Balance Beam Plans Copyright 2007 Ben MacLeod Email: sales@betterplans.net Website: www.betterplans.net
Balance Beam Plans By Ben MacLeod Copyright 2007 Tools required: -Mitre saw, circular saw, jig saw, or hand saw -drill -tape measure -hammer -80 grit sandpaper or power sander -pencil -1 1/8 drill bit (spade type is cheapest if you are planning to buy this) -3/8 dill bit -square -9/16 socket and ratchet Materials required: -1 piece 4 x4 x16-6 pieces 3/8 x 6 galvanized lag bolts -6 pieces 3/8 galvanized flat washers -finish A couple of notes before we begin: -If you have any questions, concerns or comments please e-mail sales@betterplans.net -You will receive a response generally within a few hours. -Please consider reading the directions completely before beginning. I think you ll find if helpful to have a general idea of the whole project before you start. -The legal stuff: This balance beam has been designed to conform to Canadian and American consumer safety guidelines. Every effort has been made to ensure that this balance beam is as safe as possible, however many factors can influence the overall safety of this structure such as, but not limited to; weather, decay, rusting fasteners, improper assembly or poor wood choice. Therefore, I will assume absolutely no responsibility, legal or otherwise for any injury which may occur
before or during assembly or at any time during the useful life of this balance beam. By proceeding with these plans, you agree to this legal disclaimer. Thanks for understanding. Shall we get started? STEP 1: Decide on wood and finish. The first thing you need to do is make a couple of decisions. 1) What kind of wood are you going to use? While hardwoods such as cedar or redwood are excellent choices due to their nice color and grain and their superior resistance to decay, they are also very expensive. Softwoods, such as pine, fir and spruce (my personal choice) aren t quite as fancy but much less costly and with a good coat of stain or water repellent, they will hold up well for many years. Pressure treated lumber is very cost effective and very durable but I personally use caution with this wood in a child s play structure due to the harsh chemicals used in the treating process. How this affects kids, if at all, is a hotly debated issue and therefore its use is at your own discretion. 2) What kind of finish will you be applying? Even hardwood should have a water repellent sealer of some kind applied. I personally recommend a good quality outdoor stain. You can pick the color of your choice and a simple recoat every few years will ensure your balance beam remains free of decay. STEP 2: Acquire the tools required. The second step is to make sure you have all the tools required. This list is provided at the beginning of the plans. There are a couple of things to keep in mind while acquiring these items. A power mitre saw, circular saw or jig saw are the easiest but with a little more work, all the cuts can be made by hand. Also consider borrowing the larger and more expensive tools if you don t use them a lot. A power sander is fastest for the sanding but again, with a little more work, all the sanding can be done by hand.
STEP 3: Acquire the building materials. Acquiring the building materials can be as simple as taking my list to the building supply section of your local building supply store and letting the staff gather the items for you. I recommend picking the lumber out yourself which ensures you will be getting the quality you desire. Or you can gather everything yourself, either way, if you have everything on the list, that s all you need. STEP 4: Preparing the supports Cut three pieces of 4x4; 24 inches long and mitre the top corners about 1 ½ inches from the ends as shown in photo 01. PHOTO 01 On the bottom of each piece, measure and mark the locations as shown in photo 02. First drill 1 1/8 inch holes about ½ inch deep. These will be the recesses for the bolt heads. In the centre of these holes drill a 3/8 inch hole all the way through.
PHOTO 02 Round off the sharp corners and edges as shown in photo 03. This looks nice and minimizes bumps and bruises. PHOTO 03 These are your beam supports and you should have three identical ones. Set them aside and go to step 5.
STEP 5: Prepare the main beam You should have a piece of 4x4 left roughly 10 feet long. Sand the ends, corners and edges as shown in photo 04. PHOTO 04 STEP 6: Assemble the balance beam. Align one of the supports on your beam as shown in photo 05. PHOTO 05
Keep your square handy and install one washer and lag bolt as shown in photo 06. You may need to give it a tap with the hammer to get it started into the beam. Tighten it down with the 9/16 socket and ratchet. Minor adjustments as you go may be required to keep everything square. Install the second lag bolt the same way. PHOTO 06 Repeat this procedure for a second support on the other end of the beam. Then install the third support centering it directly between these two and your balance beam should now look like photo 07.
PHOTO 07 STEP 7: Prepare for the finish. Check your entire balance beam again for any imperfections, sharp corners, splinter hazards, or lumber stamps. Finish up any sanding and generally prepare for the finish. STEP 8: Finishing your Balance Beam The finish is basically up to you. I recommend water based stains or clear coats simply because they clean up easily and they are safer for kids. Follow the directions on the can for application. Photo 08 shows Fire Coals on the supports and Happiness Yellow on the beam.
PHOTO 08 STEP 9: Enjoy your balance beam and the satisfaction of watching your child(ren) at play. Don t forget to periodically check the lag bolts for tightness. Visit www.betterplans.net for more great plans!