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Build Outdoor Play Equipment

Build Outdoor Play Equipment

Words by Frank Gardner

From Australian Handyman Magazine

Buy flat-packed equipment great for outdoor fun.
Keep kids entertained with a completely decked-out backyard playcentre. They’ll love the room for shop-keeping or to play in a sandpit, a mini gym with monkey bars, swings, slippery slide, ladder and a rock-climbing wall.

Download Build Outdoor Play Equipment Project PDF

STEP 1

Assemble the side walls
Position the corner uprights on the ground and attach the top joists and monkey bar supports, base and centre fascias.
TIP: Centre fascias are on the inside of uprights and oriented so the 32mm spaced holes are on the lower edges.

STEP 2

Erect the walls
Raise the sides and secure the top and base fascias. Position the outside centre fascias 20mm above the inside centre fascia, secure with coach screws.
TIP: The front and back fascias have 45mm holes on the lower edges to offset the coach screw holes.

STEP 3

Add decking and braces
Secure the deck boards across the inside fascias with timber screws. Secure the centre runner under the boards, adding angle brackets at the ends. Secure the braces to the outside fascias and uprights with coach screws.

STEP 4

Add shop front and ladder
On the uprights, measure 455mm from the ground to secure three shop front fascias and attach the shop front panel uprights with timber screws. Attach rails and brackets and secure steps with two screws either side. Secure the ladder to the fascia with brackets.

STEP 5

Add the tower fascia
Attach the five-hole fascia to the decking on the swing side and corner fascias to the other sides. Attach handles to the pre-drilled balusters and the centre roof post and remaining balusters to the swing side, spacing them 50mm and 55mm apart.

STEP 6

Attach the roof
Join the slide side top joist, T-bracket and short centre roof post, align the centre post and secure the T-bracket. Secure the tarp boards to the posts and top joists to attach the tarp.