Swing Set

[MDSteve]

I just wanted to give everyone a heads up. I am building a swing set for my kids for Christmas and will be posting updates and pics. It will be made out of 4X6 lumber few swings and maybe a fort or something. My plans continue to change until the project is done. My first trip for lumber included:
11 4x6x12
4 4x6x8
3 6x6x8
11 5/4x6x12 deck boards
few 2x4's and some 1 1/4 dowls for the monkey bars.

Steve

 

[dummy]

Just a thought. I used galvanized conduit on ours for the monkey bars and firepole, no splinters and weatherproof. Used lexan on the roof instead of canvas. Kids have outgrown it now.

 

[Soundguy]

Ditto on the galvanized for the monkey bars.. nothing like having a non-pt wood pole break at a bad moment... least the pipe will give and ben a little.

Farmers sometimes use those bars on horse stalls as easy instalation grates for ventilation.

Soundguy

 

[njrqs]

Yeah Steve I'd be interested to see how it goes.

I posted a query on sandpits over on CBN and will start it soon.

Cheers

 

[MDSteve]

That conduit use sounds good. I will start looking for a place that carries it. You guys already gave me an idea. We need a fire pole from the second story. As for the roof over the fort, we are going to put shingles on it. I have a bunch left over from putting on my new roof last summer.

Steve

 

[Mosey]

I also used conduit for monkey bars. I used 1" dia, which seems to be just right for them to grip (6 years old), and it's the same size the kits I've seen use. The silver color works good to reflect the sunlight so they don't get too hot and they don't rust. You cant get it in 10' sections at Lowes or Home Depot pretty cheap, around $4 each if I remember right.

 

[Scott_F]

Steve,
Conduit is also good for grab bars and ladders too - use short pieces with elbows in a floor flange. I put them at the top of the slide and top of the ladder. Other lessons learned from my last swing set - use use "fake wood" decking made from recycled plastic to cut down on splinters, and ease as many edges as you can with a large radius roundover bit. Will be interested to see what you come up with - I'll be building another next spring.

Scott

 

[MDSteve]

Well I was out last night with the router until about 8 pm. I am just rounding out the edges before I break out the sander.

I will start posting pics as we begin to put the set together.

I also got to use my tractor as a work light. It was the first time I fired it up in 2 weeks.

Steve

 

[dummy]

How about a progress report?

 

[MDSteve]

Well the digital camera craped out on me so the pics will be a little late during posting. One of the TBN members donated a slide to the project. That was great.

Well the ground was not very level so I used 6X6's concreated into the ground for the swing set to bolt to. With the tractor and PHD it was pretty easy. The next weekend we set up the ladder/monkey bars and one side of the fort. This didn't take too long because everything was already cut out and ready to bolt together. The weather here has slowed to process but we have gotten the floor put on the fort. Yesterday we were able to build the trusses for the roof and install them.

I will work on getting the pics posted this week.

Steve