Better Homes and Gardens (Australia)
EASY STEPS TO MAKE A RED-HOT SEESAW
Kids love seesaws, so imagine their delight when you make them one all their own. And seesaws don’t come any more budget-friendly than this lile red-hot beauty. All you need is a few pieces of plywood, an old tyre and a lile paint. The seesaw is light enough to move around, so if one area of your lawn is becoming worn, just relocate it to another spot. This is a wonderful project for using up scrap materials and, of course, repurposing an old tyre.
Gather your supplies
• 13in tyre (such as a 175/70R13)
• White Knight Rust Guard SLS Etch Primer Spray Paint
• Dulux Duramax High Performance Enamel Paint in Gloss Hot Lips
• 1800 x 350 x 18mm plywood
• 350 x 150 x 18mm plywood for handles (2)
• 45 x 35 x 350mm or similar pine cleats (4)
• Dulux 1 Step Acrylic Primer, Sealer & Undercoat
• Dulux Aquanamel in True Red
• 90 x 35 x 155mm fixing blocks (4)
Handle position
Cleat position 35 18
Handle position
Cleat position 100
Alternative handle positions
You’ll also need Hacksaw; measuring tape; pencil; empty 1L paint tin; 20c piece; jigsaw and scrolling blade; safety gear; drill; PVA glue; sandpaper; paintbrush; screws to suit; washers to suit; 65mm screws 35 18 250
Alternative 20-cent handle positions piece radius
All measure1mlepnatisnitn mm tin radius
All measurements in mm 1L paint tin radius 25 20-cent piece radius 50 1L paint tin radius 150 25 1L paint tin radius 150
STEP 1 Cut your tyre in half. Most modern tyres are steel-belted radials, so use a hacksaw to cut through steel belts. Stand tyre upright and cut tough main steel band that forms bead of tyre. This is where there’s the greatest concentration of steel and it can be difficult to cut. Using a hacksaw (with a lile patience) will give you a more accurate cut than power tools, which can be messy as they tend to veer away from the straight.
STEP 2 Once you have cut through bead on
1 side, cut straight down until you reach treads. Here, you’ll run into more metal. Make sure you cut straight along an imaginary line through centre of tyre. Cut downwards, then through the side wall and finally through the bead on other side of the tyre.
STEP 3 Once you’ve cut through tyre on 1 side, mark cut on opposite side so the 2 halves are identical. Cut in the same way but, as the tyre will now be quite floppy, it helps to have someone hold the sides while you work.
STEP 4 Working in a well-ventilated area, spray on 2 coats of primer, allowing tyre halves to dry aer each coat.
STEP 5 Spray on a few coats of Hot Lips, leing it dry aer each coat. Remember, several thin coats are beer than 1 thick coat.
STEP 6 To make seat, use 350mm-wide plywood to cover both tyre halves when standing side by side. Measure 200mm, then a further 250mm from each end along each side and square across board. Then measure 80mm in from each edge to mark in 4 wide notches (see Seesaw diagram, page 145). This narrower area allows kids to straddle the seat and shows them where to sit so seesaw is balanced. To round off sharp edges, use a 1L paint tin to mark in curves on outside of seat and into opening. Use a 20c coin to mark in smaller curves on inside of housing and towards seat centre. Cut out shapes with a jigsaw. As the small curves are quite tight, use a scrolling blade for ease.
STEP 7 Mark out 2 handles by drawing a line across plywood, 50mm down from top. Then, using 1L tin to mark in outside curve on each side, slide tin along 25mm to mark in second curve (see Handle diagram, page 145). Repeat for other side, then cut out with jigsaw. Also cut 4 cleats.
STEP 8 On seesaw, measure 100mm from end of notch at each end and square across, down sides and across underside. Drill 3 clearance holes, 18mm further towards seesaw centre from line. Turn over, put cleat on bench and apply glue. Place seat on top and align, then screw in place. (If your kids are small, fix handles closer to notches – nearer ends of seats – so they don’t knock their knees. Don’t glue cleat in place, as you may want to move handles closer to centre as they grow.)
STEP 9 Turn over, and glue and screw handles to cleats. Sand seesaw to smooth the edges. Apply 1 coat of primer, sealer and undercoat and let dry. Lightly sand, then brush on 2 coats of True Red paint, leing it dry aer each coat.
STEP 10 To aach seat assembly to tyres, screw fixing blocks to inside of tyres. Use 2 screws at each end with a small washer under each screw head to help prevent screw pulling through.
STEP 11 Centre assembly over tyres and align. Screw down, using 8 x 65mm screws, ensuring you screw into centre of blocks.