Finished the Swing Set

Finished Swing Set

Slide works and everything!

Chain ladder

Chain ladder up one side of swing set, just for variety

Chain attachment

Chain ladder is attached by welding on a piece of bent 1/4" rebar, flattened on the ends by pounding against an anvil.

Swing seat

Swing seats were made from 1 1/2" hardwood left over from building the house stairs, a 1" radius cut on the outside corners, and rounded off top and bottom with a 1/8" roundoff router bit

Seat Attachment

Chains are attached to seats with 1/4" threaded rod, bent to shape and welded at the top as it was too brittle to make the sharp bend. Carabiners were purchased at a local hardware store.

Seat Bottom

Nuts were welded in place to hold wooden seats on the stirrups. Can't afford a failure in use here.

Swing Chain Attachment

Swing chains were attached same as the chain ladder

Slide Attachment

Slide slips over a crossbar of the swing frame. Ends are capped with rubber feet available off the shelf.

Bottom Corner

Bottom crossmembers used square instead of round tubing to spread the load better. Ends were capped with rubber feet available off the shelf. Also welded on tiedown lugs from the local hardware store.

Slide Surface

To make it slippery I sanded the slide with 1000, 1200, and 1500 grit wet-or-dry sandpaper, then polished with two coats of fiberglass mold release wax. It's really slippery.

Free Download: Swing Set Drawing

Swing Set Drawings

Free Download! Children's playground swing and slide set

Just for grins, here are the plans for the children’s swing set and slide in case anyone wants to build one him/herself. Note that I specified the tubing thickness at 1.6 mm, where I built mine with 1.2mm tubing. I felt that it could benefit from being stiffened up a little more. Also not shown on the drawing is the attachment points for the swings and a set of chains up one side of the main structure that form a ladder. I’ll post a photo of the finished project later for reference.

Test Project: Children’s Slide

Frame for slide

Slide frame welded from bent tubing

Wire Support

Chicken wire was welded to the frame and bent into position to hold the fiberglass in place while the resin cures.

Fiberglass Cloth

Fiberglass cloth is cut to size and laid in place.

Resin Applied

Polyester resin is applied

Slide Bottom

Resin cured too fast due to a) no data sheet b) language barrier and c) confused salespeople

Bottom Fiberglassed

After attempting to smooth out the bottom with body putty, I ended up fiberglassing it in for appearance and safety

Slide Puttied

The top of the slide after several layers of 2-part body putty and red glazing putty, sanded and ready for primer.

Primer Applied

Primer applied with spray gun

Bottom Painted

2-part epoxy top coat sprayed on bottom of slide

Top Painted

2-part epoxy sprayed on top. I love this paint (Jotun Penguard Enamel).

Top Close-up

Close-up of finished topcoat, Jotun Penguard Enamel, sapphire blue, 2-part epoxy