Children's Swingset

[Dan Racette]

I have been asked by the LOML to get the shop to make a basic swingset. Anyone have anything interesting that they have done with that sort of assignment?

I would love to see some pics or examples?

dan

[Jim Becker]

I gotta be honest with you...I thought about building, but opted to buy just last Wednesday, due to time I don't have and the effort to complete things on a timely basis. Of course, that was the much higher cost option...oh, well. ;)

Two things that I did learn in my research:

1) Redwood combined with cedar is a better choice than treated lumber. It costs more up-front, but is safer. Go "stout" on your sizing choices. It's better to overbuild, especially since the kids get older and bigger and heavier. Reinforce joinery at stress-points with metal

2) The "better" brands of play gym sets do sell many of their components, such as the swing hardware separately. The quality is often much better quality than you find in many retail situations. Combining a "you build" structure with this hardware may be a good combination and compromise between cost and quality/safety


I suggest you actually visit some of the premium play gym outfits, such as Superior Play Systems, and look at what they sell. It will give you some really good ideas relative to construction, including dealing with non-level sites, etc. The 'borg does sell kits where you provide the lumber, but I frankly found them to be on the "lightweight" side when it comes to structure.

[Samuel Brooks]

If you have a Menards in your area, I was very impressed with the kits they sell. The instruction we well written. I went the AC2 PT wood because I did not know how long the kids would use it and I figured I could stain it but that has not happened yet :D .

Click on the following for what mine looks like.

http://webpages.charter.net/samuelbrooks/wood_swing_set.htm

The whole kit and lumber was something like $800. They had alot of other kits that were less.

Sam

[Rick Doyle]

I have been asked by the LOML to get the shop to make a basic swingset. Anyone have anything interesting that they have done with that sort of assignment?

I would love to see some pics or examples?

dan
hi,

there's a link to a plan on my website that i'm thinking about making for my grandaughter. it's a kid's playset with 2 swings, a sandbox and a playhouse. here's a pic:

38086

http://www.rickswoodworking.ca/outdoor_plans.htm

i haven't priced out the lumber yet, but it doesn't look like it should be all that expensive - i think the set could be made without the playhouse if you wanted.

have a look and see what you think - at least it might help give you a few ideas.

[Art Mulder]

My one suggestion ... go tall. Build your swingset as tall as you can.

The taller the swingset, the longer the back-and-forth swinging action, the more fun. And the longer your kids will play with it. Your basic metal swingset kit from the store is only about 6' tall, and your kids will outgrow that by age 7. I've got a swingset that is about 8' tall which we inherited with this house, and it isn't too bad. If I were building one myself, I'd really see if I could get it to be 10-12ft tall to give a nice large swing.

Of course, you do need the space!

...art

[Kyle Kraft]

Ditto the last post. I built my kids swinset portion of their play gym with a crossbar at 10 feet. Makes for a swinging experience comparable to the municipal units!

Kyle in K'zoo

[Jim Becker]

I agree with Are and Kyle...it was something we had to consider seriously given our kids are 6 and 10 now and not getting any younger...

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I built one last year from PT spruce. The cross beam is about 8" in the air made of two 2*4s The legs are also doubled 2*4s with single 2*4s crossing the legs on each side for support.
It's going to get a coating of a 2 part urethane with a white pigment pack and ends that contact the ground are treated with motor oil and mineral spirits. I got some commercial large rubber and steel strap type swing seats online well as an infant's safety bucket seat. I used 600# test Galv' chain from the H.Depot I expect it'll last forever.

I used this geometry to reinforce the thing so it'll syupport lateral loading.
Hmmm there ought to be a picture here::

[Scott Coffelt]

If you lived near Kansas City I'd have a killer deal for you on a tube slide, which we recently took off my sons set as he never uses the slide. Not to hijack, but if anyone around KC is interested, I'll shoot you a pic and price.

[Carl Eyman]

The one I made for my grandkids will have to come down soon since they are teenagers now. But the swings themselves will probably be saved. (The tree house, sandbox, slide, and horizontal ladder will go) When adults gather for a barbeque the swings get a lot of use.

[Dan Racette]

Thanks much guys.

I am going to show all these to the "boss". I will have to post our pics.

dan

[Craig Coney]

check out xxxxxxxx.com. I built one of these a few years ago and it held up well. You can semi-customize it if you watch out for a few safety guidelines.

[Wes Bischel]

check out xxxxxxxxx.com. I built one of these a few years ago and it held up well. You can semi-customize it if you watch out for a few safety guidelines.

That's a gambling site.

I think you mean playstarinc.com - I hope.

Wes

[Tony Falotico]

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=4439

[Jim Becker]

Here's a link to the company I bought from (http://www.superiorplay.com/rainbow.html) just for ideas...frankly, you really don't need a "plan" so much as a nice sketch of what you want to end up with. Engineering it should be reasonably easy, with or without the help of your fellow wood-butchers!

[Greg Narozniak]

I was going to build one, and I went to a local Rainbow Direct Factory store to purchase the hardware from them. They use some very well designed ones IMHO but the lead person at the store told me they do not sell the parts. They only sell replacements for an existing unit. I did not push the issue. I honestly thought that was poor sales, I am not going to buy a entire unit why not make a few hundred in hardware.

I am with Jim, once I weighted the expense and time of building one we decided that we are getting ours from Samsclub. Have to wait til we move into the new house but for $1k it is really a pretty good deal for what you get. Check it out.

http://graphics.samsclub.com/images/products/0075211360061_L4.jpg

Greg

[John Weber]

Dan, I think I had the same basic kit as Samuel. The Playstar kits are well thought out and offer a lot for the money. I doubt I had more then a can of scrap when I finished the cut list.

The Rainbow systems like Jim pointed out are nice, but cost some serious jack, and sort of depends on how much you want in invest in a playset.

Our kids are 6 and 3 and I'm hoping they'll use them until they are about 13 - we will see. Right now it's awesome! They love it, and while it took a lot longer then the estimated time to build, it's the one project the kids really associate with me doing for them. My Dad helped raise the towers, and the kids still talk about Papa helping. If you have any time at all, I think it's a super project to do for the kids.

As for value, the Sams Club set is about the best value around, you get a "Rainbow" type components, pre-cut cedar/redwood (I believe), and a decent price. We used the "new" PT, and I think I would again, cedar still rots to fast when in contact with the ground, and redwood is fairly expensive in our area.

Whatever you choose make it a fun project, still one of the most used "kids" toys we've bought.

John

P.S. The baby swing is gone, the tire was moved to a tree and thus is now a real tire swing, and my folks bought the kids a 2 person Bronco Rider (swing) for Christmas last year, so now we have 2 swings and the double. If I were to change anything I would add another swing...

http://www.weberwoodworking.com/pond/playset1.jpg

http://www.weberwoodworking.com/pond/playset2.jpg

http://www.weberwoodworking.com/pond/playset3.jpg

[Jim Becker]

That's an impressive setup, John!!! Very nice.

[Dan Racette]

I wish you were my dad, John!

that is great for the little ones, better than most parks!

[Jason Morgan]

John,

Where did you get that monster? Sams Club? Im in the market and didnt see that one listed...

[Andy Fox]

If you buy one, guard the instructions and receipt/paid invoice like they were nuclear launch codes!

My playset/wood was delivered, but I returned to the store this weekend to get missing hardware and more wood for an optional wood roof. I left my paid invoice, receipt, instructions, and some previously missing hardware (with a no charge invoice!) in my shopping cart and parked it out of the way while I ventured outside into the garden center to get some gravel. When I returned, the cart and items were gone! :mad: :mad:

I notified store security and spent the next hour patrolling the store and looking very suspiciously into everyone's shopping cart. I guess most assumed I was either a purse snatcher or overly-enthusiastic plain clothes loss prevention. I did get a somewhat guilty look from one guy, but I restrained myself from dumping his kid out of the cart and searching his wife's purse! :rolleyes: :D

Thanks to some very helpful employees, I was able to replace everything except the receipt/invoice. Security notified their warehouse so that the weasel doesn't try to get delivery of a second playset.:cool: