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A backyard seesaw with a bolt pivot, dowel handles, and padded seats — plus three pivot heights, so it grows with the kids instead of aging out.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L | Material | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beam boards | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 96" | — | ☐ |
| Uprights Drilled at three heights for the adjustable pivot. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 5 1/2" × 24" | 2x6 | ☐ |
| Long base | 2 | 1 1/2" × 5 1/2" × 36" | 2x6 | ☐ |
| Short base Both ends 30° off square, NOT parallel — the splayed feet. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 5 1/2" × 24" | 2x6 | ☐ |
| Handle supports Shorter scrap works. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 5 1/2" × 12" | 2x6 | ☐ |
| Seats | 2 | 3/4" × 7 1/4" × 15" | 1x8 | ☐ |
| Item | Qty | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| 2x4, 8 ft The laminated beam. | 2 each | ☐ |
| 2x6, 8 ft Uprights, base, and handle supports — cut one of each length from each board to conserve stock. | 2 each | ☐ |
| 1x8, 3 ft The two seats. Scrap works. | 1 each | ☐ |
| Bolt, 5/8" x 10", with nut and four washers The pivot. Washers on BOTH sides of each upright — steel bears on steel, not wood. | 1 each | ☐ |
| Dowel, 1", 24" Closet rod — the two handles. | 1 each | ☐ |
| Exterior screws, #9 x 2-1/2", self-tapping | 50 each | ☐ |
| Exterior wood glue | 8 oz | ☐ |
| Foam chair pad and outdoor fabric One pad, cut in half — two seats. | 1 each | ☐ |
Overall cost: $$. Lumber varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Speed Square. Materials: 2x6, 8 ft, Exterior screws, #9 x 2-1/2", self-tapping, Exterior wood glue
Screw and glue the long base boards to the uprights — 'lots of screws' is the technical specification, and it's right: this junction takes the full alternating load of two launching children. Keep the uprights dead parallel to each other; the beam has to swing between them.
Tools: Circular Saw, Drill / Driver. Materials: 2x6, 8 ft, Exterior screws, #9 x 2-1/2", self-tapping, Exterior wood glue
Attach the 30°-cut short base pieces as side supports, again with screws and glue everywhere. The splay is the anti-tip geometry — the seesaw's side-to-side stability all lives here.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Drill Bit Set, Speed Square, Tape Measure. Materials: 2x4, 8 ft, 2x6, 8 ft, Exterior screws, #9 x 2-1/2", self-tapping, Exterior wood glue
Sandwich the two handle supports between the two 8-foot 2x4s — one support a seat-width from each end — with glue and screws driven from both faces in a staggered pattern.
Then drill the 5/8" pivot hole through the dead center of the beam. Measure twice: an off-center pivot builds a seesaw that favors one kid forever.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Drill Bit Set, Hammer, Random Orbit Sander. Materials: 1x8, 3 ft, Bolt, 5/8" x 10", with nut and four washers, Dowel, 1", 24", Exterior screws, #9 x 2-1/2", self-tapping, Exterior wood glue, Foam chair pad and outdoor fabric
Drill three 5/8" holes up each upright at matching heights — the height options. Drill them a touch oversize (the source's hard-won advice): the bolt must pass through upright-beam-upright without a hammer fight, or you'll never actually use the adjustability.
Hang the beam: washer, upright, washer, beam, washer, upright, washer, nut. Snug, not crushing — it's a bearing, not a clamp. Screw and glue the padded seats over the beam ends, drill 1" holes through the handle supports, and glue and screw the dowel handles in.
Sand everything a child touches, set it on grass, and enforce the one seesaw rule: nobody dismounts without warning the other end.