Matthias, bought the plans and constructed this weekend. I added a sheet of ply on one of the triangle sides and made it a climbing wall since both my kids are a bit older. Perfect project for a day. Thanks for the great documentation.

Now you need a 1/4 scale Matthias to do a jump test

Now the mice you use in your experiments will have someplace to play when they have some free time

I actually like how you went through the steps as how a single person building this could accomplish this build. Nice work and good job Matthias!

That shot at 7:20 is really cool! When I built a swing set, I went with 12' tall swings. They're way more fun as an adult

I want this to go viral so 1/4 scale project videos become a thing. We learn, you save on materials and time. Its an absolute win.

Says father in law doesn't want to be in video. Shows him multiple times. Savage!

That perspective illusion at 7:20 was a fantastic stroke of genius.

4:00 1:4 scale complete with groans to show you what to expect while doing this yourself. This is the reason I watched the whole video! Thank You!!

It's great that you're still making content during your recovery. the content is just as enjoyable. thanks for the videos, Matthias!

Leave the small one outside so that the garden pixies and elves have something to play on :o)

Matthias making a scale model of the swingset is the most Matthias thing I've ever seen him do. Appreciate you brother, lol

Awesome! Funny enough, my kids outgrew their swing set/fort so I took it apart and so far have made; a garden bench, an Adirondack chair, several shop benches, and a cat house. Perfect!

just built this swing set with your plans!!! thank you so much Matthias! kids love it so much - it'll save our summer!

I agree with your father in law when it comes to the carriage bolts. The fasteners are in the elements and the wood will expand and contract a little. Better be safe than sorry.

Thanks so much for this video and the plans! I built this recently more or less following the plans. Here's my comments: 1.) I used a 12' 4x6 beam for the top. The set just stops at the slide instead of having one extra bay. 2.) I used 3/8" carriage bolts/hex bolts and then also 4 deck screws on each of the 2x6 to 4x4 joints. We cut off the excess with a hacksaw and used a file to smooth the burrs. 3.) I couldn't find 12" carriage bolts, so I used 10" long 1/2" lag screws to connect the top beam to the 2x6 brackets. I also used decking brackets with short 1.25" screws for additional stability (Simpson part# LPC4Z) 4.) Carefully consider the swing hanger (or eye bolt) spacing listed in the plans for your needs. 7.5" is probably too little. 17.25" might be too much. Depending on how much space you need, you might only fit 2 or 3 swings instead of 3 or 4, like he mentioned in the video. 5.) For the 62 degree (or 28 degree, depending how you look at it) cuts, you only need to get it right once. Once you have a good cut at the right angle, use it to scribe the remaining cuts. The 90" wide base for the legs is more important than getting EXACTLY a 62 degree cut. 6.) The plans call for a 3" notch in the upper brackets. The life size swing set in the video doesn't seem to have this, but it's probably a good idea for some additional support of the main beam. However, it should be 3.5" to fit a 4x6, not 3. Overall these were great plans and saved me from having to re-invent the wheel, so thank you!

Nice build, we are building also a swing set at the moment. Great to see how you did it Mathias!

Really smart presentation! I could definitely use a swing set like that!

Love the video Matthias. For Christmas maybe buy your father in law an impact driver.

your detail on your 1/4 scale lumber is just awesome.

Nicely done, as always 👍. I finally managed to persuade my mother in law to appear in one of my KZfaq videos, she said she didn't want to talk... but then wouldn't stop 😂😂😂. Hours of editing was needed 🤣. Keep up the good work 👍.

7: 20, Matthias, you're always thinking. I would set the ladder rungs horizontal, each end on a block, then radius the leading edges. Thanks for showing even the plans.

At first I wondered why bother, 2nd half I figured out because it is cool and because you can.

Very cool, a great way to demonstrate a project, and you end up with a neat novelty as well. Thank you.

Used decking screws to hold a 45 degree brace to a fence mounted on a deck. I have replaced them every other season. The fatigue and snap due to the slight movement from the wind. I keep meaning to replace with bolts.

Great works always I just bought quite a few of your plans from your sight and wow, they are fantastic plans. I'm looking forward to building some new stuff!

Swinging into the weekend.🙌

I knew the day would come when he started making scale models.

What an excellent video! Thanks for sharing those build concepts.

God bless you and your family... Thank you for sharing us some of your knowledge.. I'm enjoying watching and learning..

PS: Very similar to the swing set that we had when the kids were younger. We had short 2x6 braces across the top/end corners which was helpful because the kids treat it like a jungle-gym and swing and climb every which way, so there are side-to-side stresses as well as front-to-back

I enjoyed the angle jig, quick and dirty, yet effective. I’ve always made those the hard way apparently.

As noted, the carriage bolts wont, or shouldn't loosen overtime or lose holding strength as they compress the members and do not rely on threads gripping wood. HOWEVER, if you plan to use screws, get something like a GRK RSS ( Rugged Structural Screws) ...for example the 5/16" × 3-1/8" (GRK #112221) handles an 840 lb sheer force. Deck screws do not have nearly the same shear force....840 lb is somewhere around (greater than ?) That of a 1/2" lag bolt, and it looked like the carriage bolts may have been 1/2" If you ate going through 2x material into the 4x , then use the 4" or 5-1/8" long GRK RSS to get past center if the 4x You needn't use GRK Brand, Threadlocker also makes "Lag Screw Replacement" screws....take your pick, the key point being Shear Strength in this application. (GRK actually list Playground Equipment on the back of the RSS pack as suggested use)

It looks really nice buddy. Strong and sturdy

Loved the strategic view of both at 7:20.

I’d be too self conscious to make Matthias something. But that’s not the point of gift giving. Nice gift from your father-in-law and nice video. Thank you.

Great video, I really enjoyed the perspective and your observations---keep up the good work!

I once had a cut list 72 and it was a 72 Cutlass Oldsmobile . What a great Grand Pa the kids have because the swing set was made out of love !

love the saw guide for the angle cuts

I definitely think you've started something with doing the miniature, I'm seeing a lot more people doing them.

This is great. My kids have one of those flimsy swing sets and while it’s nice, this helps me with ideas to stabilize it.

Great plans! Set leg anchors anyways because youll eventually have a middle schooler showing off to the little kids and it will lift off.

Thanks for another good video Matthias! 👍

Nice to see you posting proper videos again Matt

Sturdy, simple, and requires very few tools, perfect. Split washers are a pet peeve of mine though - in this case it likely makes no difference but it's worth mentioning that they've been shown to make bolts loosen faster under vibration than no washer at all.

Keep him in the videos some day all you will have is memories. Nice work.

nice perspective shot where you line the two of them up!

Maybe not the best, but definitely the most entertaining! This was most interesting!

Grandpa: I'll use carriage bolts to be super duper extra safe. Nothing too good for my grandkids. Dad: that's excessive. They'll be fine! Lmao

great job by both builders

old guys rule. use the carriage bolts.

"He didn't really want to be on video" *takes video anyway*

You know, real scale woodworking would be a great way to learn for people like me who live in cities and apartments and aren't able to have a workshop. I've always wanted to learn how to build a house from scratch but odds are I'll never get the chance. Someone could sell real 1/8 kits with real 1/8 tools. Accurately matching everything you'd have to with a full-sized build. Wood, electrical, plumbing, roofing, insulation, all of it. We could all have tiny 1/8 workshops in our city apartments and make projects just like real men. Oops I mean people with more space.

Good to see you building again, even if it is to scale. =)

Barbie and Ken swing set , good idea :O)

Deck screws, like drywall screws, have their purpose but I learned my lesson about how brittle they are under load and movement. It’s no wonder they are not approved for anything structural. I’ve switched to structural screws or malleable screws for uses like this. Their are lots of manufacturers; GRK and Simpson are both premium brands...

Great tutorial! Great father-in-law!

Prolly simpler to cut the angles on the A frame after you've assembled them, as time cuts go. And you can use those ball end nuts for those, tho, i have found that wood does tend to crack in such structures (exposed to elements, i mean). So i don't know...

The new swingset is likely to be used in a future mouse video. Very cool. I would recommend using the big bolts in the full size set...otherwise it is amazing how kids can break things.

Did someone ever tell you, you were insane? :D I love your videos!

Great job!

Terrific dad!

Warning!!! Omitting the carriage bolts at the gussets and only using the screws you mentioned is setting yourself up for failure. As your kids get older/bigger the racking stress on all the leg members goes up exponential, especially at that connection, while swinging. If you build it "right," the joint will outlast the wood rather than having the joint fail prematurely because someone skimped on a few bolts. I had seen and experienced both. The other weak link is the ridge, more screws could have been used connecting the two board together, especially next to the eye bolts. Raising eight kids has taught me a thing or two.

omg! thank you for sharing! love this

Mini builds would be cool. Like 2 inch (wheel dia.) bandsaw. Bonus nachos if it runs. It would be very practical as a desk fidget device. Just hold on a second while I trim my pencil on my mini bandsaw.

Wow, Great explanation.love it.

I’ll totally build this later this year

Hello Mathias, why is it that you are everything in centimeters for a very long time and that you are now doing everything in inches. Greetings Jos I keep following your videos and find most of them very interesting

How are those 6" eye hooks fastened to the top beam? From a distance I thought they were screwed in, but doesn't look so. Are they threaded + washer + nut? Pretty sure this is my first project once I build my workbench. Timing couldn't have been more perfect for this video. First day of summer, my youngest can finally swing too, been at our new hours for 4 weeks and I'm itching to start doing projects like this!

Nice video, would you consider drawing plans/discussing the mechanics of building a glider swing set.

Mathias Wandel Builds a swingset for his trained mousies! :)

Matthias: I always knew you had a little swinger in you.

Nice, it looks good.

I built a swingset for my kids many years (decades?) ago. It was basically a 6 foot tall sawhorse that I hung a couple tires from by chain. :-)

Great Project. Thanks son!!

the simple designs are usually the best

Very good, my Friends Mathias Wandel

Nice Job!!

I like that the slide is plastic to avoid splintering, but I like that the framework is wooden, because that gives it a somewhat high-end look as compared to having it all as plastic. But I'd go around and give it all a good sanding.

Wow, this video was posted a week too late. I just built a swing set for my kids last weekend. I sure could have used this.

Just what I was looking for for our squirrels !

Love it!

This ticks all the boxes: project; build; plans; and small size to prevent shoulder damage.

what is this, a swing set for ants?!

Cool, someone different to spot where I live.

Such a great video. Would love to see a slide added.

Great idea!

good work!

i wish i had a dad as cool as you and your father in law.

AMAZING!

Now I want to see mice experiments using the scale model swing

New mousetrap video, excellent . . . these mice seem to be having more fun than usual.

You should get your little shed friends to use it!

I love your video's, but a lot of the material used looks like it want to spilt, wil it be stable?

Very kool ..what did u use for the anchors so the swing doesn't lift up

Also at first when you showed us the lumber, I at first thought it was pine. Also what's the difference between pine and lumber (you should do a video comparing both pine and lumber much like you did with both the Planers)??!!

Tnx Mr. Wandel.

We had the same problem with the slide being high on sloped ground. We just let the slide be steeper and let the kids go for a ride. They only ate it a few times before they got the hang of it. Edit: We were actually pretty impressed with how sturdy the pre-made set was. 4x4 posts. It's got 2 levels. And we still felt like the hold downs were unnecessary. Put them in just because they were included. Then again it was $1k.

Is there any particular reason why you didn't use acorn nuts?

conventional backyard swingset - good. Father-in-law overkill is not - he did justifiable reinforcements. For model even smaller would be better as kids could use such as a play thing for action-figures and the like.