How to make a swing-nest with your own hands - with a grid

A swing with a round or oval seat is ideal for a person of any constitution, you just need to correctly take into account the mass. They are produced for one or a group of people weighing from 150 to 200 kg. You can easily make a swing nest with your own hands, since the process does not require professional knowledge and great experience.

Description of construction

The design is a seat made using a special technology, for which a round or oval frame is used. Inside the ring, a rope mesh is intertwined in a special way to make it comfortable to sit. Sometimes the interior is a fabric base that is attached to the frame. The ropes hold the saddle and are movably fixed to the upper beam of the support frame. Racks are made of metal or wood.

The models differ:

• interlacing pattern;
• seat frame material;
• type of hanging elements;
• the number of lines;
• support material.

The structure swings smoothly and evenly, thanks to a balanced selection of individual structural parts. On the saddle, you can sit or lie down.

Features of swing nests

The structure was named for its unusual saddle shape, reminiscent of a bird's nest. For children, a plastic or steel hula hoop is used, since the child's weight is small. Adults ride on hoop and rope swings, which are much more powerful. For the seat, choose a durable steel wheel or car tire.

A wicker base is performed according to the selected pattern so that the person does not fall into the hole in the middle. A structure with one pair of slings is rarely done, since when standing up, you can turn over, fall to the ground. The support frame for fixing the ropes is made in the shape of the letter P or A. When rocking, a pulling load develops, therefore, the racks are securely fixed in the ground or make a wide support at the base.

Advantages and disadvantages

At first glance, a round suspended swing with a net does not differ from similar outdoor structures, but they have several significant advantages.

Positive sides of the swing socket:

• you can swing the round saddle up and down, it is permissible to screw it all the way in order to then rotate in the opposite direction;
• with a significant circle diameter, several children participate in the ride;
• the oval frame is transformed into a hammock or a place for a daytime sleep of a small child;
• on hangers made of polypropylene, you can not only ride, but also bounce.

The disadvantages are that there is no backrest for support in the design, the child needs to be taught how to properly distribute the load.

Design features

Children's models can withstand a force of 70 - 150 kg, depending on the diameter and type of holders. For adults, there is a swing with a carrying capacity of up to 250 kg, where two people can be at the same time. The load takes into account the swinging force.

The mesh web does not collect snow in winter or rainwater, the base does not fade in the sun and always has an attractive appearance.Small children lean against the seat frame, thanks to the slight sagging, so they can swing comfortably.

A suspended round swing nest in the country or in the courtyard of a house is built on steel channels as supports, or lumber racks are used. Use rounded logs, bars.

Seat making

The saddle is filled in one of the following ways:

• Macrame. In this case, a braided web from knots is used, ropes are taken for work.
• Pechwork. The seat is sewn from dense fabrics suitable for the texture. The patchwork fabric is additionally fixed on a strong burlap, tarpaulin.
• Knitting. Strong cords are used to weave the original ornamental fabric.
• Tatting. The technique allows you to make openwork weaving.

You need to choose a technique taking into account the planned load on the swing. The meshes between the cords should not be too large, into which the child can fall through or get stuck.

What materials will be needed

For work, you need a metal hoop, which gymnasts use. Its diameter should be within 0.9 - 1.0 m.

Other materials for the seat for children up to 60 kg:

• polypropylene cord for a saddle with a thickness of 0.5 - 0.8 cm, you need 25 m;
• clamps or steel rings;
• snap-on carabiners (4 pcs.);
• waterproof fabric for wrapping the frame, foam strips;
• strong ropes or steel chains for the manufacture of suspensions.

Instead of a cord, you can use twigs about one centimeter thick. Complex material must be impregnated with antiseptics, first remove the bark.

A step-by-step guide to making a seat

Sometimes, for strength, they put several hoops at once, they are connected with clamps, wire, fixed with electrical tape, tape.

Step-by-step instructions:

• the circle is divided into 8 sections, dots are put with a marker;
• prepare a cord of 2 diameters, give an allowance of 5 cm for sagging and stretching;
• at the point they fix the rope with a loop, on the opposite side they knot a knot with a stretch;
• the rest of the cords are fastened in the same way, intertwining them in a checkerboard pattern in the center of the circle.

A nylon thread is threaded into a needle, knots and loops are sewn through. The frame is wrapped with foam rubber, a waterproof raincoat fabric is placed on top. Hanging ropes are attached to the frame using carabiners. The slings are fixed on the upper bar of the swing frame.

Swing dimensions

The correct dimensions are needed to avoid injury during operation. There are many ready-made drawings of the nest swing, where the length of the slings, the width of the seat and other parameters are indicated.

Recommended sizes:

• the minimum rise above the ground, taking into account the sagging, should not be less than 40 cm and more than 60 cm;
• for the possibility of lateral swinging, leave a distance of 0.9 - 1.0 m to the sidewalls of the frame;
• the supporting beam is placed at a height of 2.0 - 2.5 m from the ground surface in order to ensure the length of the slings is 1.6 - 2.1 m.

Raising the chains to a sick height leads to an increase in the swinging amplitude, which increases the risk of falling.

Suspension and support structures

Most often, polypropylene ropes and steel chains in a fabric frame are used as slings.

Mounting options are used:

• one suspension is placed only for extreme entertainment, it is not used in everyday practice;
• two slings are suitable for hard seats without sagging and spring effect;
• three ropes also require advanced riding skills;
• four support ropes are reliably suitable for the structure of the nest, they are placed most often.

The diameter of the rope or cord for suspension should not be less than 1 cm. Steel models can be used. Chains are used with welded links that do not unbend with effort.

How to attach a swing

To fix the saddle to the cables, carabiners are used in the form of a clip with a springy latch.This self-latching block will provide strength and prevent the seat from breaking off.

In the second version, strong knots made of hanger rope are used. They are knitted so that the hoop frame is inside. The ends of the rope are fixed with special metal clips. From the twisted suspension, fastening loops are also made, into which the saddle hoop is inserted.

Calculation of supports

The swing frame is subjected to complex loads, it works in compression, pulling out and bending. The calculation of finished models is done by design specialists who take into account all types of efforts, use special coefficients and formulas.

At home, the cross-section of the racks is chosen with a margin of safety, which is justified by the safety requirement. For a swing for 200 kg of weight, they put supports and girders made of wood with a cross section of at least 150 x 200 mm, from a metal square pipe - 60 x 80 mm. With a mass of up to 100 kg, the cross section can be reduced.

Decorating

Children will ride on simple rings with ropes, but the positive will be higher if such models are made with decorative design. The most popular are the weaving of the saddle on the web type. A strong ring is placed inside the circle, from which the cords are pulled to the frame. Around the strapping is made between the beams with circles of different diameters.

The sagging of the ropes and the stretching of the knots will be less if each knot is impregnated with PVA glue.

There are other macrame ornaments that will surprise you with their originality.

Operational safety

It is not recommended to overload the structure in excess of the design standard.

Other safety recommendations:

• you can swing so that the line of the lines does not become horizontal, otherwise there will be a fall without a back;
• you need to hold the slings with both hands;
• you can not swing while standing at full height;
• it is forbidden to brake sharply, clinging to the racks, or jump from a swing during flight.

There is a separate suspension frame for each seat to avoid collisions. A soft coating of sand, bark, soft soil is made under the swing.

Modifications of a round swing with a net

You can reconstruct such a model and make a swing like a cocoon. The design is more suitable for the name of a hammock chair or rocking chair. Two hoops are used, one of which is placed at the bottom of the chair, the second is placed vertically at an angle.

Not only the seat is braided, but also the side walls between the two frames. Such a structure is suspended on one sling from the upper beam. The modification is more suitable for recreation than for children's entertainment.

How to choose a ready-made swing

The factory swing is reliable, meets the requirements and regulatory parameters. But quality products must have information about the manufacturer. Indicate the name of the company, address, GOST of manufacture or the nomenclature of technical conditions (TU), article.

The technical information contains the standard carrying capacity, instructions for the installation and assembly of elements, the warranty period for repairs. It is not recommended to purchase a swing without this information.

How to make a swing safe and reliable

The supporting structure must be resistant to various loads, therefore, attention is paid to the installation of the racks. They are buried in the ground not less than 0.5 m. For strength, reinforcement is welded crosswise to the metal pillars below. This addition is concreted together with the strut to prevent loosening from dynamic forces.

The pit around the support is compacted with crushed stone, concreted with regular bayonetting with a piece of metal rod. The bottom of the pillar is wrapped with roofing material or smeared with molten resin, bitumen. This insulation applies to wood and metal posts. Wood starts to rot from moisture, and iron rusts if not protected from groundwater.