Content
Street swings can be found in the courtyards of high-rise buildings, and in playgrounds and, of course, in the garden area. Children never get bored with fun, and adults sometimes do not mind swinging, although they prefer models like a hanging chair or a hammock. Do-it-yourself swing on chains is one of the most popular and easy-to-use options.
Pros and cons of a garden swing on chains
The fundamental difference between the swing on chains is the ability to adjust the height of the seat. There is nothing easier than shortening the chain by several links to make the construction more convenient. Do-it-yourself swing on chains are shown in the photo.
There are other advantages to using a chain as a suspension:
- the metal chain is durable;
- metal is not afraid of fire and moisture;
- the chain can withstand significant loads: with a link thickness of 15–20 mm, the swing can accommodate 5 adults;
- such a suspension does not change in any way over time: the links do not creep and do not deform;
- the only care the chain swing requires is the lubricant for the attachment.
This option also has disadvantages:
- when swinging on flexible suspensions, lateral vibrations are possible, because of this, the swing can twist;
- the metal chain is cold to the touch, which is not always pleasant.
Types of outdoor swing chains
A swing on a chain suspension is a variant of a street design. At home, ropes or ropes are often used as a suspension. But the materials for the manufacture of the seat, support struts with their own hands are used the same.
The most commonly used are the following types of outdoor swings:
A swing made of wood on chains is the best choice. The material is easy to process, always remains warm to the touch, and has the most attractive appearance. Its cost is quite affordable, and it is not difficult to find this material. Subject to the rules of care - varnishing, staining, treatment with antiseptics, wood serves for a long time and retains its appearance unchanged. Models on wood chains are lightweight for easy installation.
As a material for the seat, you can use not only the usual wooden boards, but also various products, for example, an old skateboard.
Metal is extremely durable and very strong. Needs the simplest maintenance and periodic painting to protect against corrosion. However, the manufacture and installation of a swing requires the ability to work with a welding machine, although sometimes a bolted connection can be dispensed with. With the ability to work with iron, you can turn an ordinary swing into a real masterpiece.
Metal is always cold to the touch. It is not uncommon to supplement the seat with pillows. In addition, iron supports are traumatic.
Plastic for garden swings is rarely used. The material is very light, so the seat is usually suspended not on a chain, but on ropes.This version is for young children.
Sometimes the most unexpected materials are used for do-it-yourself swing on chains. So, the basis of the seat can be a car tire, a pair of metal circles tied with a net, a ready-made wicker hanging chair.
Chain swings for a playground are distinguished by design features:
- stationary - the supporting posts of the model are dug into the ground, and with a large weight of the structure, they are even concreted, the product cannot be transferred;
- mobile - lighter, support legs form a fairly stable structure, model
According to the number of users, the swing on the chains is divided into:
- single - look like a board on chains or a hanging chair if they are intended for adults;
- double - differ in a wider seat, another option: 2 seats fixed on opposite ends of one board;
- triple - in the form of a wooden bench with a length of at least 1.3 m;
- multi-seater - essentially the same three-seater, but wider or folding, an example is a sofa swing.
Swings are also classified by age.
- Children's - lightweight, almost always single products, mostly plastic or wooden. Usually, children's models are equipped with high backs, additional devices that prevent falling. However, in simple cases, the usual children's option is a board suspended from a tree branch.
- Teenage - a subspecies of children, but with one feature: the largest swing amplitude. These are not always safe models, but they are still popular.
- Adults - carry much more weight, more often they are designed for several users. Adult swings are trying to make them as comfortable as possible, since they are not intended for swinging as such, but for relaxation.
In most cases, the swing on the chains is mechanically swayed. Electronic modifications are usually designed for very young users and perform, rather, the role of a cradle or stroller.
What you need to make a flexible swing on chains
Do-it-yourself garden swings are often made of wood. It takes much less effort and time. The simplest materials and tools are needed:
- circular saw, jigsaw, hammer, plane, drill with drills for 4, 5, 8, 10;
- you need a square and a tape measure to measure;
- fasten the product with screws and bolts with an eyelet - always galvanized;
- wood - boards and lamellas for finishing swings, wooden bar for uprights - 4 bars with a cross section of 90 * 45 and a length of 2 m, a bar for crossbars, a cross section of 140 * 45 m and a length of 2.1 m, as well as a bar for crossbeams measuring 140 * 45 mm and lengths of 96 and 23 m;
- chrome steel chains.
Additional materials may be required depending on the model selected. In addition, you will need finishing agents: varnish, primer, antiseptic for impregnating wood, possibly paint.
Drawings of a swing on chains
In principle, swings on chains differ from each other in the way the chains are attached to the supports. Thus, there are 2 main types of products:
- The version with an A-shaped support involves attaching chains to 1 support crossbar - a beam. But since the transverse support is held by two A-pillars, this model is very stable. This is a safer option, even for those who like to do the "sun" on a swing: the risk of overturning is minimal.
- Swings with U-shaped struts are less stable. Most often, these models are designed for small children who cannot swing too much.
Swing sofas on chain suspensions are a separate category. In most cases, the chains are attached to 2 beams. As a result, the seat moves strictly in a horizontal plane and in a very small amplitude.
Which chain to choose for a garden swing
The chain can withstand a very high load, therefore, for a swing with your own hands, you need a product with links with a diameter of 15–20 mm. For a massive seat - a sofa, chains with a thickness of 25 mm are needed.
The chains are made of chrome-plated steel. Such material is not afraid of water and does not lend itself to corrosion, which saves the owner of the cottage from the need to paint the suspensions.
How to make a swing on chains
The construction of a chain swing is quite simple: a support post, a seat and suspensions. Doing it yourself does not require much work. A certain exception is the model made of metal, since here you need a cooker to work.
From wood, using the drawing and instructions, even a beginner can easily assemble a structure.
Swing on chains for adults
Adult models differ from children's models only in size. Both the dimensions of the seat itself and the height of the location are designed for a larger person. In addition, adult chain swings are rarely single-seated.
Construction begins with the assembly of racks. In most cases, wooden models are stationary, that is, the supports must be buried in the ground or concreted. The last operation takes time.
A bar with a section of 145 * 45 mm is cut to length - for a three-seater version, a crossbar with a size of 210 cm is needed. 150 mm retreat from the edges of the bar and mark a line with a pencil - these are the outer edges of the crossbar.
For the A-support, you must cut the bar at the correct angle. The safest way is to use a square with pins. The first one is fixed at 316 mm from the corner - on the longer leg, the second - at 97 degrees on the small one. The square is transferred to the timber, the lower bevel is marked. Then, keeping the position of the pins, move the tool 6 times along the length of the support and mark the upper bevel, the one that is aligned with the beam. The cut will be made along the marked lines.
The finished leg is used as a template for other supports. They are applied to the next timber end-to-end and cuts are made in the same places.
Fitting is performed: the crossbar is placed vertically, and legs are applied to it. The distance between the lower edges of the supports should be up to 120 cm.
Spacers are made from a bar with a section of 145 * 45 mm. The lower one is set at a height of 500 mm. The bar is applied to the legs, the places of the cut are marked on it, on the legs - the place of combination with the bar. The upper brace is fixed at a distance of 150 mm from the lower one. Its dimensions and cut are determined in the same way. The finished parts are used as a template for the elements of the second rack.
The rack is assembled: the legs are fastened with screws, the spacers are fixed on the nails. For installation in transverse beams, through holes are made in the upper part of the legs and the beam is screwed in with screws. If necessary, reinforce the fastening with metal corners.
If the swing is not mobile, and more often it is, the support frame is mounted on the foundation. To do this, on a chosen flat area, holes are dug 40-50 cm deep, a structure is installed and the holes are filled with earth and rubble. With a massive structure, the supports are concreted: in this case, the length of the supporting leg should be greater.
The frame of the bench on chains is assembled from a bar of 70 * 35 mm. For the seat, slats are cut with a length of 120 cm, for the rear pillar and armrests - 90 cm, and support bars with a length of 95 cm are cut off. Finishing strips are also made.
A frame is assembled from a bar for the seat and support bars with their own hands. In this case, the rear board is fixed to the ends of the sidewalls, and the upper one is laid flat from the bottom of the frame. The backrests are installed vertically inside the frame and bolted.
The bars for the armrests are installed at the front corners of the frame with their butt ends on the lower board and are also fixed with bolts. If necessary, the fasteners are duplicated with a metal corner.
A transverse bar is fixed to the backrest supports. The front supports are installed flat and the armrests are fixed. The armrests are attached to the rear supports of the backrest with their ends.
A swing seat with a backrest on chains is assembled like this.The slats for the seat and back - measuring 70 * 25 m, are fixed to the frame. A distance of 5 mm is maintained between them. The slats, with the exception of the very first one, protrude 17–20 mm beyond the edge of the frame. Before installing the planks, you should prepare: cut corners to length and sand to reduce the likelihood of injury.
The finished product is sanded with their own hands, polished, varnished or painted. Now all that remains is to hang it from the supports.
Swing on chains for children
Children's models are smaller in size and sometimes are just a suspension seat. But homemade swing on chains can be made from the most unexpected objects.
- The wheels and fasteners are removed from the old skateboard, cleaned with an iron brush and sanded. Then the future seat is painted in a suitable color.
- 2 pieces of wood are cut to the width of the skateboard and secured as close to the edge of the product as possible.
- Drill holes through the seat and legs and install the eyebolts. Chains are attached to them. Such a seat is suspended from a U-shaped or A-shaped rack, fixed to the ceiling or to any other hormonal bar.
Instead of a skateboard, you can use a wide board, assemble a seat from slats, or hang a piece of car tire on chains.
Children's swing on chains with a back
The difference between children's models is a large swinging amplitude. Most of them are single, as children swing at different intensities. Despite the low weight of the user, models for children are made of metal, since they take into account the high intensity of use.
The material for the swing on the chains is steel pipes with a cross section of 40 * 40 mm and 20 * 20 mm. It is easier to use profile ones, since they are easier to mount:
- For a rack, two pipes 2 m long with a large cross-section are cut at an angle of 45 degrees.
- For transverse fragments, pipes with a section of 20 * 20 mm are applied to the future rack at a distance of 7000 mm from the bottom edge, the bevels are marked and the excess is cut off with a grinder. Parts for the second post are made in the same way.
- All elements are welded and get 2 A-shaped stands for a swing with their own hands. There should be a distance of 1600 mm between the legs of the support.
- The supports are installed, a 2 m long transverse beam is laid, the verticality is checked, the beam is welded to the supports. 2 ears are attached to the horizontal bar for hanging the chain. With a large length of the crossbar, a second swing can also be installed. Assemble the seat frame with backrest. 2 pipes 20 * 40 mm of a line of 1 m are tied together so that they temporarily represent a single structure. Step back from the edge 100 mm and make a mark. Then they are repeated every 120 mm. Cuts are made along these lines. The extreme ones are performed on the reverse side. Then the structure is bent to form the desired shape.
- Disconnect the frame pipes, boil and clean the seams. They are painted to prevent corrosion. Ears are attached to the top of the pipes to attach the chain. The lower ones are drilled to install the eyebolts. A wooden swing seat on chains is assembled from planks. For fasteners, holes are first made in the boards.
Metal swings with chains are more massive than wooden ones and are not prone to overturning. However, it is recommended that the supports are concreted to minimize the chance of injury.
Double swing on chains with backrest
The construction technology of this option is no different from the assembly scheme for a conventional swing. The only difference is the length of the crossbeam and the thickness of the beam for the support posts and the beam. As the load increases, it is worth choosing a thicker bar.
Double swings are performed in 2 versions:
- simple double - 2 single seats with backs are fixed to the beam, this model is designed for children;
- combined - in this case, they fix a bench seat for adults and a single swing for a child, in order to make such a complex more stable, they install not 2, but 3 support posts.
Both wood and metal serve as materials for the construction.
How to hang a swing on chains
Attachment for a swing on a chain is performed in several ways:
- For swings on metal chains, it is best to use special cast iron brackets. They wrap around the iron pipe, securing the swing securely. When suspended, the chains are passed through a carabiner. A big plus of this option is the possibility of dismantling. The product can be disassembled and reassembled in the courtyard of the house, for example, instead of a summer cottage.
- The most reliable model for do-it-yourself wooden products is a solid metal knot. At its base there is a fixing plate with holes for screws. The nodes are fixed to the beam using dimensions or screws. The chain is suspended from a brass bushing with a ring, so that the product will serve for several decades, you need to lubricate it periodically.
- Relief mount - has the same design, but is equipped with a plastic sleeve. It reduces friction and makes the swing movement silent. However, such fasteners can withstand light weight and are used only for children's light swings.
- Swing unit - the movement of the chains is provided by plain bearings. Not the best option, despite the ease of use, since the parts wear out rather quickly. The bearing assembly should be lubricated once a month to prolong its life and prevent corrosion.
The same fixtures are used to attach the swing on chains to the ceiling.
Useful Tips
In order for a suspended outdoor swing for a summer residence on chains to serve for a long time, you should choose the right model and follow the care recommendations:
- For a garden swing, it is preferable to choose an option that can withstand a load of 150 kg. In this case, both children and adults can use the swing.
- A garden swing is placed on a flat area in the shade. Otherwise, an awning will have to be built to protect from the sun.
- Also, do not install a swing on a low-lying area. If the site is constantly damp, both wooden and metal structures will quickly deteriorate.
- There should be 2 m of free space in front and behind the seat.
- If the swing is installed on a soft surface - a lawn, special pads are used to stabilize the model.
- 2-3 times a year the swing is inspected, the hinges and working units are lubricated. The mechanical parts of the product should be disassembled and lubricated.
- Covers and awnings, if any, are washed at least once a season.
- The wooden parts of the swing are treated with antiseptics. It is desirable to open the tree with an anti-fungal varnish. Metal parts are primed and painted once a year.
- For the winter, it is advisable to disassemble the swing and store it in a dry place.
Conclusion
Swing on chains with your own hands is easy to make. Practically the same drawing is used to make children's models, multi-seater adults, and even a sofa swing. A beginner can also make wooden ones. For the construction of metal requires the skill of working with a welding machine.
