Do-It-Yourself Porch Swing
(Page 3 of 4)
August/September 2008
By Steve Maxwell
Create the Support Frame
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Each of the four legs of the support frame is made of two parts (a face leg and a stiffener) joined together into an L-shaped profile. Use glue and #10, 3-inch-long screws to join these parts. Cut the ends of the legs after joining the parts into an L shape (but don’t hit screws with the saw blade). The angles involved are important, and a compound miter saw is a big help in getting them right. The ends of the legs need to be angled in two directions to form a stable frame. You’ll get perfect results if you set your saw to a miter angle of 8 degrees from square, and a bevel angle of 15 degrees from square. Trim each leg so it’s 87 inches long, with end cuts parallel. The orientation of the legs as you cut the ends determines which way the legs face in the finished structure. Be certain to produce two left-hand and two right-hand legs.
After the legs are cut, lay opposite pairs of legs on a flat surface, with stiffeners facing down. Spread the bottom ends of the legs 60 inches apart, then cut and fit the top braces between the top ends of the legs. Use glue and #10, 2-inch screws to anchor the top braces.
The two base pieces hold the legs the correct distance apart and provide solid footing for the support frame. Cut them to length with ends trimmed 15 degrees to match the angle of the leg frame. Fasten the base parts to the bottom ends of the legs, maintaining the 60-inch distance between them. The ends of the bases should extend 6 inches beyond the ends of each leg. You can add another board under each base piece. When these “sacrificial” boards rot, you can replace them easily.
Marine dock rings anchor the top ends of the support chains. Choose a design that includes a welded ring of steel set into a flat metal plate. Install the pull rings now, fastened to the inside faces of the top braces with bolts, not screws.
Attach all the remaining side braces next. You’ll want to cut them to fit your particular swing. Start by measuring 3 1⁄2 inches down from the bottom edge of the top brace, measure the distance between the legs, cut a pair of top side-braces to fit and secure them with glue and screws. Work down each leg frame, ladder-style. The bottom brace should be 24 inches from the bottom of the legs.
The legs are connected across the top by a support beam made from parts that work together to create strength without too much weight. Cut the front and back beam members with ends angled 8 degrees. Connect these parts with the beam end members, then secure the narrow top caps to the top surface of the beam. Leave the wide top caps off for now.
It’s time to join the leg frames and beam together, a job that goes much better with the help of extra hands. If you have a long pipe clamp, use it to hold together all the parts. The top edge of the beam needs to be flush with the top ends of the leg frames. Drill holes for four five-sixteenth-inch-by-5-inch-long carriage bolts through each top brace, stiffener and beam end. Use nuts and flat washers to secure each beam-to-leg frame joint. Finish up by installing both wide top caps so they overlap the outside faces of the frames 1 1⁄2 inches.
