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

Many people remember a wonderful song from the movie "The Adventures of Electronics", which is sung about a swing. Almost every yard has a swing - either factory-made metal, or home-made, with a seat made of wood. And they are never empty, because many people like the feeling of flying. If you want to make a swing for children with your own hands, this article is for you.

First you need to figure out what and how to build a swing. Everything probably depends on your goals. If you want to build a durable structure that will last for generations, use metal. If you are going to hang a temporary swing in the country or in the yard, you can construct it out of wood or plastic. Although wooden swings are durable and solid, even if they lose in this metal one. A plastic swing is usually built for the smallest toddlers under the age of 5 years.

Each material has its own advantages and disadvantages. If a tree is available, cheap, environmentally friendly, relatively safe, easy to work with; then the metal is strong, fireproof, the swing made of it is quite compact. The plastic is lightweight, and kids love its bright colors. The place for installing the swing should be selected based on the following factors:

• you must not lose sight of the baby;
• safety - do not arrange flights near wires, water bodies, roads; if there is no choice, try to protect the place of children's games with at least a picket fence;
• choose a place that is not too sunlit, but not completely in the shade;
• if you want to build a swing from wood, keep in mind that they will quickly deteriorate from excessive dampness;

• protection from wind gusts;
• make sure that there are no thickets of toxic, thorny, melliferous, as well as plants that can cause allergies nearby;
• the installation site of the swing should be relatively flat;
• be sure to check that each unit is securely fastened.

By design, swings are frame and suspended, there are even swings on a spring. A large number of variants of these types are presented. This is a pendulum swing, a swing bench, a "gazebo", and many others. If you have already chosen the material from which you will mount the swing, draw a sketch of the future structure. Draw detailed drawings with all dimensions based on this sketch. It should be noted that some designs may be portable. Usually this is a metal swing, since those made of wood require the frame to be securely fixed to the ground.

There are several types of swing frames.

• U-shaped - This is the most economical option, since it requires less material. But in order for the structure to be stable, concreted supports are required, therefore, this model belongs to stationary ones. It is the ideal choice for suspended species installed on soft ground.
• L-shaped. This design is more reliable than the previous one. It has 2 lateral supports on each side, installed at an angle and connected at the top with a lintel.
• X-shaped - This is a subspecies of the L-shaped frame.The side supports are placed in such a way that at the top, 20-25 centimeters before the top, their crosshairs are formed, into which the transverse bar is laid. Please note that it is better to strengthen the structure with a side stop.
• A-shaped - this is the most stable type of frame due to the use of a side lintel in the design.

The swing drawing includes the following data:

• frame type;
• swing dimensions;
• the place of attachment of reinforcing elements (props);
• number and type of seats;
• suspension type and length.

The dimensions of the swing are taken taking into account the age and height of the child. If you are going to make a swing for growth, then you should adhere to the following dimensions:

• the ideal seat width is 60 cm;
• the seat should hang above the ground at a height of 50–55 cm;
• the distance from the seat to the crossbar must be at least 1.6 m so that the child can swing comfortably while standing.

Swing suspensions must ensure the safety, reliability and comfort of the swing. Chains, ropes, even metal pipes can be used as a suspension for self-construction. Firms engaged in the production of swings use springs, hydraulic shock absorbers, and a system of levers as a suspension. But these types of suspension are too expensive and complicated for DIY constructions. Chains are quite expensive as a suspension, but when all the properties are added, they are the best option. They are durable, places of wear are immediately visible, do not slow down at low swing, but they prevent excessive (due to the friction of the links). But babies can pinch their little fingers, so they use fine-link chains for children's swings or put protective devices on the chains from scraps of rubber hoses.

Using ropes is the easiest and cheapest option., especially if you own the art of tying sea knots. But ropes of any thickness gradually stretch and sag, and the twine of a spiral twine does not control the swing. It is worth taking the ropes of the cross, and also try to use the ropes for the suspensions of the simplest swing designs. You should choose ropes made of artificial polymers, for example, nylon. Rigid rods (metal pipes) are used, as a rule, using bearings. The swing of such a swing is smooth, but they require additional measures to ensure the safety of the child. If you are making a swing with such a suspension on your site, take care of the fence and do not let children on them without the supervision of an adult. If such a swing is installed in a common yard, it must have a swing height limiter.

If you are interested in how to make a street swing for children, then first you should choose a place, material and design. After you have prepared the drawing, calculate the amount of materials and tools required. Below, for your consideration, there will be several options for a swing for installation on the street, in the yard or in the country.

The simplest construction is a car tire suspended from a rope. The frame is a tree. A means of suspension can be a chain fixed with a bolt and nut. The second variation of this swing is done as follows:

• place the old tire horizontally;
• cut 3-4 holes in the upper part, insert hooks made of metal into them and fix them with washers and nuts;
• thread the chains or twine into the eyelets of the hooks and hang them on a thick branch.

The classic and simplest option is a board swing on ropes. Enough four holes at the edges and twine threaded into them.And also as a seat, you can use a wooden lattice, a cut of logs, an old chair without legs.

Even an unnecessary hoop can serve as the basis for the seat. It is braided with a rope in such a way that you can sit quietly in the middle. The hoop is additionally wrapped with foam rubber, batting or other similar material for softness, then sheathed with a cloth. At four or more points of the hoop, fasteners are fixed in the form of metal rings, ropes or chains are passed through them - it remains only to choose a tree for hanging the finished structure.

Take two large metal triangles, rivets, and a tarp. Fold the canvas several times, sew along the perimeter. Then insert the triangles and secure with rivets. Next, secure with ropes to the tree branch.

The following materials should be prepared:

• strong rope;
• bars;
• plywood and seat slats;
• galvanized bolts for fasteners.

Dig two holes 1 m deep to fix the support beams. Treat the bottom of the supports with bitumen to protect it from decay. Install them vertically in the pits, cover them with a 30-cm layer of a mixture of gravel and sand, then fill them with concrete. Attach a cross bar to the upper ends of the uprights. Make a seat from plywood and picket fence, you can in the form of a bench. Secure to the supporting structure with strong ropes.

You can also make a metal swing yourself. To do this, you will need metal pipes and beams, hooks, a metal cutter, and a welding machine. The manufacturing process includes the following steps:

• cut the pipes into pieces of the required length - make 7 sections of 2 m and 2 more of 1–1.5 m, 4 out of 2 meters for the support sides, 1 for the crossbeam, and the rest for the base of the frame;
• weld a rectangular base of the structure;
• weld the support posts to the base, then to the upper ends of the supports - the crossbar;
• dig 4 holes to a depth of 80–100 cm;
• install beams in the finished pits, they should look slightly above the ground at the edges of the pits;
• fill the pits with beams with concrete;
• weld the hooks to the cross pipe;
• now weld the finished structure to the metal beams;
• attach the seat to the hooks.

To make this simple swing, you will need 1 wide long board 5–7 cm thick, a cut of logs up to 70–80 cm high, 4 U-shaped fittings made of reinforcement, 2 seats. First, dig a hole about half a meter deep. Install a log cut vertically into it, fill it with concrete for reliability. Next, cut four (two on each edge) holes 1 cm wide and 2-3 cm long in the middle of the board. They should be spaced apart from each other at a distance equal to the width of the fasteners. Cut two more of these holes closer to the edges of the board, leaving room for seating.

Attach 2 seats to the edges of the board. In front of them, passing through the prepared holes, fix one U-shaped fastener so that the child can hold on to them with his hands. Lay the board horizontally on a log. Lower the lower ends of the two fasteners into the cut holes. Drive the fasteners into the log so that a few centimeters remain above the surface of the board, and most of it is firmly seated in the log. Rock the board. Each edge must be able to touch the ground. If you did everything correctly, the pendulum swing is ready.

Usually, a hanging swing is installed in the apartment for the smallest children. In this case, parts made of wood or plastic are used, since they are lighter than metal ones, but here, too, options are possible. The frame for hanging the seat is most often the door jamb, but it is also possible to mount it directly to the ceiling beams (if any). It is worth considering several designs that you can assemble with your own hands.

For the first option, you will need the following materials and tools:

• jeans shorts;
• metal chain;
• rubber hose for watering;
• 4 carbines;
• fittings;
• a coil of wire;
• scissors, pliers, tape measure, hammer, adjustable wrench.

The iron reinforcement must be bent into a ring and inserted into the belt loops on the denim shorts. The joint must be fixed with adhesive tape; for reliability, the ends of the reinforcement must go over each other. Hide the ends of the chain in one-meter lengths of hose so that the child does not accidentally injure his fingers. It is easier to do this with a wire - attach the wire to the end of the chain, insert it inside the hose, then pull it along with the chain through the hose. Next, attach 2 carabiners to the hoop on both sides. The resulting construction of the swing is suspended from the cross-beam of the ceiling, the ends of the chains are fixed with the remaining carabiners. Here is such an original idea for a home swing.

The next option is a wooden (plastic) hanging swing. You will need the following materials and tools:

• seat with backrest;
• twine (rope);
• wooden bar with holes at the ends;
• 2 large (diameter 7–8 mm) nails, hammer and drill.

The seat can be taken ready-made (for example, from a highchair, separating the legs), you can do it yourself from slats or plywood of sufficient thickness. In the backrest on the right and left, closer to the upper edge, make two holes for the rope with a drill. Punch the same holes at the bottom of the seat (at the front edge) and on the side walls (if any). We pass the rope through these holes, not forgetting about the transverse bar-stopper. It should keep your little one from falling out of the front of the swing.

For information on how to make a swing with your own hands in an apartment, see the next video.