidate by fixing horizontally, at mid-height, a cleat from one post to the other, with nuts and bolts:thus, the posts cannot move apart. Last step, make holes to seat each post in the ground, keeping the correct measurements for spacing. After preparing the concrete, pour it so that the swing can no longer move.
Finally, drill the beam to fix the hooks, two for each seat. If you have provided two seats, respect a safety space. The beam must in this case be more than 2 m. Then mount the seats with a large diameter rope or strong chains. Allow time for the concrete to dry, at least a day before you start playing. Here you have finished your homemade swing. If you apply yourself, half a day should be enough to do everything. Only the wait for the next day should be longer. Have fun.
