In the household, quite often there is a need to get to the chandelier or hang curtains. In this case, you can not do without a convenient stepladder, which you can make yourself. However, first it will be necessary to prepare all the materials and tools, as well as deal with the technology of work.
Materials and tools
If you will make a wooden ladder with your own hands, then you will need to stock up on an ordinary hacksaw, which has small teeth - 3 millimeters. You will need a chisel, a pencil, a tape measure, as well as a square. Among other things, you need to find in your arsenal a screwdriver, a sheet of sandpaper, a hammer and drills. As for sandpaper, its grain should be medium. But drills will be needed for woodworking, their diameter should be equal to 3 and 12 millimeters. The length of the working part should be equivalent to 50 millimeters. As a fasteneruse self-tapping screws designed for wood. You will also need 4 M 10 bolts, the length of which is 120 millimeters. For them, you have to find or purchase four nuts and washers in the amount of 8 pieces. Before a ladder is made of wood with your own hands, you need to prepare chains that will act as clamps. The length of each of them should be equal to 0.5 meters. The links must be made of wire, the thickness of which is equivalent to 1.5-2 millimeters. The length of the link should be approximately 1 centimeter. You will need two such circuits. For fixing, semicircular staples will be needed, they must be prepared in the amount of four pieces.
Working on construction details
If a ladder is made of wood with your own hands, then you have to prepare the crossbars and racks, for this it is recommended to use a pine beam, which is preliminarily dried well. Its cross section should be equal to 40x70 millimeters. Lumber must be even, before purchasing or using what is available, it is imperative to check the surface for knots. The color of the wood should have a yellowish tint, and should not have extraneous dark brown or gray inclusions.
The design will have 2 main parts, among which we can distinguish props and stairs. They should be connected using hinges made by means of washers and bolts. Racks with crossbars must be reinforced with self-tapping screws, whichfor the crossbars, they should be sawn down by 30 millimeters, and grooves of 20 millimeters should be made in the racks. In order to prevent weakening of the racks from the cuts made, the crossbars should be greased with glue before installation at the junctions with the racks. Experts advise using wood glue. In the absence of such, PVA can be used.
Master's Tip
If a ladder is made of wood with your own hands, then the support should be sewn with bars using a method that involves overlapping elements. To ensure rigidity, each transverse beam should be reinforced to the rack with self-tapping screws, the length of each of which should be equal to 65 millimeters. This figure is the minimum. All components of the wooden structure are recommended to be further strengthened using steel corners.
Assembling
When a do-it-yourself ladder is made of wood, all parts must be carefully processed with sandpaper, and then assembled dry. Such manipulation will make sure that everything is done as required by the technology. Only after that you can proceed to the final assembly of wooden blanks. After completing these manipulations, it is necessary to wait until the glue at the joints dries well. The surface of the structure must be primed with drying oil, and then painted with oil paint. After the top layer dries, you need to connectladder with support, using bolts. Next comes the turn of the fixing chains, which will exclude the divergence in different directions of the stairs. Staples should be used to fix them.
An alternative way to make a ladder
Before you make a stepladder out of wood with your own hands, you need to decide what design features this item will have. For example, the design can be made like a stool. At the same time, it will consist of the following parts: a support post, connecting rivers, a seat, and a ladder. If you want to use the dimensions that are recommended by professionals, then the distance between the bowstrings of the stairs should be 48 cm. The step between the support post and the bowstring can be equivalent to 60 centimeters. Moreover, this value is the maximum. The height of the seat will be 60 cm. While its dimensions will be 30x50 cm. For comfortable operation, 3 steps will be enough, which should be located in increments of 20 cm. A distance of 20 must be maintained from the floor surface to the lower step and from the upper step to the seat. see
Features of the work
If a do-it-yourself stepladder is made of wood, the diagram presented in the article will help you do the work. To perform the seat, you will need two base rails and 5 rails that will be located across. After processing the wood, the slats need to be strengthened together. Stepping back 5cm from the edge on both sides, you need to outline the lines by making a groove with a cutter. This will strengthen the transverse bars on the base rails. This way you will be able to make a seat.
Production of the support part
If a do-it-yourself garden ladder is made of wood, then at the next stage you can proceed to the supporting part. To do this, you need to use 5 rails, two of which will become guides, the other two will provide a horizontal connection. Whereas the remaining rail will provide strength. Connections should be made with dowels. In the ends for this you need to make holes. The same holes must be made in the racks. In the end, you will be able to get the back of the ladder.
Production of stairs
When a ladder is made of wood with your own hands, the drawings should help the master. You can create them yourself. The flight of stairs should be fixed at a certain slope, while the steps will be located horizontally. Grooves for the latter should be performed at a certain angle. In order to calculate the angle, you should assemble the structure without steps and rails on the surface. Next, the distance between the support post and the bowstring is set, which is equal to 60 centimeters. When making grooves for steps, they should be made smaller compared to the thickness of the workpiece itself.
