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Step 1
Decide what size bench swing you'd like to build. A swing that's 5 feet wide by 2 feet deep is usually adequate to seat two adults. Buy enough pressurized hard wood, galvanized chain, fasteners and hardware to accommodate the build of your bench swing.
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Step 2
Take two pieces of 5-foot-long hardwood and two pieces of 2-foot-long hardwood. Screw them together in the shape of a rectangle using galvanized wood screws. Cut two more pieces of the hardwood to measure end to end inside the frame and secure them using the galvanized wood screws.
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Step 3
Build the frame for the back of the bench swing using two more pieces of wood the same length that was used for the seat frame. Screw them to two more pieces that are the same width as the shorter pieces of the seat frame to form another rectangle. Make reinforcements, as done in Step 2, by cutting two more pieces to fit inside the frame and securing them with wood screws.
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Step 4
Assemble the seat and back frame by screwing them together with the long galvanized wood screws at the corners and at 5-inch intervals in between the corners.
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Step 5
Attach arm rests to the swings by cutting two pieces of wood one foot long and two pieces of wood 16 inches long. The short pieces of wood are support for the arm rests while the longer pieces of wood are the actual arm rests. Secure the pieces together and to the swing using the long, galvanized wood screws.
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Step 6
Cover the bench swing in slats of wood spaced equally apart. Leave a 1/4-inch of spacing in between each slat. Fasten them down with the wood screws. Attach a screw hoop into each armrest near the front, the bottom sides of the frame on each side and then one on each side of the top back of the frame.
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Step 7
Screw two large hooks into the studs of your porch ceiling. Hook up two galvanized chains to the hooks on the ceiling and the porch swing. Stain your bench swing if desired.
