How to build a seesaw

This step by step woodworking project is about how to build a seesaw. Building a teeter-totter is a simple project that will entertain your kids for many hours in a row. There are many ways in you could get the job done, so you should choose the method that suits both your needs and budget. In this project we should you detailed plans for a basic seesaw with a beautiful design.

If you want to get the job done a a professional and to keep the costs under control, we recommend you to plan everything from the very beginning. Taking into account you will place the seesaw in the garden, we recommend you to use quality lumber, such as redwood, pine or cedar. You can use pressure-treated lumber as well, if you want to keep the costs under control, but the seesaw won’t have the same look.

Always adjust the size and the design of the seesaw according to your tastes and needs, but you can still use the woodworking techniques described in the project. Align the components at both ends and pre-drill the lumber before inserting the screws. Add waterproof glue to the joints if you want to create a rigid structure and make sure there are no protruding screws or sharp edges. See all my Premium Plans in the Shop.

Made from this plan

Building a seesaw

Materials

A – 2 pieces of 2×4 lumber – 34″ long, 2 pieces – 17″ long BASE
B – 4 pieces of 2×3 lumber – 20″ long, 1 pieces – 14″ long SUPPORTS
C – 1 pieces of 2×8 lumber – 96″ long PLANK
D – 4 pieces of of 2×2 – 9″ long, 2 pieces – 17″ long HANDLES
E – 2 pieces of 1×12 lumber – 10 1/2″ long SEAT

1 piece of 1×12 lumber – 2 ft
1 piece of 2×4 lumber – 10 ft
1 piece of 2×3 lumber – 8 ft
1 piece of 2×8 lumber – 8 ft
1 piece of 2×2 lumber – 8 ft
5″ carriage bolts
pipe, pipe strap
2 1/2″ screws
1 1/4″ screws
glue, stain
wood filler

Tools

Safety gloves, glasses
Miter saw, jigsaw, pocket hole jig
Chalk line, tape measure, spirit level, carpentry pencil
Drill machinery and drill bits

Tips

Apply several coats of wood stain to the wooden components
Adjust the size of the shelves, according to your needs and tastes

Time

One Day

Building the support legs

The first step of the project is to build the support for the pivot plank. As you can notice in the image, we recommend you to use 2×3 lumber. Always align the components at both ends and check if the corners are right-angled, before drilling pilot holes and inserting the screws. Adjust the size of the support to your needs and add waterproof glue to the joints, in order to create a rigid structure.

Installing the base supports

If you don’t want to set the support into concrete or you just want to be able to move the seesaw, you should build a sturdy base, as in the image. Use 2×4 lumber to create a simple structure that will keep the seesaw into place while being used by the kids. The longer and the wider the base the better will be the support and the balance of the structure. Attach the base to the supports with several galvanized screws, after drilling the pilot holes.

Attaching the pivot pipe

Building the pivot plank is a straight forward process if you use proper techniques and plans. As you can notice in the image, we recommend you to attach a piece of water pipe to the plank, by using several pipe straps. It is essential to align everything before inserting the screws (the pipe should be perpendicular to the plank), otherwise the plank won’t pivot properly.

Securing the board into place

Drill pilot holes trough the supports and insert 5″ carriage bolts. Basically, the pipe will seat on the bottom carriage bolts inserted on both sides of the supports, while the top bolts will keep the pivot plank into place. If you want to add support to the structure, you could add a cross-brace between the supports, just under the bottom carriage bolts.

Fitting the board

After attaching the plank into place and locking it in the manner described above, the wooden seesaw should look as in the image. Don’t forget that you should always adjust the size and the shape of the teeter-totter, as to fit your needs and tastes.

Fitting the handles

One of the last steps of the project is to take care of the details. Therefore, you could build really simple handles from 1×1 or 2×2 lumber. Round both sides of the handles, in order to create a better grip. Drill pilot holes, apply waterproof glue and insert the screws into place.

Attaching the seats

Use 1×12 for the seats, although this step is optional. Moreover, you could even attach small cushions or anything that suits your needs. Round all the edges either by using a sand-block or by using a router. Make sure everything is locked into place tightly and there are no sharp edges or screws that could hurt the kids.

How to build a seesaw

Last but not least, you should take care of the finishing touches. In order to build a durable teeter-totter, you have to fill the holes with a good wood filler and smooth the surface with 120-grit sandpaper along the wood grain, after the compound has dried out.

Thank you for reading our project about how to build a seesaw and we recommend you to check out the rest of the projects. Don’t forget to LIKE and SHARE our projects with your friends, by using the social media widgets. SUBSCRIBE to be the first that gets our latest projects.

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