Children's swings for outdoor summer cottages: practical designs and original design. Do-it-yourself swing: made of wood and metal, for giving, children and adults Do-it-yourself children's swing for two

All parents make sure that their children have an interesting and fun time. And there is no such child who would not like to ride on a swing. This is not only great fun, swings also train the vestibular apparatus and improve coordination of movements. To date, a huge variety of swing options have been invented using various mechanisms, materials and designs, so that each parent can choose an option that meets all his requirements (appearance, dimensions, price). However, there is no need to rush to the store for a purchase, because the swing is quite simple in design, and you can easily and inexpensively make it yourself.

Varieties

The design of the swing for children and adults is slightly different. Swings for the smallest can be made of plastic that can withstand a small weight, they are also usually equipped with a back and a crossbar so that the child does not fall while riding. In the swing for older children, plastic elements are not present, and the design becomes more open. In any case, the main requirement for children's swings is their reliability and safety.

According to the method of attachment, the swing can be suspended or floor. The latter, in turn, are divided into a swing on a spring and a balancing swing. Various seats in the form of animals or vehicles are mounted on the spring. Due to the fact that the spring does not compress, but only swings, this type of swing reduces the likelihood of injury to the child.

Balance swings can be single or double, simple in shape or with an unusual design.

Hanging swings can be of various configurations:

  • The simplest swing design, familiar to everyone since childhood, is a bungee. It consists of a rope fixed at the top on a strong crossbar, and a plank for sitting. The most primitive option - instead of a plank at the bottom, the rope is simply tied with a strong volumetric knot.

Tire swings can also be attributed to the simplest swing. They can be hung vertically or horizontally, cut into unusual shapes, which allows you to create a lot of different options.

  • The design is more complicated - the board is hung on two ropes, fixed symmetrically along its edges. Instead of a plank, a piece of dense fabric (for example, tarpaulin) can be used, and the rope can be replaced with chains.

  • An unusual version of a hanging swing is a soft swing. They can be made like a hammock, either assembled from cloth and wooden sticks (for babies), or woven from twine on a hoop.

photos

  • In a separate view, you can select a swing made according to the principle of a rocking chair. They are the safest for babies. But there are options for older children.

What to do

Swings can be wood, metal, plastic, or a combination of these materials. If you decide to make a swing with your own hands, you first need to understand what skills you need to have and what tool you need for the job.

If you have never worked with a welding machine, a grinder, a hacksaw, then a metal swing is not your option. Although they are considered the most durable and reliable, a good wooden swing has a number of advantages. The tree is easier to handle, even beginners can handle it. For the best strength of your building, choose oak, cedar, birch, spruce, while checking that there are no knots, holes or other defects on the logs - this is a guarantee of your child's safety.

The only advantage of plastic as a swing material is its low price. It does not withstand heavy loads, like wood and metal. Although very often swings are built from improvised materials, remnants from repairs, etc. The main thing is to show a little imagination, and spend a little time.

How to DIY

Everyone can build a swing with their own hands. Regardless of the model you choose, remember that all the elements of the swing should fit snugly against each other and be positioned so that when rolling, the child’s arms and legs cannot get stuck between them. The main requirement for children's swings is their safety and reliability, so think over the design and carefully fix and check all attachment points of the swing elements. Stock up on a good mood and the materials necessary for construction and proceed.

on a spring

A swing on a spring can be installed in a country house or on a site near the house - the main thing is to be able to dig a hole of the required size. A spring is a truck spring, which can be purchased at a car market or a scrap metal collection point. The size of the spring for such a swing must be at least 35 cm in height. From below, an anchor is attached to the spring with the help of a boss. It is a pipe 50-60 cm long, to which a crosspiece made of reinforcement with a diameter of 20 mm is welded to the bottom. The anchor with a reinforcing cross is lowered into the pit, leveled and poured with concrete.

From above, a boss is welded to the spring, to which the swing body is attached. The body is attached to the boss with metal strips 30x4 mm (clamps) and fixed with bolts. The shape of the case can be any, first we draw its outlines on whatman paper, then we transfer it to plywood and cut it out. It is also necessary to provide handles for which the child will hold, and supports under the legs. Their configuration depends on your imagination and available materials. The final touch is to paint the swing with bright colors.

on bearings

Swings on a spring are no longer suitable for older children. Now we need a more solid design, in itself not complicated, but requiring more resources. For swings on bearings, you must first build a support frame. It consists of two parallel racks connected by a crossbar.

To ensure the safety of your child, the frame must be stable. This can be achieved in many ways, depending on your capabilities and the installation site of the swing. The first option - the racks are buried deep in the ground and concreted. The second option - each support post is a triangle, one side of which lies on the ground. Such racks must be interconnected at all three vertices of the triangle to ensure structural rigidity. We weld anchor pins to the lower pipes to fix the structure in the ground.

We install bearings on the upper crossbar of the swing frame. We weld small pieces of metal on both sides of each bearing to secure them from horizontal displacement. We attach cables (chains) to the bearings, on which the seat hangs. The seat can be completely wooden or on a metal frame, with or without a back, single or in the form of a bench, even the option of two seats opposite each other is possible. The main thing is that the support and attachment points withstand.

Bearings can be mounted not on the uppermost pipe, but by welding a small structure to it for mounting bearings.

Metal swings can be made without the use of bearings. Semi-rings are welded to the upper crossbar, on which you can hang the swing with a hook or U-shaped mount.

Suspended

The basis for an outdoor hanging swing is a support post. You can hang the swing on a strong tree branch or a porch ceiling beam.

However, if this is not possible, you can make the support stand yourself by choosing the most suitable option for you:

We put two beams at an angle to each other in the form of the letter X. At the point of their intersection, we drive in fasteners. From above, in the V-shaped part, we horizontally put another beam and fix it on the supports.

We put two beams at an angle to each other and connect at the top point. We attach the upper crossbar, on which the swing will be hung, to the racks using additional short boards or a metal pipe. At the bottom we make a horizontal bar for fixing (if you plan to move the swing from place to place and will not particularly strengthen them in the ground). If you securely deepened these stationary swings and support posts into the ground and cemented them, then the lower crossbar can not be installed.

In an apartment, a swing is usually hung on a horizontal bar in a children's sports corner or on a metal pipe fixed in a doorway. If this is not possible, hooks can be used. They are installed on both sides of the door or driven into the ceiling. Do not forget to take into account that there should be a lot of free space around the swing so that the child does not crash into anything and is not injured when riding.

The design of the hanging swing itself can be absolutely any. You can make a soft seat out of fabric and pillows (it is short-lived, afraid of bad weather, but cozy and comfortable), find a use for an abandoned old skateboard (its board is very durable), or brightly paint and hang old tires.

Bright and mobile- swing-hammock.

photos

Option for needlewomen - pull a cloth over the hoop or weave a swing from twine on the hoop. Such a swing can also be hung indoors, if there is enough free space.

Rocking horse for the little ones

The design of such a swing is primitive. All you need to do is draw on the Whatman paper yourself or print ready-made patterns of the necessary details, then transfer them to plywood or wooden boards and cut them out. Usually such a swing is made in the form of a horse, but you can draw any other animal or vehicle.

Since these swings are designed for babies, only hypoallergenic materials can be used. It must be taken into account that the arc of the sidewalls should not go in a circle, because then the child will sway strongly, may roll over and be injured. It is necessary to take into account the size of the swing so that the baby is comfortable climbing onto the rocking chair and sitting on it. The average dimensions are 110 cm long and 25-30 cm wide, the height from the floor to the saddle is 60 cm.

Children can ride for hours on the outdoor swing. The child is attracted by the feeling of flying. In apartment buildings, swings are installed on playgrounds, and caring parents put them on private plots.

A simple design makes it possible to make a hanging swing with your own hands. Moreover, children can be involved in the process of designing, building or decorating.

Outdoor wooden swing - children's joy in flight

Making a swing out of wood is the most common practice. This is not surprising, because they differ in such advantages:

  • environmental friendliness;
  • availability of lumber;
  • relatively low cost;
  • ease of working with wood;
  • security. The wood material is soft, which reduces the risk of serious injury when falling.

Thanks to the properties of wood, children's wooden swings can be found in almost any private yard or country house. In terms of mobility, they are divided into stationary and portable. Swings made of wood, unlike metal ones, are more often made stationary, because. the tree does not have sufficient weight for stable standing (the frame of a wooden swing requires secure fastening).

Based on this feature, it is necessary to consider the installation site of the swing.

Where to put the swing?

When choosing a place you need to consider:

  • visibility. The child should be visible whenever possible;
  • remoteness. The economic zone and the pond located nearby are not a place for games. In the absence of other options for installation, it is necessary to enclose the areas with a fence. Also make sure that the swing is placed at a safe distance from fences, walls with windows, trees, etc. flight obstacles. It is also not worth installing a swing next to communications;
  • illumination and shading. The installation site should be bright, but create a shadow, especially in summer at noon;
  • humidity. A wooden outdoor swing will become unusable from excessive moisture, not to mention its harm to the child;
  • lack of drafts;
  • absence of poisonous plants, allergens, honey plants, thorny bushes;
  • surface relief at the installation site. The installation site of the swing must be leveled. Then you won’t have to vary the length of the supporting pillars, and nothing will prevent the child from enjoying his favorite fun;
  • the quality of fastening of each swing assembly.

How to make a wooden swing with your own hands - step by step instructions

To be sure of reliability, you need to build a swing yourself. A step-by-step guide for beginners will indicate the correct direction and construction plan.

Stage 1 - choosing the design of a children's swing made of wood

Children's wooden swings must be safe - this is an axiom! In many ways, their ability to stand stably is determined by the configuration of the support (frame). Before you start work, you need to decide which wooden swing frame will be optimal for installation. After all, its shape affects the safety of the structure and determines the place and method of its installation.

Types and types of frames for swings

U-shaped frame

It is considered the most economical model. Less lumber is used to make it. In addition, the supports do not interfere with the movement of the child, and cannot cause injury through negligence. However, for stability, the structure needs concreting of supports, therefore it is stationary. The frame is ideal for installation on soft ground and for making suspended sectional swings.

L-frame

It is sometimes referred to as an inverted "V" support. More stable than the previous version. This option allows not only to hang a swing, but also to create a children's corner.

X-frame

It is a kind of L-shaped, only the support beams are fastened not at the place of their junction, but slightly lower, at a distance of 150-200 mm. A jumper is laid at the intersection of the vertical bars. This is an easier way to make a support. It should be noted that such a frame needs additional reinforcement in the form of a side stop.

A-frame

The most reliable of all designs, due to the jumper, which strengthens it. It is this frame that should be preferred if it is planned to expand the swing by arranging stairs, installing a climbing rope and other elements of the playground.

Stage 2 - drawing a wooden swing for children

The presence of a drawing or sketch of a swing helps to determine the optimal dimensions of the structure, calculate the load, choose the right wood section for manufacturing, determine the amount of material and the parameters of the workpieces.

Wooden swing drawings must contain:

  • frame configuration (shape);
  • wooden swing dimensions It should be noted that the dimensions of the swing are the height, as well as the perimeter of the base;
  • the presence and place of installation of additional reinforcing elements (kerchiefs, spacers);
  • the number and type of seating (taking into account the age of the child);
  • type and length of suspension (ropes, chains, cables, etc.);

You can make an additional drawing with a detailed breakdown and dimensions of the blanks.

The dimensions of a wooden swing are determined based on:

  • the age of the child - the length of the suspension, the size and configuration of the seat depend on it;
  • growth - determines the length of the suspension.

You can make a swing "for growth", then:

  • the optimal seat width is 600 mm.
  • seat height above the ground - 500 - 550 mm. This will allow, on the one hand, to swing and stop the swing on its own, and on the other hand, it will not interfere with skating;
  • height from seat to crossbar - 1600 mm. To make it convenient for the child to swing while standing;
  • the total height of the swing from the ground to the crossbar is determined taking into account the thickness of the seat.

Advice. The seat and suspension must support the weight of the child. For reasons of practicality, it is better to make a margin of safety up to 100-120 kg (several children or a child and an adult).

Stage 3 - material for a wooden swing

To make a wooden swing with your own hands, you need to choose the right wood. It is better to give preference to durable wood species - oak, larch, or cheaper ones from spruce, pine, birch. The main thing is that the lumber is dry, of good quality, without falling knots, holes and other defects.

Depending on the type of frame, you need to prepare:

  • for a U-shaped frame - timber 80x80 or 100x50 - 2 pcs. For all other types of frame - 4 pcs.;
  • for the crossbar - a beam (log) of the same section - 1 pc.;
  • for sitting - boards 600x300x25 - 1 pc. For the manufacture of seats for children under 2 years old, additional elements are thought out - backrest, handles, fences;
  • for suspension - a welded chain with an anti-corrosion coating or a strong rope (the one used by climbers is suitable). The length of the suspension is equal to two swing heights. On average - 4,500 mm - 1 piece;
  • for fastening the frame - wood screws 80x4.5 - 40-50 pcs., as well as self-tapping screws 50x3.5 - 250 pcs.
  • for attaching the suspension - carabiner, hanging hooks, steel corners. Quantity - depending on the method of attachment;
  • for wood processing (protection) - primer;
  • for decoration - paint or wood varnish.
  • for concreting racks - cement, gravel and sand (for mounting a U-shaped frame).

From the tool you will need: a screwdriver, a saw, a planer, a grinder, a level, a drill, a plumb line.

Stage 4 - making a homemade wooden swing for a summer residence

We move from theory to practical implementation of the project. Consider how to make a wooden hanging swing with your own hands.

Preparing a place for installing a swing

After choosing a place, you need to remove the remnants of construction debris, remove thorny bushes and level the site.

Note. Some users advise to concrete the platform for the swing, citing the fact that in the place where the children push off the ground, a hole appears in which water accumulates. Others believe that this is the lesser of the troubles. After all, falling on a concrete base is a serious risk.

Timber preparation

Outdoor hanging swings made of wood should be safe for children. Therefore, it is necessary to grind each workpiece in order to exclude the appearance of splinters. And also cover all wooden elements with a primer. Ready-made swings can be primed, but then there is a possibility of destruction of the wood at the junctions.

Installation of a frame for a children's swing made of wood

As discussed above, there are several ways to arrange a frame. Therefore, we consider the main nuances of mounting each of them:

U-shaped frame. The arrangement begins with the fact that the vertical racks and the upper jumper are fastened. Then you need to dig two recesses (the depth is 1/3 of the height of the support). Pour a gravel-sand cushion on the bottom, install a stand, concrete, wait until the concrete hardens, and install a suspension with a seat.

Note. The lower part of the supports must be treated with any means that will prevent wood decay. The most budgetary and reliable option would be to use used engine oil.

L and A-shaped swing frames are usually also assembled on the ground. Order of execution: cut four supports at an angle, for a more reliable connection. Then attach the top crossbar to the knot. In the case of the A-frame, a crossbar is added, which makes the structure more stable. Then the assembled frame is installed in the prepared place. For reliability, you can drop into the soil (previously treated with a primer against decay) or fix the lower part of the supports to the ground with a long rod and bracket.

X-shaped frame for a swing. It is done similarly to the previous one. Only the ends of the supports are not sawn, but fixed with each other. A jumper is placed in the formed upper corners.

Note. So that the installed X, L and A-shaped frames do not fall into the soil, users recommend concrete patches under the base. Thus, the probability of skew of the structure is eliminated and its mobility is preserved.

The weak point of X, L and A - shaped frames at the junction of vertical supports and lintels. To make this knot, long self-tapping screws are used, but, as the masters note, it is advisable to use a nozzle nozzle of suitable sizes. The photo shows this element and its installation location.

Advice. You need to fasten the screws in the manufacture of the frame in this way: first drill a hole with a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the self-tapping screw, and then assemble the workpieces on the self-tapping screw. Some masters advise gluing the joints of the workpieces for reliability, while others recommend strengthening the knot by using metal plates or wooden spacers.

Swing seating device

The method of manufacture and the material of the swing seat is determined by the age of the child. Children are not demanding on design, they are quite satisfied with a tire seat or a simple board. At the same time, you can count a dozen ways to make it.

Fastening the swing to the crossbar

Suspension (cable, rope or chain) is attached to the crossbar. Suspension is a swing knot for attaching the swing to the crossbar. The suspension has the maximum load, which means that special safety requirements are put forward for it.

Note. The seat is installed only on chains or cables, and not on wooden or metal hangers. Garden swings are designed for adults and do not need to be adjusted, while wooden country swings for children need to be adjusted as the child grows.

Mounting the swing and seat suspension can be done in several ways using different fasteners:

throw the rope over the crossbar and tie or fasten with a staple;

using metal plates that are attached to the crossbar in the upper part; with a carabiner.

The material was prepared for the site www.site

By screwing the anchor into the crossbar and attaching the suspension to it.

By covering the beam.

Stage 5 - decorative design of the swing

Decorating a wooden swing performs a dual function. On the one hand, it protects wood from external factors. On the other hand, the original design of the swing forms a beautiful and bright element of the playground. The main rule is that paints and primers must be of high quality and safe so as not to harm the health of the child.

As an additional decor, you can install additional jumpers on the frame, which will strengthen it, and the children will have a ladder that will be of interest to those who are waiting in line to ride.

Caring for a wooden swing

Care is to check:

  • attachment points;
  • suspension;
  • seats;
  • paint quality.
  • to report a swing load greater than the one for which it is designed;
  • avoid shock loads (sharp sitting on the seat);
  • try to distribute the weight on the plane of the seat (do not roll);
  • ride perpendicular to the base. Suspended swings are designed to ride along supports;
  • maintain a moderate swing amplitude to avoid overturning a loose swing.

Conclusion

We check the reliability of the installation of the suspension and seat, and at the same time the strength of the entire structure. If nothing is deformed under the weight of an adult, then the child will survive. However, a wooden swing for a summer residence needs a periodic inspection of the main knots and attachment points.

Swings are not just for fun. For adults, they calm the nerves, improve mood and put thoughts in order; especially if, swaying, contemplate the clouds in the sky. Children and teenagers on a swing train the vestibular apparatus, develop coordination of movements, and, as they say, feel physics with their whole body. Schoolchildren who know how to swing well on a swing, as a rule, do better and quickly grasp such difficult concepts as, for example, the moment of inertia of a body.

Making a garden swing with your own hands is a simple matter. Who in childhood did not swing on a plank suspended from a branch of a tree on ropes? Or didn’t he flounder into a river or a pond, swinging on a bungee? And having at your disposal a certain amount of material, a simple tool and not quite crooked hands, you can build a corner of relaxation in any situation, which in its action is not inferior to a rock garden arranged according to all the rules, see fig.

country grace

Street and yard swings are placed where there is a place. At the dacha, it’s also, in general, not in abundance, but for yourself it’s worth figuring out how to collect country pleasures in one eden: and the place is saved, and, if we relax, then the beds, from which the hands are in calluses, eyes didn't callous. Here, as usual, every man is his own master. However, there is a very good universal option: hang a swing for giving in a pergola, see fig. If it is, of course, strong enough for this. Dig more and equip a decorative pond nearby - and a do-it-yourself paradise is ready on less than 1 hundred square meters.

About metal swings

Their own swing is most often made of wood: it is more familiar, cozier and easier to work with. But if, say, the whole world equips a playground, then a stronger and fireproof structure is already needed, so that the tomboys do not have to pull up every now and then, and it was difficult for a hooligan, which, alas, will not be transferred in any way, to damage the swing. In such a case, in Fig. below is a drawing of a classic, so to speak, yard swing made of metal: pipes, corner, strip, wire rod, with a canopy. In the future, we will pay more attention to wooden swings, except for those cases when metal is necessary for strength: for a sports corner for a teenager, etc.

Note: there are also cases when metal as a structural material for a swing is chosen according to other criteria. For example, at pos. 1 fig. on the right - a forged swing. Their production requires high skill, and it is very expensive to order, but the prestige is obvious. But on pos. 2 in the same place - a metal swing from the scraps of the channel. For those who know how to handle a welding machine and a grinder, their construction is a matter of half a day, and the bright coloring masks the utility of the material.

The best for children

Swinging on a hanging swing does not begin immediately. Toddlers, who have just learned how to rearrange their bottom two properly, are just right to ride on a pendulum swing. Which, by the way, also develops motor skills and strengthens the musculoskeletal system. Parents who built their children's swing-pendulum with their offspring are soon convinced: abrasions on the knees and elbows, broken noses, roar and resentment from both have noticeably diminished. Although, of course, still not without it. But the swing will help children develop reasonable caution and common sense, preventing serious injuries.

It is known how the swing-pendulum works. Shown in Fig. the option is interesting in that as many as 11 nails are required for metal fasteners:

Details marked with (!), are made of hard, small-layered deciduous wood - oak, beech, hornbeam, walnut. The ends of the pendulum axis can not be turned to a perfectly round one: it is enough to plan it more or less evenly so that they fit into the nests with a slight interference, and shake the board several times, they will run in. If the fibers in the axis and support posts are oriented mutually perpendicular (which is elementary to observe by cutting them out of one board), then the swing will last for many years, and the rubbing surfaces will soon become mirror-smooth and durable, as if machined from steel.

The pendulum swing can be made portable, so that, say, it can be brought to the veranda for the winter. 2 ways for this are shown in the same place, pos. a and b. According to method a, the ends of the racks are concreted in an unusable tire; method b is obvious and simpler, but both riders can fall sideways along with the swing. By the way, many other benefits can be derived from old swing tires; we will return to them later.

Swings for older children are made suspended, as for adults (see below), with some features:

  • The supporting beam of the swing is made from a bar with an extension to which a ladder leads, see fig. on right.
  • Even better, if there is enough space, put an additional support lower on the side, so that a horizontal bar is also obtained, see fig. below. In this case, it is preferable to make the entire sports corner, except for the bar of the horizontal bar, from a profile pipe, then the whole structure is stronger, cheaper and technologically simpler.
  • Hanging a rocking chair for children who already know how to swing is best suited for a 2-2 rope scheme (see below). Then it will be possible without the risk of pinching, or even breaking a finger with a chain, swinging, it takes your breath away. And correctly chosen materials and the design of the suspension will not allow you to “twist the sun” and dive down from its highest point, or turn into a projectile fired from a sling, not being able to group for a landing, like acrobats.

Note: when choosing or designing a swing, do not neglect safety precautions! When rocking in full swing, the speed of the rocking chair at critical points of the trajectory exceeds 50 km/h! Accordingly, the result of a breakdown or fall from a swing will be equivalent to an accident at the same speed.

There are also swings for newborns and babies. There are many benefits from them, but they are medical equipment. It is strongly not recommended to make such a swing yourself, and you need to choose purchased ones and use them only as directed by a pediatrician.

For babies from about six months old, whose eyes are already looking meaningfully (this means that their vision has formed and they see clearly), a children's swing for little ones will be useful, see fig. on right. They cost a lot, but it’s very easy to make similar ones yourself from pipes, PVC or propylene, and cutting plywood, see video:

Video: baby swing for kids

Do not forget to just plug the ends of the pipes with foam: at this age, a finger crawls into a small hole, and you want to put it in there. They swing the child in such a swing, holding the suspension with their hands; in the apartment, the same plastic pipe is suitable as a cross member, the weight is small.

Note: it is the swing that is most often the basis of the children's corner. What else is needed for it, and how to put it all together, requires a separate description in parts. For an example, you can watch the following video:

Video: playground with swings in the program "Fazenda"

Adults and all-all-all

Now it is appropriate to ask: how is the swing set for the whole family? So that it would be comfortable for adults to swing, and for children to like it too? It is quite possible to find a compromise: the seat should be double-backed, but not very massive. The seat is strong enough so that a large child can stand on it. We take a chain suspension, because rope with such a load will stretch. Its scheme should provide a fairly easy swing without outside help, limiting the angle and speed of the swing, and a long swing after it.

It is desirable to make a family swing out of wood for the above reasons: they are more comfortable, no complex tools or special equipment are required for manufacturing. It is also highly desirable to get by with 1-2 standard sizes of lumber, and what is cheaper is an ordinary edged board. For durability, the workpieces are impregnated with biocides (antiseptics) and water repellents (water-repellent agents).

Since the swing is not a residential building and will dry out very quickly in the air, it makes no sense to spend money on expensive branded products. As a biocide, used motor oil (working out) is suitable, and a water-repellent agent is a water-polymer emulsion or, instead of it, PVA glue or water-based tile, diluted 3-5 times. The blanks cut to size are impregnated first with mining, and after 3-7 days with an emulsion.

Drawings of a family swing of this "classic" type are shown in fig; the length of the legs is given based on their penetration into the ground by 0.5 m:

Their peculiarity is that they are built entirely of boards, without the use of more expensive timber, as can be seen from the material sheet, pos. 2. On pos. 3 shows how the supports are adjusted before assembly: a crossbar board is used as a slipway. The legs, cut to size and at an angle (see below), are applied to the stock, bred to the desired width (at the same time, the accuracy of cutting is checked). Then a workpiece of the lower spacer is superimposed, set parallel to the slipway at the distance of its ends from it, and marked for trimming in place. From scraps of the lower spacers make the upper ones.

Note: in fig. on the right - a method of marking the blanks of the legs, based on an angle between them of 30 degrees. Markers on a steel bench square are made from several turns of soft wire with bent ends.

Swing of our own design

You may have a question: how to make a swing completely on your own? Schemes, drawings are good, but if there is already material (for example, left from the construction site), which is clearly enough for a swing, but does not fit into this design? And I don’t want a typical product, I want something of my own. Finally, in fig. at the beginning it is clear that the most luxurious original swing is generally obtained from dead wood and waste from pruning the garden. How to make a beautiful, comfortable, durable and safe swing out of all this? Well, let's get started. Sequence order:

  1. Dimensions;
  2. Foundation and method of attachment to the ground;
  3. Carrier frame;
  4. Suspension methods and designs;
  5. Suspension units;
  6. Rocking chair, she is a seat;
  7. Ways to hang a rocking chair.

Finally, consider a few more non-trivial designs and special, but arranged on the basis of ordinary, special-purpose swings.

Dimensions and proportions

The dimensions of the swing are considered, firstly, based on the width of the park bench seat for 1 person - 60 cm; the minimum value is 40 cm. The seat height above the ground is taken a little more than the standard chair height of 40 cm, so that, on the one hand, you can swing without touching the ground with your feet and at the same time, stretching your legs, you can slow down; on the other hand, it was even more convenient to sit down / get up. Usually they take 50-55 cm, but in fact they customize it for themselves by adjusting the height of the suspension, see below.

Note: for a paired swing with a longitudinal buildup, the height of the suspension of the board (boat) is taken 0.7 of its length. For landing and disembarking, then a platform is needed, and for a rocking chair, a smoothly acting brake (suddenly someone is muddied on it, or he / she gets scared and panics), actuated by the operator from the ground. Therefore, paired swings with longitudinal buildup are almost never used in everyday life.

Suspended swings consist of a supporting frame (2 support posts + crossbar), a suspension system and a rocking chair, it is also a seat. The distance from the edges of the seat to the side supports is taken at least 150 mm with a chain suspension type 2sh-4 or 4-4 (see below), for any other chain suspension from 250 mm, for ordinary rope suspensions from 350 mm, and for any suspension with 1 attachment point at the top - at least 0.7 of the total height of the suspension system. These requirements are based on the fact that for any swing, lateral swinging is inevitable, and touching the rocking chair on the support is unpleasant and, with strong swinging, is traumatic. That is, if we have, for example, a 40-cm seat suspended on ropes, then the span between the supports should be at least 35 + 40 + 35 = 110 cm.

The distance from the seat to the crossbar should be no less than the height of a person on a swing, so that, firstly, you can swing while standing, and secondly, so that, suddenly getting up, you do not hit your head. It is taken within 190-220 cm, depending on the available material.

The angle between the legs of the side supports is taken 30-40 degrees; most often - 30. Then, if we take blanks in half the standard length of 6 m, i.e. 3 m, then, taking into account the depth of the legs and the thickness of the workpiece on the seat, it will just be possible to stand up to his full height. In addition, the area occupied by the swing is reduced.

Note: the thickness of the material of the bearing parts is taken on the basis of a 3-fold overload during rocking. For a quality wooden beam, this will be from 150 mm in height, and for steel pipes - from 40 mm in diameter or side of the square.

Ground anchor

The legs of a wooden swing are either dug into the ground 1 m or more, or concreted to a depth of 0.5 m. 60 cm. In both cases, the ends of the legs, before being installed in pits with a margin of 15-20 cm in length, are either impregnated with bituminous mastic (40% bitumen and 60% white spirit or solvent), or spilled with bitumen heated almost to a boil, and, barely cooled down, sprinkled with sand; this method is better protected from decay.

To pour bitumen, bricks are placed under the leg so that the butt can also be poured. It is poured in a thin stream, for which it is convenient to heat the bitumen in an unusable tin with a drawn-out spout. Having poured over one side, the leg is immediately turned over and poured over the other side, trying to also flow onto the butt. Sand is sprinkled in the same order.

With a metal swing, the situation is more complicated: a pipe that is thin compared to a log or beam can eventually either wriggle out of the ground or break on the concrete itself, because. here, when swinging, loads are concentrated. Therefore, metal outdoor swings for general use must be made with support frames in the form of a solid triangle and concreted into a trench, then the metal beam laid in it will take on a significant part of the effort and unload the legs.

The legs of the swing without additional supporting elements, like those shown above from the channel, are concreted to a depth of at least 1.2 m, regardless of the freezing depth in the area, then the channel will be able to transfer part of the loads to the concrete. Ordinary metal swings are best tied at the bottom with an additional supporting frame and attached to the ground with anchors at least 1 m long, see fig. This, by the way, will allow, if necessary, to return the land for economic use without any problems.

Frame

Country swings are most often made on a frame of 2 A-shaped supports connected by a transverse beam. Sometimes, if the swing is equipped with a hard awning, the frame is made on 4 pillars with a canopy, see below. In hot sunny places, where an awning is needed all summer, this gives some savings in material.

Recently, a frame on λ-shaped supports has become increasingly popular, on the left in the figure:

During construction, it saves wood in a whole beam, which is significant at current prices for lumber. But this swing is only for adults: when swinging in full swing, the supporting beams may not withstand - the wooden ones will break, the metal ones will bend. By the way, it is impossible to make a λ-frame from ordinary structural steel, it will bend immediately. We need very expensive special steel.

Frames with a traverse (in the center in the figure) are known to everyone: a swing on a bitch is what it is. Specially traverse frames are made for acrobatic swings with the 1st suspension point of the rocking chair; on them, having mastered the swinging technique properly, you can write out intricate pirouettes. In this case, the wood on the frame is taken in double thickness, and on the concreted ends of the legs there must be firmly attached crossbars.

A kind of traverse frame - metal mobile. They are made of high-quality steel, loads, moments, center of gravity, etc. mechanical wisdom is accurately calculated. Popular (and very expensive) swing chairs are made in a similar way, on the right in fig.

wooden frames

Log

The most spectacular and in many cases inexpensive swings are obtained from logs. It is not necessary to take debarked and rounded ones: as already mentioned, trimming waste and dead wood will go. The frame from the latter, if the trunks are still strong and powerful, does not need additional reinforcement, pos. 1 in fig. Swing frames made of commercial logs, especially if they are mobile, i.e. not dug in and not concreted, it is necessary to strengthen with struts, pos. 2 and 3. The same amount of material is needed in the latter case, but the frame closes the sky less. The question is, why are the frames not deepened? In order not to spoil the lawn or paved area, in fig. it is seen.

If the swing is dug in or concreted, then the most economical and durable frame is like a Chinese swing, pos. 4. Although such a swing has long been known in Russia; they were often made in birch forests, tying the tops of trees in pairs. "Russian-Chinese" swings can also be made shallow by providing an additional frame at the bottom. A drawing of such a design is given on the next. rice: legs - logs or square bars, crossbar - timber 180x80, lower frame - from boards 150x40.

bar

An ordinary, unprofiled wooden beam makes it possible to build a swing greater than a log. It is easier and cheaper to make a swing with a permanent canopy for hot countries from a bar, pos. 1 in fig. A conventional frame on A-shaped supports made of timber (pos. 2) will also turn out to be simpler and stronger: under the weight of the rocking chair, the legs compress the crossbar (pos. 3) and the more the swing is loaded, the stronger the frame is held. In the frame of the "Russian-Chinese" swing from a bar at the top, just like for logs, only 1 fastening unit is needed, pos. 4, and the device for a canopy over a swing made of timber on A-shaped supports is also not difficult, pos. 5.

Moreover, the crossbar from a bar can be taken the same as on the legs, i.e. reduced section (100x100 mm), if it is reinforced at the ends with overlays from the board, and the hanging points of the rocking chair are placed close to them, pos. 6. Then the moments bending the crossbar will, as it were, flow into compressive legs, and the tree holds the compressive load well.

To enhance this effect, the crossbar is sometimes placed below the tops of the supports, pos. 7, but the gain in strength is illusory, but the extra fasteners are striking, and it costs money. Using this principle, it is better to cut off the tops of the supports and additionally secure the crossbar from above with overlays, pos. 8. Then it will be possible, if the crossbar is 150x150, and the legs are 200x200, to make the crossbar extensions up to 1.5 m, and hang a children's swing on the ropes to them, attach a ladder with a slide, etc. You will get a family swing-sports corner with a material consumption of only a little more than for one swing.

And another question: is it possible to replace the beam with a board, say, 150x40? It is possible, as shown in pos. 9, only extensions can no longer be made and the height of the supports will have to be limited to about 1.8 m. The swing will be just as strong, but much cheaper than the beam. Well, it will take more work - to mark, cut, stitch.

Note: the “classic family” swing described above is even more economical, but their legs must be concreted, otherwise the plank frame will be fragile. And shown in pos. 5, 6 and 9 are mobile, they can simply be placed on the ground or on the floor.

How to put a frame?

The swing crossbar must be horizontal, otherwise the rocking chair will wobble unpleasantly on any suspension. It is difficult and troublesome to set it up with a bubble level, it is not much easier with a hose level, and a laser level - a plane builder, of course, is not just kept on the farm.

You can set the crossbar of the swing using one of the oldest leveling devices - the Egyptian plumb line, see fig. It fell out of use in ancient times due to low accuracy, but it will be enough for a swing. As a lower load, you can use a bucket of sand, and, in addition to the usual construction plumb line, any iron - a bolt, a nut - will go to the top.

Hangers and pendants

The suspension of the rocking chair determines the convenience, comfort and safety of the swing. This rather complicated node should:

  • Prevent rocking within safe limits as little as possible.
  • Gently absorb rocking energy if rocking speed/angle is out of range.
  • Ensure rocking without jerks and with as little sideways wobbling as possible.
  • Acrobatic suspension should provide the same in 2 planes.

Rocker suspension schemes are indicated by formulas of the form n-m-k, where n is the number of suspension points at the top, m is the number of intermediate suspension points, and k is the number of them on the rocker. It is somewhat similar to the wheel formulas of steam locomotives, but this is a pure coincidence: for a steam locomotive, m cannot be equal to 0, since denotes the number of driving axles, and for a swing - easily.

Some types of rocking chair suspensions are shown in Fig:

Suspension type 1-2 with a soft flexible rocking chair (not shown in the figure) is called a flying trapezoid. Hangers of types 1-m-k are used in swings on traverses. Garden and country swings are most often hung in ways 2-4 (the easiest), 2-2-4 (does not swing excessively) and 2sh-4 (you also won’t swing much and no wobbles).

Special mention should be made of the 4-4 suspension. It’s not actually a swing: how can you swing on such a thing? However, it is sometimes used for original garden benches (on the left in the figure):

For some, a little erratic swaying is soothing. But most often, swing arbors are suspended in the 4-4 way, on the right there. It's a matter of taste, some people like it. The eastern lords of the past, and even of the present, they say, they simply thrive in such in the company of their concubines.

Chain, rope or pull?

Hanging a swing on a rope is the easiest and, if you know how to knit some sea knots (see below), does not require expensive additional fasteners. But the rope, as you know, stretches, and the spiral layer does not limit the swing in any way. Therefore, firstly, it is better to hang the simplest children's summer swings on the ropes, pos. 1 in fig. below. Secondly, take the rope with a cross lay, see fig. on right. It has a lot of internal friction, which is why riggers do not like it (the efficiency of lifting mechanisms decreases), but for a swing, this is exactly what is needed so that the unreasonable child does not arrange somersaults for himself. The diameter of the nylon cross cable for swings is from 24 mm.

Chain hanger, pos. 2, expensive, but in terms of the totality of characteristics it is optimal in all respects: the chain is strong, its wear is immediately visible, it almost does not slow down a small buildup, and extinguishes excessive due to friction in the links. However, due to the latter circumstance, the smallest in a swing on chains for adults can seriously pinch a finger; for children's swings, small-caliber chains are taken.

The rocking chair on rigid rods (pos. 3 and 4) is suspended, as a rule, on bearings. It sways very smoothly, without the slightest wobble, and, as they say, a mosquito will swing on it. But such a swing without additional security measures is dangerous: crashing headfirst into a stone fence or curb at a speed of under 60 km / h is no longer an accident, it is a tragedy. Therefore, on the site, swings on hard rods for children should, firstly, be equipped with a rocking chair with a fence, as in a swing for kids, pos. 3. Secondly, it is still impossible to let a child on them without adult supervision.

In public yard swings on bearings, a swing limiter must be provided - who knows how to get in there and how he knows how to swing? About a simple limiter from a pipe (see fig.), the rocking chair beats, which is unpleasant. In good branded swing models with rigid rods, bearing suspensions are made with a built-in hydraulic brake, which operates on the principle of viscous coupling of cars with an AWD drive, but such suspension units are expensive.

Sometimes rocking is also limited by connecting rigid rocking rods to the frame with segments of chains, pos. 5. But, generally speaking, this is not the best way out: due to the different mechanical characteristics of the suspension links, even a small and quite safe swing on such a swing occurs with noticeable jerks.

Note: there is also a whole class of luxury swing suspensions on systems of balanced levers, springs, hydraulic shock absorbers. It is clear that it is expensive and not to do it yourself.

Suspension units

Critical swing suspension points are attachment points. They have very large alternating loads, they are subject to abrasion. A small burr on the rubbing surface of the attachment will give very noticeable jerks when swinging. Therefore, the choice of the design of attachment points must be approached with all responsibility.

The cheapest, but also the worst option is S-hooks, pos. 1 in fig. Huge loads are concentrated in their crossbars, the probability of sudden destruction is high, therefore, such an attachment is only permissible for swings-benches suspended no higher than 0.5 m and whose design allows you to barely sway.

The most reliable fastening is on clamps with carabiners, pos. 2. The main load in them falls on the top of the crossbar beam, which is absolutely safe. It is only necessary that the carabiners have safety teeth and an anti-friction insert: the suspension rod sliding in the eye of the carabiner is already an emergency mode in case of excessive swinging.

Reliable clamps still spoil the look of the swing, so fastenings are most often done on eyebolts, pos. 3. Indispensable conditions for their maximum reliability - the bolt must pass through the crossbar, under the nut, regardless of the material of the crossbar, a steel washer must be placed at least 60 mm in diameter and 4 mm thick, and the nut must be firmly locked. Spring washers of all types during rocking do not prevent the gradual spontaneous loosening of a single nut!

The reliability of the eyebolt is absolute - there are large stresses on the neck of the eyebolt (ring). Absolutely reliable are slightly more expensive U-hooks and shackles, pos. 4. Under the mustache of the hook, a blind hole is drilled in the crossbar and it is inserted tightly there. Not being able to straighten even a little, the hook will withstand an incredible load, because. the destruction of the metal begins with microdisruptions in the bonds between its crystallites.

The eyebolt, U-hook and, to a lesser extent, the shackle significantly weaken the deadbolt, since the concentrated force applied from above tends to break it just where the beam is weakened by the hole, and the fastening pin, when swinging, seems to “gouge” it. The washer weakens this effect, but does not eliminate it completely. As a result, where it would be possible to get by with a 100x100 mm solid beam, you have to put 150x50 mm, and based on the buildup in full swing and all 200x200 mm.

They are conspicuous, but ideal in all respects through fastenings with an overlay and an upper suspension, pos. 5 and 6. Shear forces from them spread freely to the sides along the beam and tend not to break, but, on the contrary, to compress the hole, as if it does not exist; the beam now becomes an equivalent solid. In addition, although such a suspension looks like a 4-4, it is kinematically equivalent to a chain 2-2-4, but dampens excessive buildup even better and smoother. If the suspension with overlays is rope, then between the carabiner and the fire (loop) of the cable you need to put a solid ring, pos. 6.

Also, the rings connect the branches of the chain suspension 2-2-4. The upper branch is welded to the ring or soldered with hard solder, and the lower ones slide freely along it, pos. 7. Only then will the 2-2-4 chain hanger acquire the desired kinematics.

Rope hangers are good because they allow you to easily adjust the height of the rocking chair, but, made "in a chain", require a fairly large number of expensive fasteners, locking and adjusting parts and assemblies, pos. 6,8 and 9. However, all of them, with one easily accessible for self-manufacturing exception, can be replaced by marine units of the appropriate purpose. The reliability of marine knots has been tested by thousands of years of maritime practice, and their complexity exists only in the conventional wisdom.

You don’t need to know 200-400 knots, like a boatswain of a sailing fleet, or at least 20-40, like a current yachtsman, to build a swing, 7-9 is enough for everything, see fig:

A - an anchor knot, or a fishing bayonet, for attaching a cable to a carabiner with an anti-friction gasket or an intermediate ring. Up to 5 hoses (turns) can be carried into the eye. A simple mark is applied to the running (free) end of the cable and the running end is connected to the stretched end with it, shown in the red frame. The mount holds until the cable rots or the eyelet rusts. The anchor knot is not tightening, it is not difficult to untie it: it is enough to remove or cut the brand that tightens the ends.

B - bed knot, also non-tightening. Suitable for the upper suspension of temporary, say, for the weekend, children's swing.

B - a bayonet with a run-out, the same as B, but for adults.

G - stop knot, or figure eight. For the lower attachment of a children's swing through the holes in the board.

D, G - sealing the end of the cable with a turnip and a simple disk knob. The same as G, but for adults, and the tails of the cable do not hang out. Although, in general, it is better to fasten a rocking chair on ropes to the bottom without knots at all, as described below.

Z - net knot, for tying 2 ropes crosswise anywhere without cutting.

And - this is how a loose loop is knitted on a solid rope. You can hang an umbrella, a soda siphon, adapt a shelf or something else.

Note: there are also simple knots for tying 2 ropes, the same or different, for example. weaving knot. However, it is strongly not recommended to assemble a swing rope suspension from pieces.

It remains to solve the issue of adjusting the rocking chair on the ropes. To do this, you need 2 trimmings of a durable hard board from 30 mm (oak, beech, elm, walnut), from which running, or hanging, rope stoppers - lufers are made, see fig. on right. Such gizmos regulated the tension of the rigging of ancient sailing ships, and nothing - the oceans swam across, America-India was discovered. Ufers are used in conjunction with the rocking chair suspension method described below.

Rocking chair and its fastening

A rocking chair for adults is, in general, a garden bench without legs. They choose it to their taste and on the back with a fifth point. From below, an adult rocking chair is reinforced with a pair of transverse bars, and eyebolts or U-hooks are inserted through their ends, as in pos. 4 drawings of the "classic family" swing at the beginning. Fastening at any point of the top, as in pos. 1 fig., is extremely unreliable. The centrifugal force during swinging should compress the rocking chair and press it against the supports, and not stretch and tear it away from them.

Children are very fond of swinging on flying trapezes, pos. 2 in fig. below. You can make this yourself from a tarpaulin, reinforcing the ends with wooden planks inserted into pockets sewn on the bottom and providing eyelets. But you can’t put eyelets for curtains, they are weak. If there are no sailing eyelets at your disposal, you can sew on their substitutes from a steel ring and a harsh, properly wired or resinous thread, pos. 3.

Children's rocking chair from a board with a two-point suspension, pos. 3, it is not recommended to do it by any means, there is a high probability of overturning. If we make a rocking chair at 2 points, then from logs, as in pos. 4, and hang the rocking chair from the board at 4 points, passing the cable through the holes, pos. 5.

However, the best rope suspension for both children and adults is a loop in the grooves, pos. 6. For adults, the lower support bars of the rocking chair are made wider, with an offset of 100-200 mm. They do not interfere, on the contrary, with a slight swaying, you can put a book on them, put a can of beer, etc. And suddenly there will be a transverse buildup, they will also serve as good shock absorbers. The suspension in the grooves is absolutely reliable, it is elementary assembled and disassembled. Adjusting the height of the intermediate points with slings allows you to change not only the height of the rocking chair, but also the kinematics of the suspension within a fairly wide range.

Tire swing

Perhaps the most favorite swing for children is made of tires. The reasons here are not only psychological or ergonomic, a rocking chair made of a tire is an excellent shock absorber in emergency cases, and an adult master dad is an excellent rocking material. An unusable tire can simply be hung on a bough, pos. 1 in Fig., from its trimming, a flying trapezoid is obtained without any particular difficulties: the presence of a strong rubber of steel cord in the mass makes it possible to do without eyelets. The whole tire will go to the rocking-nest for collective gatherings of small fry, pos. 3. When two or three swing each in their own way, the trajectory of the rocking chair-nest on the suspension 1-3 or 1-4 makes a person who knows mathematics and physics well scratch his head thoughtfully.

Finally, from tires cut and folded in different ways, single rocking chairs are obtained not only for children, but also for adults, pos. 4-6. The popularity of tire swings is so great that some sports toy and children's goods companies produce, especially for swings ... square tires, pos. 7! It remains only to exclaim after the author of "Tartarin of Tarascon": "Has anyone ever heard of something like this?"

Curiosities, but to the point

Since we are talking about funny swings, let's touch on some of them, but quite suitable for their intended use. For example, swing-hammocks, on the left in the figure, although the hammock is already a recumbent swing in itself. There is probably something about wiggle with additional degrees of freedom that the owners like. In any case, there will be no harm.

The device in the center will surely appeal to children, but it is impossible to name it without sinning against Russian grammar. Swing, don't swing. And the author posted a photo of what is on the right with a note: the easiest way to recycle an old car. The commentary was in English, so it's quite possible that in many Western countries, getting a car to a junkyard or scrapping it is worth a lot of trouble. And here the large inertia of a heavy rocking chair allows, having swayed, to sway for a very long time, the canopy turns out by itself, and the soft sofa will not reduce comfort.

Not those but the swing

Finally - about the swing, the direct descendants of the children's swing-pendulum, but quite adult. And not for fun, they help to cope with arthritis, osteochondrosis, sciatica without expensive treatment. Reviews of doctors are positive.

Good afternoon. Today we will make a swing for a summer cottage. I decided immediately IN ONE ARTICLE to collect all the variety of swings for giving (from simple to complex). So that you can choose the swing model that you like best.

I will NOT ONLY show ideas - we will also LET'S LOOK AT EACH MODEL IN DETAILS

And more - I'll tell you HOW to attach the swing to the support beam - all 4 ways.

I will start from the SIMPLE ideas of a swing for a summer residence - to ideas MORE COMPLEX AND MORE INTERESTING.

And the most original ideas swing for children- with slides, rope climbing frames and built-in wigwams - I put it in a separate article


So let's get started...

SIMPLE idea - how to make a swing from a pallet.

If you have a cargo wooden pallet (pallet) left on your site (after bringing in bricks or other building material), then it can be used as the basis for a country swing.

We need a wooden pallet (pallet) - a strong rope - and something to which we will hang. Or it will be a tree trunk. Or you can make support on two strong pillars. We then - a little later in the same article- we will consider swing support options (And then I will dwell on this in more detail).

But… if you develop this idea of ​​a swing from a wooden pallet further… then you can make everything much more comfortable… Like this…

And if you don’t have one - but as many as 2 pallets were found in the household ... then from two pallets-pallets you can make a cozy swing with a back ... paint ... put sofa foam cushions ... And voila 2 shabby pallets - turned into a luxurious swing for a summer residence .

Of course, the pallets must first be cleaned, sanded with sandpaper (so that there is no splinter) and painted (stain or paint) and even varnished (but preferably moisture resistant).

How to fix such a swing - I will tell at the very end of the article ...

Rocking chairs - THE SIMPLE IDEA of swings for summer cottages.

This is what these country swings look like.

Pay attention - NOT JUST boards with a hole for a rope - but harnesses, which are duplicated at the bottom with two more planks. So that the rope fastening is held tighter and there is no strong friction on the rope when swinging.

I think there is no need to explain for a long time how to make such a swing yourself.

ANOTHER MODEL - a swing with a rope for summer cottages.

And here is also shown HOW you can fix the rope on the swing. That is, the essence is very simple:

We make 4 saws (we cut out the grooves) - 2 grooves at the end of the board - and 2 grooves along the edges closer to the corners of the board. (it is not necessary to make the edge of the board as semicircular as in the photo - the same principle will work on a rectangular cut of the board).

And then when 4 grooves are cut out - we place the rope - in them - in such a way as shown in the photo.

Despite the fact that grooves remain open- the rope does not jump out of them. Under the force of tension, it only fits more tightly to the grooves - and a completely reliable fastening of the rope to the swing seat is ensured.

Swing for a summer residence - from a snowboard.

Or here's another idea for a summer residence ... Snow boards are made of very durable materials. Such a board, although it looks thin, is actually very wear-resistant (it is extremely difficult to break it). And therefore it can also be used as a swing seat in the country.

Swing for a summer residence - with your own hands from two logs.

And here is another variation of the swing seat - from two logs.

Here in the photo above you can see how easy it is to make these swings from two segments of rounded bars. A very simple model. We wrap two pieces of a rounded log with a rope and fasten it with some kind of cunning marine knot.

Swing from the board - with a roll in the longitudinal direction.

But the swing model - when the roll (motion vector) is directed in the longitudinal direction. Such a rocking chair can be made more authentic - to swing on it in a friendly neighborhood-children's campaign.

AND LET'S COMPLISE THE TASK ... now there will be a more serious swing ...

Country swing - from the rounded beams.

How do you like this cozy summer cottage?

Nice, right?


Let's take a closer look at how to make such a swing ourselves.

SUPPORT - two A-shaped structures from rounded beams - (two letters A are assembled from the beams - as we see in the photo) - we put them on legs and we put a cross beam on them.

And in order for this beam to lie more reliably on our A-shaped racks - we also (see there from behind) strengthen it with additional short beams.

ROCKING CHAIR ... here is an interesting rocking chair.

seat- L-shaped bench made of bars and battens with planks + armrests made of bars.

Seat holder - also cool - it's not a chain or a rope.

This is the same rounded beam - which is tightly attached to the seat with its lower end (in zone of her lower seat bar and in the armrest area).

And the upper end of the holder-beam has a movable fastening in the form of a metal ring. And this ring is fastened with fastening carabiner the suspension support itself.

Detail drawing exactly THESE swings from a bar- (with dimensions and large photographs from all sides) - I posted it in a separate article ... In this article, you will find everything on a bench-type swing.

And here is almost the SAME MODEL of the support post - but in a slightly different variation. And then there's an elegant crate added to the side of the supporting spreaders.

Swing for a summer residence - we make it from a non-rounded timber.

Here is a model..

It can be made with a seat-bench.

With two seat-boards - you get a swing into two separate places.

Moreover, note that we hang them to the same anchors on which the swing-bench hung before. Thus, different rocking chairs can be hung to the same swing support.

Or here is another combination to the same swing support. Combined swing with seat-chair and seat-board.

Fasteners are standard for swings - chains and carabiners made of metal rings and hooks.

This is how two chains from the back and seat of the chair look like - they meet in one ring and then they go to the carabiner for fastening the beam.

And like this - a fastening anchor with a carabiner for attaching a rope (or chain)

But I'm getting ahead of myself...

In more detail (below in the same article) I will show 6 ways to attach the swing to the support beam... there we will dwell on carbines in more detail ...

In the meantime, we continue to look at what other models are available ..

Almost the same model - but with a continuation under another swing.

Here is a variation of this model- where the transverse beam extends beyond the side boundaries of the support beams and a light rocking board is suspended from it.

Swing wooden with a canopy.

But the swing model is complemented by a canopy roof - in case of a rainy summer in the country.

And pay attention - there is already a ROPE HOLDER - another system of carabiners.

Here are such A-shaped swings (with supports in the form of beeches A) we will step by step make in a separate article "Swing for a summer residence - STEP by STEP we do it ourselves."

Everything will be simple and clear there - in such pictures.

Also, you might have a question...

And what to do - if I want to build a swing,

but I have no bars - only boards?

Here is the answer - a double board calmly replaces a beam in terms of endurance and load.

Well, now let's talk about how to attach the swing to the support.

HOW TO FIX THE SWING - TO THE SUPPORT BAR.

(6 WAYS)

Swing attachment - carabiner (with beam girth)

Here we see photos of mounting systems for swings - which are mounted either on a rectangular beam (square girth of the carabiner) - or on a rounded beam (round girth of the carabiner).

Through fastening - carabiner (with drilling of a bar)

Or special anchor devices for through fastening on a bar. Most of the swings from our photos in the article are precisely on these anchors that are attached.

You can make a swing for children with your own hands from different materials if you wish. There is a wide variety of stationary and portable designs. Their feature is ease of assembly. Since the baby does not create a large load during the swing, there is no need to make a reinforced frame. The seat of the simplest swing is tied with a rope to a high branch of a tree.

What can you make a baby swing from?

First of all, the swing differs in the material of manufacture. Children are interested in everything that is unusual. For example, old car tires make a great seat. The wheels are tied to the ropes vertically, horizontally. Tires are cut with a knife, turned inside out, chairs are made from them, seats in the form of different shapes. Like a tire, there are even prefabricated plastic rides. The seat is equipped with mounting holes. Parents can only thread the ropes with their own hands and fix them on a support.

Wood is considered a classic material for assembling a swing. In the simplest version, the attraction for children is made of a piece of board tied with ropes or chains to a support. The seat is fixed at both ends or in the center. The second option is a bungee, on which children ride sitting and standing. Do-it-yourself wooden capital frame for a children's swing is created from timber or logs. The seat for children is made into a bench or a pair of single chairs is hooked.


No less popular, but expensive steel swing. The frame is welded with your own hands from pipes or a profile. The design turns out reliable, maintains big loadings. The downside is the susceptibility of the metal to corrosion. Periodically, the structure will have to be cleaned of rust, painted.


However, metal is a very convenient material for making a collapsible structure with your own hands. Parents make compact swings for children, which they use outside in the summer, and with the onset of cold weather they are transferred inside the living quarters. The frame of this design is connected by bolts and, if necessary, can be easily disassembled for spare parts.

Types of homemade children's swing

It is impossible to list all the existing varieties of rolling attractions. Parents invent swings for their children from what is lying around on the farm. However, conditionally, all of them can be divided into three groups: for home, street and portable models.

Children's swing for home

Directly only for the placement of a swing does not exist, since if desired, it can always be taken out into the street. However, such attractions for children have their own characteristics. The first of these is compactness. Most often they do not have a supporting frame.


They make a children's swing in an apartment with their own hands of a hanging type on ropes. The seat is a piece of board, a plastic window sill or a chair with armrests and a front jumper. The second feature is that more often parents try to make soft seats for their children. Cocoons, simple strips of tarpaulin, mesh rings are popular. Children love to swing a lot. A soft seat will damage furniture or wall decoration less on impact.


Indoor models are often hung from the ceiling if it is made of concrete floor slabs. The brackets can withstand the light weight of children.


Portable models can similarly be classified as street and indoor attractions. Such designs are usually designed for young children. Factory-made and do-it-yourself products are often made of a thin-walled metal tube. The frame is collapsible or collapsible. The seat is a child-friendly chair with armrests. For the smallest children, there is a front jumper. The limiter prevents the baby from falling out of the chair during rocking.

Children's outdoor swing

Attractions intended only for the street cannot be brought inside the premises with all the desire of children. The swings are large. First of all, it concerns the frame. It is welded with your own hands from a pipe or lumber is used. It does not matter how many children the design will be designed for. According to the rules, the frame of a children's street swing with their own hands is made 2-2.5 m high. The seat has a large swing angle. Such a children's attraction inside the apartment is inappropriate.


Important! Outdoor swings are not always made in the form of seats suspended from a frame. Children create balance weights, spring rides and even small carousels with their own hands.

Dimensions and drawings of a children's swing

A feature of attractions for children are individual sizes. A child differs from an adult in height, weight, physique. The dimensions of the frame can be left those that are suitable for swings for adults. They do not play a special role. It is important to correctly calculate the dimensions of the seat and the height of its suspension. For comfortable repulsion, children should reach the ground with their feet, but at the same time, do not cling to the feet when swinging. The height of the suspension is determined taking into account the height and age of the children. Sample data is displayed in the table.


The size of the seat for a children's swing depends on how many children it is designed for. If this is a single-seat attraction, then a chair width of 40-50 cm will be enough. A bench for several children is made 1-1.2 m wide. Very wide seats for a children's swing are unacceptable. They have a lot of weight. Children are not always able to swing a massive bench on their own.




How to make a children's swing with your own hands

If you have a desire to create an attraction for children with your own hands, you first need to think over its design, draw a drawing, and calculate the dimensions. According to the finished project, materials and appropriate tools are prepared.

How to make a simple children's swing with your own hands

For children, the simplest swing is hung with their own hands on a branch of a tall tree. It will take 15-20 minutes to make such a design. A piece of board 50 mm thick and 200-250 mm wide is prepared for the seat. A hewn log with a thickness of 100-150 mm is suitable. The length of the workpiece is 500-600 mm.


Making a children's hanging swing with their own hands is simple. A hole is drilled in the center of the seat. The end of a thick rope is passed through it, a large knot is tied from below. The second end of the rope is wrapped in several turns around a thick tree branch growing at a height of 2.5-3 m. A triple knot is tied for fixation.

It is impossible to fasten the simplest swing to a tree for children with chains, nails, clamps and other devices. They will damage the bark and wood.


In extreme cases, for quick hanging, a rope loop with a carabiner fixation is suitable. The principle of fastening is shown in the photo.

Advice! On a bungee swing, children can ride standing and sitting. The wooden seat must be sanded so that the baby does not pick up splinters.

How to make a children's swing for a summer residence with your own hands

Country capital swings for children are recognized by the stationary frame. More often it is made of two vertical racks and a jumper. The material of manufacture is timber, round timber or metal pipes. Racks are buried in the ground to a depth of 1 m. A crossbar is fixed to them from above, a seat is suspended. The downside of the U-shaped frame is poor stability, loosening while children ride on a swing.


Frames are considered the best option, where each side support post consists of two pillars. They are placed with their own hands at an angle, sometimes reinforced with a jumper.

Do-it-yourself L-shaped and A-shaped frames for summer children's swings are created with a sharp top, where the jumper is fixed. The first option is two racks mounted at an angle. In the second version, a jumper is installed between the posts at an arbitrary height from the ground level. From this, the side support becomes similar to the letter "A".


No less popular is the swing frame for children in the shape of the letter "X". In fact, the design is similar to the previous versions, only instead of a sharp top, the intersecting racks form forks.

The disadvantage of wooden frames is the loosening of the upper knot during intensive riding by children. A reinforced connection is obtained by welding a metal nozzle nozzle with your own hands. The design principle is shown in the photo. A beam or log is inserted inside the pipe, fixed with self-tapping screws.

The seat of the children's country swing is made by hand from the available materials. Children love hanging tires, a regular board, a couple of thin logs tied together. A chair with armrests is made from boards for a small child.

Advice! The seat is better to do single. For simultaneous skiing of several children, you can hang a couple of benches, you just need to increase the width of the frame.

The seat of the children's swing is attached to the crossbar in the following ways:

  • the rope thrown over the crossbar is fixed with a bracket;
  • metal plates are placed on the upper plane of the crossbar with their own hands, fixed with long bolts;
  • with a carabiner they cover a loop of rope;
  • put anchors or eyebolts with eyes;
  • cover the crossbar with a clamp.

When the home swing for children with their own hands is installed, they proceed to the design. The design for children is painted with paints of bright colors. The area near the attraction can be covered with sand. It will be interesting and comfortable for children to jump off the swing.


In the video, an example of a swing made of wood:

How to make a swing in kindergarten with your own hands

Small children attending kindergarten are interested in curly swings. By design, they can be suspended and ground. Here it is important to come up with an interesting figure, to make the children comfortable and safe seat.

Do-it-yourself rope-type swings for a playground are created in the form of an airplane, an animal, a car.


The ground attraction is made like a regular balance beam. In order to attract children to the swing in kindergarten, the supports are covered with figures cut out of plywood. The photo shows an example with a penguin. At your discretion, you can cut out another bird, animal, fairy-tale hero. Eyes, mouth, nose are painted with paints.


How to make a children's swing on a spring with your own hands

One of the varieties of curly swings is a children's attraction on a spring. The seat is cut out of plywood in the shape of a horse, whale, car. Be sure to attach handles to help children hold on while having fun.


To make a children's swing with your own hands, you need a concrete foundation. They deepen it into the ground by 50 cm. Embedded threaded studs are embedded in the concrete, protruding to the surface of the base.


A plate is cut out of a sheet of steel 4 mm thick, holes are drilled. They must coincide with the studs protruding from the foundation so that the workpiece can be strung and tightened with nuts. A piece of pipe is welded in the center of the plate. In thickness, it should fit inside the spring. Such flanges are made by hand 2 pieces. One is strung on studs, firmly tightened with nuts. The second flange is attached to the seat of a children's swing with the help of metal corners. Now it remains to connect the protruding pipe sections by putting a powerful spring on them.

How to make a children's swing for two

An excellent example of an attraction for two children is a balance beam. Do not suffer with digging supports.


For a swing, you will need half a car tire and a board 2 m long.


First of all, cut the wheel in half with your own hands. Rubber is cut with a sharp knife, wiping the blade with laundry soap. The wire cord is cut with a hacksaw. First, they take one half and screw the embedded bars to the side shelves with self-tapping screws. Their length is equal to the diameter of the wheel. The center is measured on the board, holes are drilled, bolted to the embedded bars.

The second half of the wheel is still cut into two equal parts. Pieces of the tire using similar embedded bars are fixed along the edges of the board, but from the underside of the seat. The elements will bounce when they hit the ground.


The board is sanded with sandpaper. So that the wood does not disappear, it is impregnated with an antiseptic, opened with varnish. For the convenience of riding, handles are attached to both edges of the board.


How to make a children's swing from fabric with your own hands

For babies from the age of 1 year old, fabric seats are made. In shape, it should howl a chair with armrests and a front jumper.


To make a seat with your own hands, children will need two pieces of durable fabric 80 cm long and 4 round wooden sticks 2.5 cm thick, 30 cm long.


Wooden blanks are treated with sandpaper. To connect with a rope, holes are drilled along the edges.

A cross is folded from strips of fabric. Its lower element will play the role of a strap in front of the seat. This part of the fabric is reduced in width exactly twice.

The strips of fabric are sewn together. At each end of the cross, the edge of the fabric is folded over and stitched with a typewriter. Prepared wooden sticks are inserted into the resulting loops.

A rope is passed through the holes of the wooden round timber. Fixation is carried out by nodes.

The other ends of the ropes lead into metal rings. The rope is bent in a loop, fixed with clamps. Before clamping the rope, you need to make sure that its length is calculated correctly for hanging the swing.

The finished fabric chair is hung from a tree branch or other support, hooked with rings on carabiners.

How to make a safe swing for children with your own hands

For young children, it is first of all important to ensure the safety of the attraction. The do-it-yourself children's swing presented in the photo is made with this requirement in mind.


If the seat for children is made of metal, then there should be no sharp edges on it. The chair is bent out of the tube so that rounded corners are obtained. Similarly, trim the trim strips, getting rid of sharp edges.

A cradle suspended on ropes is also a safe swing for newborns. The base is convenient to use an oval wicker basket made of vines. Its length should allow children to lie at full height.


Hanging swing cradle for small children is sewn from durable fabric. Along the perimeter, the cradle is framed with round wooden sticks. Through the drilled holes, the cradle is hung with ropes to the support.


Children over the age of 3 years old are hung with a chair on the ropes. Usually it consists of a set of round sticks fastened together with ropes. The safety of children is ensured by the front jumper. The restraint moves freely along the ropes, allowing the baby to get out of the seat and sit on it.

Safe models include floor swings of a folding or collapsible type. The framework is made of a thin-walled pipe. All corners are rounded. The armchair is upholstered in fabric with foam padding. The limiter is the front jumper and the cloth strap.

To make garden swings for children assembled with their own hands a pleasure, a few useful tips will help you properly operate the attraction:

  • do not leave children under 3 years of age unattended;
  • children need to be explained the danger of being in the swinging zone of the seat;
  • rocking is carried out in the direction provided by the design of the swing;
  • once a week, check the working units for signs of wear.


Proper operation of the attraction ensures the safety of not only the children riding, but also the people nearby.

Conclusion

Every parent is capable of making a swing for children with their own hands. The right idea is easy to find on the Internet. The attraction can even be copied according to the analogue installed on the playground.

What else to read