7
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I would like to build a simple A-frame style swing set, which obviously has to be safe while also accommodating up to two swings.

Where can I find plans for building such a swing set?

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2 Answers 2

15
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+50

I will show how to build a simple A-frame swingset from pressure-treated four-by-fours and scraps, with minimal cutting.

  1. From a six-inch-wide pressure-treated board (e.g., a 5/4-inch by 6 inch deck board), cut four isosceles trapezoids with bases that are 11 and 16 inches.

  2. Take two legs (8-foot-long 4x4s) and align them with the legs of one of the trapezoid while touching each other on the top. Draw a line across the 4x4 legs along the short base (top) of the trapezoid. These lines are for alignment, not for cutting.

    enter image description here

  3. Center a scrap block of 4x4 above the trapezoid and draw lines on the legs along the sides of the block. Cut the legs along these lines.

    enter image description here

  4. Attach the trapezoid with screws. Attach a second trapezoid on the other side of the legs.

  5. About six inches below the trapezoid, attach a crossbar made from another piece of 5/4x6 board. You could also use a 2x4.

  6. Make a brace from 2x4 or 4x4. (Measure from the top of the trapezoid to the bottom of the crossbar and apply the pythagorean theorem to get the length of the brace.) Cut at 45-degree angles and attach to the crossbar.

  7. Repeat steps 1–6 for the other A.

  8. Assemble. Here's how to do it by yourself:

    enter image description here

  9. Hang swings and enjoy!

    enter image description here

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  • 1
    This would make a great blog post.
    – Tester101
    Jun 25, 2012 at 15:38
4
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Your big-box hardware store sells kits for this. It's a box with the proper hardware (so it's safe) and the plans along with a list of the wood you need to purchase to build it.

1
  • I was looking for something similar a couple years ago. The only place I found a kit was at Home Depot. Buying it in a kit with the proper hardware was cheaper than buying each piece separately.
    – Mike Wills
    Jun 30, 2011 at 3:27

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