A stepladder is an extremely useful tool in almost every home. It will allow you to process the ceiling, dust off the top of the closet, or trim the garden.
The price of this device is not too high, however, a do-it-yourself stepladder will provide an opportunity to show imagination and save money. Consider the basic rules for performing work on the manufacture and options for the materials used.
This device is easy to carry from place to place.
The most common type is a handmade wooden ladder. It is constructed from special bars or boards. The main advantage of using ladders made of wood is their lightness and ease of assembly.
Metal models, on the contrary, are rather bulky and their transportation around the apartment is quite a difficult task. To assemble this type of ladder, you will need welding equipment.
Making a ladder out of wood with your own hands will be much easier. All you need is woodworking tools and an assembly diagram. Also, ladders may differ in type of construction. There are types for indoor use or the street, each of them differs in its size.
Tools and materials
The following tips from experts will help answer the question of how to make a stepladder with your own hands. First you need to take care of the tools. It is necessary to prepare devices:
- saw;
- measuring tape;
- hammer and drill.
This product should be made from a wooden block measuring 50x30 mm. It will help in the manufacture of racks and steps for stairs. The length of the beam should be approximately 14 m. Typically, such material is sold in lengths equal to 6 or 12 m. So it is best to buy 3 bars of 6 m each.
Instead of a beam, you can also use a regular board with dimensions of 25x80 mm.
Additional characteristics of the material are indicated in the table:
Additionally, you will need to purchase various fastening components in the form of bolts and other tools for fastening.
Starting the assembly, initially it is required to prepare a diagram of the future ladder made of wood. It is also taken into account that the top of the structure has smaller dimensions, and the bottom - large, which gives it stability.
Scheme of the ladder device
Creating a bowstring and steps
For the manufacture of racks of a wooden stepladder, you must adhere to the following instructions:
- Four bowstrings about 150 mm long must be cut from the beam. Two of them will be used as a support, the rest will serve for the manufacture of stairs;
- Then, in two bowstrings, it is necessary to make grooves 2 cm deep and 2.5 cm high for the entire width of the timber.
- In the racks that will be used as a support, you will also need to make grooves for the jumpers. They will need to be placed at a height where it is planned to place future steps for the stairs.
- Next, you need to cut the steps for the stepladder. Their length is selected depending on the drawing used.
In each step, you will need to make spikes on both sides, they serve to attach them to the main structure.
Assembly of the main part
We proceed to the arrangement of the stepladder stool with our own hands. We insert the crossbars into the prepared holes. We recommend that you treat the spikes with an adhesive before this in order to improve adhesion.
Keep in mind that the spikes of the steps should go in tightly and securely, this will prevent further loosening of the structure.
Next, you need to hammer the spikes into the grooves of the stairs. For this, it is best to use a hammer. After arranging all the crossbars in the marked places, they must be bolted. Watch the master class for making a wooden fixture in this video:
If the stepladder is assembled from boards, then the actions will be slightly different. The arrangement of grooves in this case is excluded, since the thickness of the material will not be enough. In this product, the fastening of steps is carried out using steel corners.
To make the created stepladder reliable and serve you for a long time, we recommend that the bowstrings of the main part be additionally fastened with knitting needles.
To do this, additional holes will need to be drilled under the grooves. After installing the steps, you need to insert the spokes into them and tighten them with bolts.
Final stage
The process of creating a ladder made of wood with your own hands has almost come to an end, it remains only to connect all the working parts together. To do this, you will need to use hinges with hinges or brackets.
Don't forget to install a restraining chain at the bottom of the stairs. It will prevent the discrepancy between the supporting and working structure.
However, the use of overall stairs inside small apartments is not entirely justified. In such cases, it would be better to assemble a ladder chair.
The technology of its assembly is different from the usual stepladder. Due to its small size, it makes no sense to make a folding structure.
The process of creating a small-sized staircase is as follows:
As a result, you will get a small stepladder suitable for use in small apartments.
A stepladder made with your own hands will become an indispensable assistant in everyday life
Step-ladders are folding ladders that are indispensable for performing various jobs in a city apartment, in a private house and in the country. These ladder structures are comfortable, stable, compact and practical. A do-it-yourself stepladder can be made from improvised materials. The manufacturing process is simple and everyone can do it. At the same time, a home-made stepladder will not be inferior in functionality and reliability to industrial designs.
How to make a ladder with your own hands? First you need to choose the most suitable model of a folding structure, then choose the material from which the ladder will be made with your own hands.
By type and functionality, these stairs are conventionally divided into three groups:
- Classic.
- Universal. Universal designs are distinguished by the fact that they can also be used as a conventional (additional) ladder structure. Such ladders are divided into folding and telescopic.
- Telescopic models are assembled from several retractable sections, which are securely fixed with hooks or automatic locks (latches). These stairs can be very high.
Telescopic ladder overview
- Stepladder-transformer - a modern, universal, multifunctional stepladder. The transformer consists of sections that are connected with hinges. Hinges allow you to easily and quickly change the position of the sections and securely fix the selected position. The transformer can easily take the form of: a classic model, a ladder with a console, a convenient building platform, a conventional (attachment) ladder.
Multifunctional stepladder-transformer
Structure height
How to correctly determine the height of your folding ladder? To do this, you need to know the maximum height to which you need to get from the top step of the structure. From this height, they take away their height and 30-35 cm, which will allow you to perform all the necessary actions without touching the ceiling with your head.
A stepladder for a standard apartment has a height of 70 to 150 cm. The number of steps depends on the height and can be from 3 to 5 steps. For production needs and construction work in a private house, a model with a platform is convenient. A more complex design (transforming ladder) allows you to significantly increase the height of the stairs.
Materials for manufacturing
As a rule, folding structures are made of wood or metal (aluminum alloy or steel). The choice of material depends on the purpose of such a ladder, its dimensions and the load that it must withstand.
Very popular ladders made of light and durable aluminum alloys. If you plan to make a transformer, then you should pay attention to aluminum materials. Structures can be assembled from one type of material, or you can combine several different ones.For example, a garden folding ladder or a reliable stepladder for construction and repair work can be made from steel pipes (racks) and wood (steps).
The best option for making a ladder is an aluminum profile or pipes. Of course, you can make a ladder for the house and from wood. This is the simplest and most affordable option. But it is worth considering that for such work you need to use high-quality, well-dried wood.
Wood structures
The first thing to do is to develop drawings of the future wood structure. It is necessary to clearly understand what kind of step-ladder will have, to determine its configuration, the main parameters. While working on the drawings, they also determine the choice of fasteners and materials that will be needed to make the stairs. A full-fledged transformer made of wood, as a rule, is not made.
For the bowstring of a wooden step-ladder, bars (about 5x5 cm) are used, for steps - a board (3-4 cm thick). It is necessary to mark and cut the bowstring beams of the required length. They should match the height of your stairs.
After you have cut the desired length of the beam, you can start making steps
To ensure the stability of the structure, the lower ends of the wooden beams are cut at an angle of approximately 30 degrees.
The next stage is the manufacture of crossbars (steps). The number of steps is calculated taking into account the total height of the ladder and the optimal distance between the rungs. The standard step for ascent / descent is 35 cm, approximately this distance should be between the steps.
It is worth considering that almost all models of stepladders have a feature: they taper from the bottom to the top. The length of the first (lower) step should be approximately 65 cm, the upper one - no more than 35 cm. The dimensions of the steps will have to be adjusted during the manufacture of the ladder. After preparing the steps of the required size, it is advisable to number them on the reverse side.
The ladder will be more stable if the bottom is wider than the top.
If an additional platform is provided in the design of the stairs, then it is made of the same material as the steps. The second half of the stepladder (support) is also assembled, only instead of steps, to increase strength, use crossbars nailed across or diagonally (different options are possible here).
One of the options for attaching the second half of the ladder
Bolts are used to securely connect all parts of a wooden structure, and hinges are used to ensure the mobility of its parts, and spacers or limiters are used to fix the position.
In most cases, the two halves of the ladder are connected by hinges.
The limiter is needed so that the legs of the stepladder do not part
Installation begins with the connection of the bowstring and crossbars. To do this, self-tapping screws are screwed into the ends, in the places where the steps are attached. All joints must be treated with wood glue. The steps should be parallel to the floor plane when the ladder is unfolded. If the stairs have a platform, then an additional support is mounted.
The movable halves of the ladder are connected by hinges. A stroke limiter must be provided. Fix it on two ends. The limiter provides stability and reliability of a design from a tree.
Making a wooden ladder with your own hands
If the steps are attached to the glue, then to increase the strength of the structure, the bowstrings are pulled together with metal rods. They are placed under the steps: below (under the first step), in the middle, above (under the upper step).
Metal rods are needed in order for the stepladder to be more durable
To protect against decay, the wooden elements of the ladder must be coated with an antiseptic composition that creates a water-repellent film. You can also varnish the product without affecting the metal parts of the structure.
Metal constructions
A metal ladder can be made from pipes or profiles. When working with metal, great care must be taken and all sharp edges must be carefully processed after cutting.
To protect hands and feet from injury during the operation of a folding metal structure, special plastic or rubber plugs can be used.
Metal products can be collapsible (detachable connections are used for installation) or monolithic (welded). A welded joint is usually used for steel structures made of pipes and angles.
Ladder made of steel pipe with a welded joint
To make a stepladder out of metal, you will also need a drawing. Working through the design of a metal staircase, it is worth making one part of it longer, which will allow you to form comfortable handles on top and facilitate the fastening of hinges without compromising the strength of the structure.
A rectangular metal profile is the best option for mounting a folding ladder. But the product made of steel pipes and corners turns out to be quite heavy, which is not very practical, especially for home use.
To make a ladder, you will need a metal profile (section approximately 20x40 mm). The length of the profile must correspond to the calculated height of the stairs.
After cutting all the necessary parts, do not forget to carefully process their edges. The necessary holes are drilled in the metal for bolted connections. Hinges are installed in the same way as in wood products. As a limiter, you can use a pipe segment fixed with movable metal bolts.
Drill holes in order to connect the two halves of the ladder with hinges
On the steps of a metal structure, it is desirable to provide special anti-slip pads. Now you know how to make a ladder that best suits your needs.
Making a metal stepladder with your own hands (Option 1)
Making a metal stepladder with your own hands (Option 2)
The main requirements for the design of a step-ladder are reliability and safety. Cheap household equipment is rarely of high quality, and the acquisition of a solid model significantly affects the budget. It is more profitable to pick up the necessary parts and make a stepladder with your own hands.
For the construction of a staircase designed for long-term operation, you will need pieces of a metal profile with a cross section of approximately 20x40 mm:
- 195 cm long - 4 pieces;
- 45 cm long - 12 pcs. (crossbars can be made from blanks of a smaller section).
You will also need:
- Two small iron plates 3–5 mm thick;
- Half meter steel stud with a diameter of 12-16 mm with nuts;
- Two metal trim for top connectors (20-30 cm).
A rectangular profile would be the best option. The use of pipes, as well as corners, is possible, but will result in a heavier structure or a decrease in rigidity.
Required tools:
- Bulgarian;
- Drill, drill for metal;
- , electrodes "troika";
- A hammer;
- Files - round and flat;
- Barboska brush manual or in the form of a nozzle for a power tool;
- Sandpaper;
- Roulette, square;
- Keys.
The finished stepladder will need to be cleaned with a rust converter and coated with enamel.
Steel blanks are sawn to length, cleaned of coarse rust with a brush. Two bowstrings of the future ladder are placed on a flat surface. The location of the steps is marked, which are then welded at a right angle.
The upper part is made, designed to connect the halves of the stairs. Pieces of a steel profile are fixed to the edges of the bowstrings by welding at an angle of 120 °. These elements should be positioned as accurately as possible - otherwise the stepladder will turn out to be askew.
Holes for the bar are drilled, burrs are removed with a round file. Ears are prepared from iron plates, tried on in place.
The second movable half of the stairs is assembled in the same way, with the exception of the top - instead of profile parts, ears are fixed by welding.
Both parts are connected with a stud, the nuts are tightened. The latter are minted with a chisel or fixed with locknuts. Start finishing:
- Scale from welds is knocked down with a hammer and removed with a barbo;
- Rusty deposits are removed from the surfaces with an emery cloth;
- The grinder grinds the joints;
- Rust converter treatment in progress;
- After drying, the product is primed and painted.
The result of the work done in a few hours is a reliable ladder-ladder. Another solution to the problem may be a variant of a wooden structure: less durable, but more accessible for independent repetition.
Devices that are often required in everyday life and the household can be made on your own using step-by-step instructions, thereby saving your own budget. If such a useful thing as a do-it-yourself stepladder is made of wood, then its technical and safety characteristics will in many ways surpass factory production, which offers lightweight aluminum structures for use.
A handmade wooden stepladder will last no less than purchased products.
DIY wooden stepladder
You will need:
- wooden bars with a section of 5x3 and a total length of 14 m;
- metal steps: these can be both knitting needles and plates, total length - 10 m;
- knitting needles for more security;
- fasteners - nuts, bolts, self-tapping screws;
- plates for fastening the legs together;
- metal chain - 1 m 20 cm;
- epoxy glue.
Tools:
- grinder or scissors for metal;
- hacksaw;
- wrench;
- drill;
- tape measure and marker.
Stages of work and their features
Before you start making a stepladder, you should sketch out a rough sketch for its manufacture. On it you need to immediately put down all the dimensions. Only a highly qualified master can afford to work without a sketch. Do not think that a do-it-yourself stepladder is an object that requires a superficial attitude. Firstly, the safety of the person working at height depends on it, and secondly, it is very convenient when you do not need to constantly measure workpieces, just look at the sketch.
Next, the wood is cut. You will need 4 blanks 175 cm long each. Basically, the length is determined by the height of the work being done: if a ladder is needed in the garden, then one should proceed from the size of the trees, but it is also impossible to climb it too high, other means will be needed. To work on the roof, a type of ladder is used, such as a ridge ladder. It is distinguished by the fact that the second half of the folding bed is thrown over the roof, and for stability, bars are nailed to the tops.
Then the stair blanks are cut with a grinder. It is better to use a metal profile for this than round elements, again for the safety of the worker. A foot on a flat profile will be much more stable than on a narrow cylinder. The blanks must be in the same quantity for both sides of the stepladder - the factory ones are made only on one side, but this model will have two working ladders. This is convenient if the job requires two people or hard-to-reach places need to be approached immediately.
The length of such elements depends on the distance between the long side bars. The upper ends should be 40 cm apart, and the lower ends 60 cm. You should get two blanks 57, 52, 47, 42, and 37 cm long. That is, the distance between the steps is approximately 27 cm.
Then, in long elements, holes are drilled along the diameter of the steps, if the elements are round, and metal corners are fixed for flat ones. The drilling depth should not be less than 2 cm. In the same way, holes for the knitting needles are made a little lower. Then the structure is assembled without the use of bolts in order to see all the flaws and immediately fix it. All elements are processed, because. the material may be damaged by mold or fungus.
Collect stairs. To do this, epoxy glue is poured into the recesses, round steps are driven in with a wooden hammer. Then, with the help of fasteners, spokes are mounted, which are tightened with nuts on both sides. Profile steps are fastened with a wrench. After assembly, the glue needs time, so the blanks are postponed for a day. If the installation went without it, then it's time to do the plates.
One part of the elements is attached to the tree, and then the metal ears of the structure are fastened together so that it can fold or open freely. Plates from the mechanism of an old sofa are perfect for such a thing.
Next, you need to take care of your own safety - the metal chain is cut with scissors into two parts and screwed with the ends to opposite elements. It will not allow the stepladder to decompose completely if the legs begin to slide on the surface. Naturally, this is done at the bottom of the stairs. At what distance - the owner himself will decide, but usually this is the length of the entire chain, that is, when unfolding the legs, they form a regular square with a side of 60 cm between them. Installation completed.
In order for the stepladder to please the owner for a long time, it can be given an external gloss by carefully sanding it with fine sandpaper and varnishing it.
For storage, you can saturate it with used engine oil so that the staircase intended for gardening will stand untouched by mold or fungus all winter.
Additional amenities
In order to make work with the use of a ladder convenient, you can make additional structural details of a wooden staircase. For example, several hooks nailed to the ends of long elements will allow you not to hold a bucket in your hands, but hang it nearby, thereby freeing yourself from heaviness and increasing the speed of work.
Errors in the manufacture of ladders
- To prevent skew when inserting ladders into holes, drill them parallel to the other side. That is, work should be carried out immediately on both elements. For this you need to use long drills.
- When installing nuts, do not forget about the washers, they will help facilitate installation and make tightening stronger. If the holes are large, then the bolt head will not be pulled inward, but will remain on the surface, and the tightening strength can be varied.
- It is also impossible to neglect the installation of the spokes: tightened with nuts on both sides, they will not allow the steps to fall out of their own grooves. If it was not possible to get factory studs, you can cut threads on any steel elements.
- You can use a nylon cord instead of a metal chain. But iron is stronger, and the cord will break under increased load.
- It is necessary to put rubber knobs on the legs, even if the stepladder is securely chained. You can use corks from something or wrap non-standard ends with several layers of duct tape on a woven basis. Then you can be sure that the stepladder with the iron chain will not slip at the most crucial moment.
Thus, by applying all the right steps, a wooden stepladder of your own making can be used for any work related to height: activities in the garden, repairs in the apartment, even for screwing in a light bulb, the stairs will be most welcome. The models provided by the manufacturer cause some criticism due to the lightness of the aluminum profiles from which it is made, and the wooden one will be much more reliable and stable.
Many household chores may require a stepladder. This includes repairs, and harvesting, and replacing light bulbs, and so on. For processing the garden and doing housework, both the factory model and the do-it-yourself stepladder are suitable. After studying the instructions, you can perform the design that is optimal in terms of characteristics.
Made from wood
Material selection
Miniature attachment design
To build a homemade staircase, wood is often used. However, along with ease of processing, this material also has certain disadvantages. This includes the hygroscopicity of wood, due to which the product will need additional protection.
A suitable material to make a simple staircase can be called a metal profile. A garden structure made of metal is lighter than a similar model made of wood. Due to the section of the profile, the elements will not be subject to deformation. Suitable blanks can be purchased at hardware stores.
Homemade stairs can be made of aluminum or steel.
The pros and cons of these materials are presented in the table below.
Weight Strength Susceptibility to corrosion Need for a protective coating
Aluminum Light weight, easy to transport Inferior to steel counterparts, but has sufficient strength for domestic use Does not corrode Does not require priming and painting
Steel Significantly higher weight High strength Corrosive Due to corrosion susceptibility occasional painting required
Choice of ladder model
To choose the optimal configuration of a homemade ladder, it is worth deciding on its purpose and operating conditions. As for models, for DIY making it is preferable to stay on an A-shaped stepladder. Here you can use both steel and aluminum profiles. A ladder of this design will be easier to assemble.
It is convenient to store a small folding ladder. But for its manufacture at home, some experience in this field is required. Therefore, below will be considered how to make an A-shaped metal staircase.
When assembling, it is worth considering that a welded joint is superior to a bolted joint in terms of reliability and maintainability. If the details of the stepladder will be fixed with bolts, an accurate calculation of the loads is necessary. Otherwise, deformation of the fastening element is possible, which leads to inconvenience during folding of the structure. In the worst case, it is possible that the metal will not withstand the loads exerted on the stairs.
Preparation of materials and tools
To get an A-shaped stepladder with your own hands from a steel profile, you will need to prepare the following tools:
- welding machine;
- grinder, discs for metal;
- drill;
- square;
- marker;
- a hammer;
- roulette.
When cutting metal, you should use safety glasses, and when welding, put on a special mask.
From the materials you will need:
- profile in sufficient quantity;
- belts that will prevent accidental unfolding of the ladder.
- fasteners (hardware).
Before starting work, it is worth sketching the future design, and then preparing the drawings. You should immediately determine the height of the structure and cut off 4 identical profile segments of the appropriate size. The steel profile must be cleaned using a drill with a brush attachment.
For the manufacture of ladders, it is preferable to use a profile with a rectangular section.
Future structural supports are fixed in pairs with two long bolts. Thanks to this connection, they will be freely brought into working condition. When deciding how to make a stepladder with your own hands, you should devote enough time to calculations and prepare detailed drawings. This will ensure the reliability of the design and the compliance of all elements.
How to assemble a garden ladder
When the supports for the steps are ready, they are laid parallel to each other and markings are made for future rungs. It is worth using a square at this stage to maintain an angle of 90 degrees. Steps are cut out from the same profile or corner.
When the crossbars are ready, first, the lower and upper parts are fixed by spot welding, and then all other elements. If all components are correctly connected and there is no need for correction, welding seams can be performed. If the support section is planned without steps, two horizontal rungs are welded, and an additional one diagonally. This is necessary for fastening the supports relative to each other.
It remains to fix the limiting cable in the middle of the march and weld a fragment of a profile or corner to the ends of the supports in the lower part. At the end, the garden structure is primed, after which a layer of paint is applied.
The electrician made his own reliable assistant - see the video
As well as, the steel structure is quite easy to assemble. Leave a comment and share your own developments on how to make a simple stepladder with your own hands.
A folding ladder is a suitable option for a small apartment. It will be needed in a country house or in the country for domestic needs and garden care. A simple wooden model can be made by hand. Such a ladder will have more weight than analogues made of steel or aluminum, but this material can be processed lighter than metal. The article discusses how a wooden ladder is made and how to extend its service life.
Choice of wood and preparation of parts
It is worth noting that with a large number of crossbars, a wooden ladder will turn out to be too heavy. In order to reduce weight, sometimes combined models are produced with aluminum support posts and pine steps. Since it is the racks that take on the main load, this combination is quite advisable and does not compromise reliability.
To make a reliable stepladder with your own hands, you will need to take a dried wooden beam. It is desirable that it does not have knots or chips. The quality of the material will determine how reliable the wooden ladder will be. The length of the beam will require a total of 13 meters. The recommended section is 40×70 mm.
From the tools you need to prepare:
- saw;
- a hammer;
- drill with a set of drills;
- screwdriver
- chisel;
- sandpaper (if available - a grinding machine);
- pencil;
- roulette.
Of the materials, you will also need a nylon cord to prevent the ladder from completely unfolding. You will also need fasteners - wood screws, long bolts or plates for typesetting cabinets to connect to the support, as well as metal knitting needles. It is not mandatory, but it is preferable to install rubber feet on the legs of the structure so that the ladder does not slip.
Design features of ladders
For making your own hands, it will be useful to learn about some of the intricacies of the work.
Step fixing
The most reliable way is to install the steps in the through grooves made in the support posts. If the ladder is low, you can do it like this: grooves are cut from the edge of the rack into which the crossbars are inserted. Subsequently, they are fixed with self-tapping screws or nails. On the one hand, such an attachment facilitates the load on the steps, and on the other hand, it weakens the rack itself.
The simplest and least time-consuming method is the following: the crossbars are attached to the side of the rack with nails or self-tapping screws. However, in this case, the steps are subjected to heavy loads. Cracks may appear at the joints
Manufacture and installation of the support
A wooden ladder (like any other) can be installed without additional support precisely due to this functional element. There are three options for how to make a backup with your own hands:
- in the form of another march;
- with fewer steps
- without steps with the installation of a diagonal crossbar and several transverse ones.
The prop can be attached to the march with a swivel joint. Then in width it is made wider or narrower than the main section by two beam widths. As fasteners, bolts of a length sufficient to pass through two support posts are used. Another option is to use metal plates. Composite parts are applied to the upper part of the racks, markings are made and holes are drilled. You will also need a bolt and nut for fastening.
Simple staircase: preparation of elements and assembly
A good option for the house would be a folding wooden ladder with rungs on both sides. For convenience, when cutting out elements, you can immediately make all the markings on the timber. For supports, you will need 4 bars 150 cm long, and for steps (2 pieces each) bars 57, 52, 47, 42 and 37 cm long.
Before starting the assembly with your own hands, grooves are made on the support posts in the places where the crossbars will be mounted. Drill holes for metal spokes. The ends of the crossbars are slightly narrowed to fit into the grooves in the uprights. At the ends, a bevel of 3 mm should be made, since the supports of the structure are located at an angle.
The assembly begins by inserting the steps treated with carpentry glue into the prepared grooves and hammering them tightly with a hammer. Next, the knitting needles are pulled through the drilled holes and fixed at the edges with nuts. The next step is to install the connecting plates. They are applied to the supports, mark the places of the holes for fasteners. Then they are drilled and the plates are attached to the top of the racks.
A ladder or stepladder made of wood is a harmonious addition to an interior in country style or eco-design.
At the end, at the same height, it remains to make 60 cm restrictive belts or chains that will prevent accidental unfolding of the structure. You can improve if you wish. Bucket hooks can be attached to the racks or a shelf for tools can be made.
How to extend the service life of a ladder
In order for the wooden ladder to serve for a long time, it is recommended to treat the parts with a stain before assembly. The finished product can be impregnated with drying oil and coated with a layer of paint. It is better to repeat the treatment with protective agents periodically. With regard to optimal storage conditions, medium humidity is preferred.
Using the above algorithm, you can make a similar design for your home library. The advantage of wood is that it is easy to process and maintain. It will be interesting to learn about your experience in making stepladders with your own hands.
Stepladder - a portable folding ladder - a useful device, often used in everyday life and at work. Various materials can be used in the manufacture. This affects the design characteristics, such as strength and lightness, as well as the complexity of the manufacturing process itself.
A metal stepladder is distinguished by increased strength, but it is not easy to make it yourself. To do this, you need a special tool and skills in working with metal. A more suitable option that you can do yourself is a wooden stepladder. If there are no special requirements for the design (for weight, appearance), then even a non-professional can create it with his own hands. Everything you need to make: your desire.
A simple ladder made of timber
To make a simple garden one, you will need 13–14 meters of timber with a section of 60 × 40 mm. For support posts, you need bars of 2 m (4 pcs.).
For steps and rungs, the following bars should be prepared:
- 590 mm (2 pcs.);
- 545 mm;
- 500 mm;
- 455 mm;
- 410 mm (3 pcs.).
The same markings are applied to the two support posts to which the steps will be attached. The distance between the steps is 400 mm, the first (lower) step is at least 100 mm from the edge. According to the marking, 5 grooves with a depth of 15 mm are selected.
To assemble the main part, the support posts are laid with the grooves up and leveled. The distance between the upper ends is 400 mm, between the lower ends is 600 mm. Steps are put into grooves and fastened with screws or nails. An additional crossbar is mounted at the top on the reverse side.
The support has no steps, therefore its supports are connected by crossbars only at the bottom and at the top. The design is complemented by a jib. It is important not to make a mistake with the distance between the upper ends - it is 300 mm.
Having collected both parts, it remains to connect them together. The support is installed so that its "horns" are between the upper step and the additional crossbar of the main part. This design does not require fasteners at the top, and the lower ends can be moved to a suitable distance, choosing the most stable position.
In wooden ladders, when the steps are fixed in the grooves simply with glue, knitting needles can be used to increase the reliability and strength of the structure. A metal spoke is inserted under the step (holes are pre-drilled) and fixed with bolts and nuts.
To prevent the supports from moving around, nylon cords or metal chains are used. They are fixed at the same height on both sides, connecting the support to the main part.
Important!Mandatory in many cases are rubber nozzles on the legs. They prevent slipping.
By creating a stepladder made of wood with your own hands, you can immediately supplement the design with useful elements. The upper part, for example, can be equipped with hooks on which it is convenient to hang a bucket of tools. Another option is a piece 10-15 cm high from a pipe with a diameter of about half a meter. Attached to a stepladder, it is perfect for placing large tools in it.
Step-by-step production of a wooden stepladder ladder:
step chair
Stepladders, like any other folding structures, have one indisputable advantage - they are convenient to store.
But still, some space is required to store traditional stepladders. But modifications that fold into a stool or chair can be so compact that they do not take up space at all. But they are also small in height. Making a step-ladder chair with your own hands from wood is not particularly difficult. You will need boards 45 mm thick and bars 35 × 45 mm. From fasteners - self-tapping screws or nails, as well as wooden pins.
The compact design will require careful attention to the manufacture of parts and assembly. The drawings contain dimensions that must be observed. Otherwise, folding and unfolding the step stool may become difficult or even impossible.
Structural details should not interfere with each other when moving. The two lower steps, resembling a small chair, rotate on pins. When folded, they fit inside the stool. It is possible to provide additional fasteners - a lock that fixes the structure in the unfolded state.
Making a wooden stepladder chair:
Multifunctional option
It happens that a stepladder, being an unconditionally useful device, is idle for most of its “life”. But with your own hands you can build a ladder, the scope of which will be much wider than usual. A table, easel, pergola and bed are what can be done with the construction described below.
So, for the manufacture of supports, one and a half meter boards are taken, 60 mm thick, 180 mm wide. Steps are also made from boards. In the supports, you need to select the grooves for fastening the steps. The support is equipped with a crossbar, for the possibility of its rearrangement, additional holes are drilled. A feature of this design is the swivel joint. The edges of the support boards are sawn off at the right angles, and the stop boards are screwed to the upper ends. The lower edges of these boards are connected by a piano loop. With this design, the stepladder does not need additional devices that protect its supports from driving around. A piano hinge with stop boards is guaranteed to keep the unfolded ladder in its working position. The staircase drawing also contains schematic drawings of the structures obtained on its basis.
How else can ladders serve?
A wooden stepladder is an almost finished easel, a stand for drawing. It can be used by both adults and children. The difference will be only in the height at which the paper is attached, and the place where the shelf for paints, jars of water, etc. is installed. For fastening paper, it is desirable to equip the structure with a plywood shield.
You can also make a table from one stepladder. All you need is a countertop - a shield made of chipboard or plywood. Part of the upper steps is removed, the crossbar on the support is installed flush with the highest step of the remaining ones. The shield is placed on the step and the crossbar.
If you have two identical ladders with your own hands, you can make another bed and a gazebo. In the first case, you will need a long shield - to create a couch on the top of the stepladders. The lower parts can be used as tables (see above) or as the lower tier of the bed (another long shield will be needed). Similarly to the bed, a gazebo can be made.
Material handling
Wood products almost always have to undergo additional processing.
Advice! Details of tools and fixtures are necessarily subjected to grinding and treated with special compounds. This also applies to wooden ladders.
First, with the help of sandpaper, you need to grind all the details with which the human hands will come into contact. Surfaces should be smooth enough so that when using a stepladder, there is no chance of planting a splinter. You should also clean surfaces affected by mold.
To make a wooden ladder more resistant to environmental influences, it is impregnated with a special solution - stain. This tool serves, first of all, as an antiseptic, that is, it prevents the wood from rotting and the appearance of the same mold. An important point is that it is necessary to process the structural details with a stain before it is assembled. This will extend its service life.
When the ladder is already assembled, it is desirable to impregnate it with drying oil and apply layers of paint or varnish. All these procedures are quite simple, they are easy to do with your own hands.
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 the work.
Materials and tools
If you will make a stepladder out of wood 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. Self-tapping screws designed for wood should be used as fasteners. 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 fixation, semicircular brackets will be needed, they must be prepared in the amount of four pieces.
Working on design 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 also not have extraneous dark brown or gray inclusions.
The design will have 2 main parts, among which supports and stairs can be distinguished. They should be connected using hinges made by means of washers and bolts. Racks with crossbars must be reinforced with self-tapping screws, as for 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 PVA. In the absence of such, PVA can be used.
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 the 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.
Carrying out assembly
When a stepladder is made of wood with your own hands, all the details 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 has dried, you need to connect the ladder to the 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 secure them.
Alternative version of the ladder
Before you make a ladder 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. cm.
Features of the work
If a stepladder is made of wood with your own hands, 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 5 cm 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.
Base part manufacturing
If a garden stepladder is made of wood with your own hands, 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. As a result, you will be able to get the back of the ladder.
Making stairs
When a ladder is made of wood with your own hands, the drawings should help the master. You can create them yourself. 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.
Stepladders are convenient folding ladders that can be moved around the house. These products come in different sizes and are suitable for various types of work. They are made from wood, metal and other materials. Metal ladders are the most durable, but making them with your own hands is quite problematic. Therefore, most often wooden boards are taken to create stairs. This product is lightweight and very easy to make. Even a non-professional can handle the job.
How to make a ladder
For the manufacture of a standard ladder, you will need 14 meters of timber 60 × 40 mm in size and bars 4 m long for sawing racks. They need to cook 4 pieces. Wood is better to take with a margin. For the manufacture of steps and crossbars, you will need two bars 59 cm wide, three bars 41 cm each and one bar each 54.5, 45 and 50 cm. Then you need to mark the support posts. The steps will be located at a distance of 40 cm, the lowest should be about 10 cm from the edge of the ladder. The grooves are knocked out with a depth of 15 cm.
The base of the stairs is assembled from the main racks and rungs. The distance between the upper steps should be 40 cm, and the bottom - 60 cm. The steps are connected to the corresponding grooves using screws or nails. At the top of the stairs on the reverse side, an additional crossbar must be nailed. The scheme for creating a ladder with your own hands from wood is in the photo below.
Creating a retaining part
The supporting part is made without steps and is connected by rungs in the upper and lower parts. Another additional element is an oblique beam used to strengthen the structure. The distance between the upper and lower beams should be 30 cm. After assembling both parts of the ladder, they must be connected to each other. The supporting element is installed so that its upper part is between the additional crossbar and the upper step of the base.
This arrangement allows you not to make unnecessary fastening from above and push the legs to the required distance, choosing a stable position for the stairs. It is advisable to equip a hand-made ladder made of wood with additional fasteners and hooks to facilitate the placement of working equipment. A piece of pipe screwed to the crossbar will serve as a convenient location for large tools.
How to make a design safe
If a do-it-yourself ladder made of wood was attached only to carpentry glue or wooden plugs, two knitting needles are made in the back, fixed crosswise under the steps on bolts or nuts. This allows you to strengthen the structure. Another way to add security is to place wooden blocks between the rungs, equal in length to the gap. To increase reliability, chains or cords are attached to the sides of the structure so that the ladder does not move apart.
Leg attachments
To make a step-ladder out of wood with your own hands, it is not enough to use only wooden blocks and screws. An obligatory element in the design are special anti-slip nozzles on the legs. They will also protect the floor from damage by the sharp edges of the legs. Nozzles are made of rubber or ribbed plastic. They can be made with your own hands using cork plugs or felt circles cut from old felt boots and attached with self-tapping screws. Some masters use a conveyor belt, wrap the legs with a stretch film.
A do-it-yourself wooden stepladder will become safer if, to create anti-slip nozzles, cut pieces of a picket fence with a width slightly larger than the diameter of the leg. They are mounted on iron corners or screws. This option allows you not to make the structure heavier and use the finished product not only indoors, but also in the garden. To prevent the ladder from falling through when installed on the ground, its legs can be fastened to the board by cutting holes in it and used as one long “shoe”.
Do-it-yourself ladder-ladder made of wood as a shelf for small things
In modern Japanese homes, there are often small niches in the wall, decorated with drawers and corners, where the collections and favorite items of the owners of the house are located. A self-made ladder made of wood can become a shelf for storing various little things. with steps from both sides. You can make two identical stairs. The scheme of how to make a ladder out of wood with your own hands was given above. Then the elements must be connected to each other using fasteners.
The use of such an element of furniture allows you to beautifully organize the space and save space in the apartment. On the stairs you can place items collected during travels, collections of porcelain figurines, books and other small interior items. To create a product you will need:
- stepladder;
- drill driver;
- drill ;
- saw;
- L-brackets;
- pine boards;
- screws.
Ladder shelving assembly
From pine boards, blanks of 120, 100, 80 and 60 cm are cut for shelves. Then the ladder must be installed in the right place where it is planned to place a shelf for small things. All shelves are placed on transverse slats to adjust the width of the leg divergence and the size of the boards.
After that, the crossbars are fixed with brackets using a drill from four sides, moving from bottom to top. Now the unusual interior detail is ready. It remains only to fill the rack with various small figurines and decorative elements.
DIY step-ladder chair made of wood
The indisputable advantages of the ladder are compactness and easy storage. If you fold such a ladder, you can put it in the pantry or hang it on the wall. Therefore, in small rooms (in a small kitchen) it is more convenient to use folding furniture: chairs, tables and coasters, which after use can simply be hidden behind the door.
If there is very little space in the apartment and there is nowhere to store even a small ladder, you can make a step-ladder chair with your own hands, which does not require a lot of storage space. But the height of such a product is small, so it is best to use it indoors. It is not difficult to create a compact wooden ladder with your own hands. It can be used not only to get a hard-to-reach thing, but also as a replacement for stools and chairs.
For work, you will need boards 4.5 cm thick and several bars 3.5 x 4.5 cm. Wooden pins, screws or nails are used to fasten the wood.
Construction assembly
Due to the small size of the structure, its manufacture and assembly require a careful and attentive attitude. For work, you will need an accurate drawing with the dimensions by which you need to make parts. If you make a mistake in size, a do-it-yourself wooden ladder will not fold and unfold correctly. Structural elements should not interfere with each other when moving. The lower steps of the chair are mounted on rotating pins and, when assembled, the stairs must be inside the stool. You can add a special blocking element to the drawing, which fixes the ladder in the unfolded state.
How to make a multifunctional step stool
The stepladder in the house is most often used during repairs and occasionally in order to get a hard-to-reach item from the top drawers of cabinets or from the mezzanine. The rest of the time, a folding ladder sits idle, but with a few new details, it can be turned into a useful and practical thing. Such a product will be used not only for homework, but will also serve as a table, bed, easel and for other purposes.
To make a multifunctional stepladder, take boards 1.5 m long and 6 cm thick. Grooves for the steps are cut in the supports, and the support is made from a crossbar, for which additional holes are drilled to allow it to be moved. The structure is assembled on hinges, and additional thrust parts are screwed to the supporting boards, the edges of which are sawn at the desired angle. The lower edges are connected with a piano loop, then protection against driving around the legs is not required. Fastening with a piano loop will fix the ladder in the desired position.
Options for using a step ladder
Folding ladders made of wood can be used for drawing, just place a wide shield on top and fix paper on it. The stepladder will become an element of decor if you paint it and turn it into a shelf or rack. If you connect two stepladders and place a wide board in the center, they will turn into a bed or a wide table.
