How to Build a Playground Set
A new playground set can be expensive if you are having it assembled and professionally installed. However, if you have basic carpentry skills and the proper power tools, you can build one yourself from materials from your local home-improvement store.
Supplies
- Post hole digger
- Seven posts four-by-four-inches and 12-feet in length
- One post four-by-six-inches and 12-feet in length
- Measuring tape
- Nails
- Hammer
- Circular saw
- Hand sander
- Sandpaper
- Concrete mix
- Water
- Drill
- Screwdriver
- Screws
- Pad
- Pencil
- Swing hooks
- Swings
- Dig six holes 2-feet in depth and 1-foot in diameter. The holes should be dug vertically in pairs six feet apart.
- Saw a 4.5-inch notch in the top of six of the four-by-four posts. The notch will serve as the anchor for the four-by-six top post for the play set. Measure the notch in all the posts to make sure it is located at the identical point in each one.
- Put two of the four-by-fours in the first pair of holes. Lean them together to form an "A" frame.
- Take two measurements from the cross point on the top of the pole. Measure down the first point at 10-inches and the remaining point at 30-inches.
- Measure the distance between the two poles and record the measurements at the two previously determined points.
- Saw the seventh post into six braces for the "A" frame. Apply your circular saw for this part of the project.
- Saw three of the braces to the 10-inch width dimension and the remaining three to the 30-inch width dimension.
- Install the cross braces by nailing them between the posts at the locations marked earlier. Place the remaining two sets of posts into their respective holes and install the cross members as in the previous step.
- Lay the top four-by-six pole in place on the previously cut notches and secure it with screws.
- Use the drill to make holes in the bottom of the post for the swing hooks. Space each pair of holes 18-inches apart.
- Sand down the posts to make them free from rough spots and splinters.
- Pour each of the pole holes with three-quarter dry cement mix. Fill the remainder with water. Allow the concrete to dry overnight.
- Attach the swing hooks into the holes drilled previously and hang the swings from them.