Table of Contents
- 1Introduction and about the wood sizes
- 2Required wood and alternative sizes
- 3Cutting list and hardware requirements
- 4Footprint Plan
- 5Front and rear wall-frame plans
- 6Front elevation plan
- 7Rear elevation plan
- 8Left-side elevation plan
- 9Right-side elevation plan
- 10Floor plan
- 11A pictorial walk through the building process
- 12Let's begin! Instructions step 1
- 13Instructions steps 2 to 4
- 14Instructions steps 5 to 8
- 15Instructions steps 9 to 11
- 16Instructions steps 12 to 13
- 17Counterbalance for the trapdoor
- 18Guide to adding a slide
Instructions steps 12 to 13
Step 12. Making the trapdoor
Make the trapdoor up on a level surface. The trapdoor consists of 150mm x 25mm (1″ x 6″) floorboards nailed to two 45mm x 45mm (1 1/2″ x 1 1/”2) pieces of woodTimber, lumber. The hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees 450mm (18″) long. See the ‘floor and trapdoor plan’ on page 10 for dimensionsAny of the three linear measurements, length, breadth and depth..
Next, nailA short nail with a large flat head used for securing roofing felt, plasterboard, sheet metal to wood etc. a fillet (an off-cut from a floorboard) to the side of the frame memberPiece of lumber that is part of a frame or structure. directly under the hinge side of the trapdoor. This is to give the trapdoor support when people are standing on it. (See side-view picture)
Lay the trapdoor in place, ensuring that the gap is the same on the hinge side and the opposing side. Screw on two 150mm (6″) “T” hinges, approx 50mm (2″) in from each side.
Drill a 25mm (1″) finger hole positioned approximately as shown in the illustration
Step 13. The doorA horizontal framing member above the door/window opening., the rope and the tire swing
Almost done. Tie a rope securely to the beamA supporting member. about 100mm (4″) in from the end. Nail some type of bracket or saddle clip over the rope to ensure it is not going to slip off the end of the beam (see picture below). Then tie on a tire to the other end of the rope.
Fit the climbing wall door in place as shown in the picture below and you’re pretty much done!
Safety concern. If you think the swing could be subject to excessive weight and are concerned about the possibility of the fort tilting, then anchor the opposite end of the fort to the ground. One such method is to concreteA mixture of sand, gravel, water and cement which hardens to a stone like condition when dry. a postsee PILE into the ground at both rear corners and fixTo secure with nails or screws. the posts to the corner uprights.
Hi,
Just a query re the childs play fort. I am in the process of building it now, having purchased plans over the weekend.
I notice that the 4×4 beam across the top is only supported by the two roof apex, a3/4 and b3/4 with additional support provided by the plywood.
Just found myself concerned that the structure may not be strong enough to support the beam plus weight of children and was looking for some reassurance.
Has anyone suggested any additional supports for the roof beam, or had any similar concerns?
Many Thanks. Steve
Reply from BuildEazy:
Hi Steve
Thank you for your query and concern.
I have had the play fort project online for over ten years. A lot of plans have been sold and many forts have been made. I even made three or four myself back then. Over that time I have not received a report of any incident.
Cross piece (a4) is bolted to both A-frame members (a4). The front frame is further strengthened by 3/4″ plywood bolted to the above members. The beam sits on top of cross piece (a4). The structure should be more than adequate to support the beam and a child.
Regardless, precautions should be taken. Ensure that the beam is clear (free of any knots).
The fort should be treated as a playground – with rules and supervision.
Regards, Les Kenny
Hi,
Thanks for the awesome plans!
Enjoy the video – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIlwnIbfPr4
Best, Omer
Hello, I downloaded your plans a couple of months ago and finally finished the project after a few weekends of work.
I used 2×4’s instead of 2×3’s (lumber yard didn’t have 2×3….maybe a US standard), added a lower floor, added supports for the cheap slide, used cedar for top floor and added some slope to the ladder to make it a little easier for my 4yr old.
Your plans were great – very thorough and easy to follow. Thanks for putting the extra effort into adding the English units, adding detailed drawings and materials lists. My daughter already loves it.
Paul
Hello from Hungary (Budapest),
Dear Buildeazy thank you so much for the plans.
As you can see I made some slight modifications and it needs some painting, but the snow came early so I couldn’t finish the paint job.
The kids love it.
Warm regards, F.S.
Hello from Pennsylvania,
I just completed the Kid’s Play Fort.
The design was exactly what I wanted.
The plans were simple and accurate.
I’m the lady with the jigsaw and my friend has the drill.
My grandson loves his new fort.
If granny and her friend can build it, no one should have any problems.
I did change the roof; used plywood and painted it blue with puffy clouds.
Thank you.
Carol Deaver Langhorne, PA
Hello,
I purchased the kids fort design and built a slightly modified fort last summer. I thought you would be interested in seeing the finished project. I found the plans easy to follow and very helpful.
Kindest Regards, Doug Hubble Ontario, Canada
I purchased the Play Fort plans last year and finally completed the Play Fort. My son, who is 9 years old, loves it. I wanted to include a picture of the finished product. Thank you so much for the plans!
Jim Beers Hellertown, PA
Hi,
I went about building the play fort a bit backwards, we were gifted a slide by a friend who was moving. The slide languished in the side yard for a few months when I finally decided to build something so that my kids could use it.
I bought your plans a bit over a week ago and have spent the last week building the kid’s play fort. I’m a novice and found your plans to be perfectly suited for a beginner.
I made a few alterations, I left out the climbing wall (my kids are 2 and 4, I didn’t thing they’d enjoy this yet), extended the shorter wall to make the fort a square (this required a re-do of the floor plan as well, for which I received some much needed advice from a friend in construction), went with some cheap plywood for the roof, and made stairs rather than the ladder (which makes it easier for my 2-year-old to get up). All-in-all I’d say it turned out pretty great and the kids love it.
Thanks!
Mark Sheen (Phoenix, AZ)
Just completed “Playfort with climbing wall”
Many thanks
James (Christchurch, New Zealand)
Many thanks.
Just wanted to let you know the fort has been built and played with for over a year now, with one or two amendments to the plans:
• Slide and ladder at the front with a small climbing wall up to the trapdoor
• Swing beam added on one side to allow a pulley connected to the front as well.
• With the exception of the roof, 4×2 used in place of 3×2.
But all concerns re structure and strength have been put to rest with four adults having picnics on the fort.
Thanks again
Steve Layzell