I’ve always wanted a pallet swing, so I decided one day to finally make one! I didn’t use any step by step tutorials or guides, I simple used this little thing floating around in my head and did what made sense. I am not a professional, far from it. I have absolutely no wood working or building experience. This is simply a guide to show you what I did.
Note: You can reinforce the bottom of the swing with 2×4 plywood for extra support, but I chose not to do so. Use my supply list as a guideline, then customize anything as you see fit.
Please use caution when handling any power tools, and follow the instructions to prevent any injury. I also suggest having someone help you. This is meant to be a two-man job, you need someone to help hold the pallet pieces while you screw in the brackets, and for extra safety precautions. Safety always comes first!
Also, I waited to stain the pallets until the swing was put together. In hindsight, I probably would have done this after sanding, then proceeded to put the swing together. I suggest doing that, but will write the tutorial according to how I made it. Again, I am not a professional, so please take that into account. I would love to hear your insight and provisions that you made on what you build!
SUPPLIES NEEDED (see pictures as well):
- 2 Sturdy Pallets (remove any wonky screws sticking out to prevent any unpleasant pokes/scratches)
- Circular Saw*
- Cordless Drill*
- Orbital Hand Sander*
- Twisted Polypropylene Rope* (or some other weather safe rope that can hold around 500lbs, or what you feel safe getting, depending on how many people you plan to have on your swing)
- Heavy Duty Spring Clamps*
- 4 Large L-brackets
- 6 Small L-brackets
- 4 3/8” x 6” Zinc Plated Screw Eyes with Nuts
- 4 3/8” Stainless Steel Flat Washers*
- Pack of All Purpose Screws*
- Thompsons Penetrating Waterseal Timber Oil* (I got Walnut)
- Mineral Spirits*
- Shop Rags*
- Linzer 5” Block Brush*
- Old Tarp or Newspapers (to catch drippings when staining)
- Safety Googles*
- Face Mask*
- Work Gloves (my favorite pair*) and Disposable Gloves* (for staining)
- A partner to help build this fun project!
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Put on your protective gear! Goggles, face mask and gloves. Also wear closed toe shoes and protective clothing.
- Set one pallet aside, as this will be the base of the swing and needs no alterations. Take the second pallet and saw off 3 boards in from each end. Then sand both pallets until you achieve the smoothness you desire (you don’t want any accidental splinters while you are sitting on your swing!).
- Take the two ends of the cut up pallet and have the bottom edges face each other, so the flat end is on the outside. Setting them just far apart enough to place the other pallet in between. Then, place the solid pallet on top of the ends, adjusting as necessary until you have it fit together like you want and use the clamps to secure the wood together (see pictures below).
- Now you will start attaching the L-brackets to secure the swing together. Attach the 6 smaller brackets on the top side of the swing with screws – 4 on each corner, affixing the edges of the pallets together where they meet, as well as the top center sides of the pallets (see pictures below, I circled in red and drew arrows on the opposing side, where each L-bracket should be).
- Then affix the 4 larger L-brackets underneath the pallets on the conjoining sides (see picture below).
- Take your eye screws and place them on the outside edges of the swing, affixing the flat washers on the inside of the nut before tightening.
- Give yourselves a high five! It is all put together! I suggest switching to disposable gloves at this point, set up your tarp/newspapers, and begin cleaning your pallet with the mineral spirits and shop rags to ensure all the wood and dust particles are removed. Then proceed to stain with the timber oil and let dry according to the instructions.
- After the wood is dry, you are all set to hang the swing. Simply thread the rope through the screw eye on each end, and hang wherever your heart desires! I ended up hanging my swing in between two trees in my backyard.
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