Jack & June assembly
It is a bracket, not a kit. Buy the lumber, slide it in, and the bracket does the angles.
Jack & June makes the steel A-frame brackets, not the whole swing set. You buy a 4x6 top beam and four 4x4 legs, slide them into the brackets, drill through the bracket as a template, and stand it up, no measuring, no angle-cutting.
A swing set you build from your own lumber
Jack & June is a clever, different approach to a wood swing set. Instead of a pre-cut kit or a dealer-installed structure, you get heavy-duty powder-coated steel brackets, and you supply the lumber, a 4x6 top beam and four 4x4 legs, which slide into the brackets to form the A-frame. Two brackets make one A-frame, and the bolts and washers are included.
The clever part is that the bracket sets the angle and acts as the drill template, so there is no measuring and no cutting angles. You slide the wood in, drill the pilot holes through the bracket’s guide holes, bolt it together, carefully stand it upright, and add the swings, and it genuinely goes together quickly.
So the build itself is easy. The real work moves to two things the brackets do not cover: choosing good, straight lumber and cutting the legs to your chosen height, and anchoring the finished A-frame so it stays put. Get those right and you have a sturdy, fully custom swing set for your exact yard.
The build
Quick once the lumber is sorted. A drill is essential.
| Model | Time | People |
|---|---|---|
| Buying + cutting lumberOne 4x6 beam, four 4x4 legs. Cut legs to height. | 1 to 2 hours | 1 |
| Fitting the bracketsSlide wood in, drill through the template, bolt. | 30 min | 1 to 2 |
| Standing it upLift the A-frame upright, carefully. | 15 min | 2 |
| AnchoringAnchor the legs. Essential on a swing set. | 30 min | 1 |
| Adding swingsHangers, belt swings, trapeze, spaced with clearance. | 20 min | 1 |
Lumber and, on the bracket-only listing, swings are sold separately, the all-in-one kit adds a trapeze, two belt swings and hangers. You supply a drill and a wrench or socket.
What a bracket-built swing set needs
Buy straight, sound lumber, because the wood is on you
The brackets are only as good as the lumber you feed them. Buy a straight, sound 4x6 for the top beam and four straight 4x4s for the legs, in pressure-treated or cedar for outdoor life, and sight down each board at the store to reject any that are warped or cracked. A bowed top beam or a twisted leg gives you a set that sits wrong no matter how good the brackets are, so spending a few minutes picking good lumber is the single best thing you can do for the result.
The one cut you make is the leg length, squared not angled
Because the bracket sets the A-frame angle, you never cut an angle, the only cutting is trimming the four legs to the length you want, which sets your swing-beam height. Decide the height first, cut all four legs to the same length with square ends, and you are done cutting. This is the whole appeal of the system, no carpenter’s square, no mitre angles, just four identical straight cuts, so measure once, cut them to match, and slide them in.
Use the bracket as the drill template
The brackets are designed so their holes guide your drill, which is what removes the measuring. Slide the lumber fully into the bracket, then drill your pilot holes straight through the bracket’s pre-set holes and fit the included bolts and washers. Do not try to pre-measure and mark hole positions yourself, let the bracket place them. A cordless drill and a socket or wrench for the bolts are the only tools you need.
Anchor the A-frame, because it lifts when kids swing
A wood A-frame is light, and like any swing set it pumps and lifts off the ground as a child swings, so anchoring the legs to the ground is essential, not optional. Use ground anchors or stakes suited to your soil, driven at each leg, and check them periodically. This is the safety step that keeps the whole set planted and stable in use, and it is entirely on you since the brackets do not include anchoring.
Get the top beam level and the swings spaced
Before you fully tighten everything, stand the A-frame on your chosen spot and check the top beam is level, adjusting the leg positions or the ground until it is, a level beam means the swings hang and travel evenly. Then space the swing hangers with enough gap between swings and enough clear room fore and aft of each swing’s arc, so children do not collide with each other or with the frame. Level beam, well-spaced swings, and clearance around them make it safe and pleasant to use.
Great for adding to or upgrading an existing set
Worth knowing beyond a fresh build: because the system is just brackets, hardware and accessories, it is ideal for extending or reinforcing a set you already have, adding a swing bay, replacing tired hardware, or building a custom bay to match your yard. Jack & June’s line is built around these do-it-yourself solutions, so if you are improving rather than starting from scratch, the same bracket-and-lumber approach applies.
Before you build
Buy a straight, sound 4x6 top beam and four 4x4 legs in pressure-treated or cedar.
Decide your swing height so you can cut the four legs to matching length.
Have a cordless drill and a socket or wrench ready, the bracket is your template.
Plan how you will anchor the legs into your ground.
And choose a level spot with room around each swing’s arc.
Where an installer helps
By sourcing and cutting good, straight lumber to the right leg length, which is the part that most affects how the finished set sits and where a bad board undoes the whole build.
By fitting the brackets, drilling cleanly through the template, and standing the A-frame up safely.
By anchoring the legs properly, the essential safety step on a light wood A-frame.
The system is genuinely easy, so help is most valuable for the lumber, the anchoring, and a level, well-spaced result, or for anyone who would rather not source and cut the wood themselves.
What an installer does
- Sources straight, sound pressure-treated or cedar lumber to the right sizes.
- Cuts the four legs to matching length for your chosen swing height.
- Fits the brackets, drills through the template, and bolts the A-frame.
- Stands the frame up and anchors the legs firmly to the ground.
- Levels the top beam and spaces the swings with proper clearance.
- Can also extend or upgrade an existing set with the same system.
Get it built by someone who has built one before.
Tell us your ZIP and what you bought. Installers near you will quote you directly, and you deal with them, not with us.
Questions people ask
Does Jack & June come with the wood?
No. Jack & June supplies the steel brackets and the bolts and washers, and you buy the lumber separately, they recommend one 4x6 top beam and four 4x4 legs. On the bracket-only listing the swings are also separate, while the all-in-one kit includes a trapeze, two belt swings and hangers. The lumber is always yours to source.
Do I need to cut angles?
No, and that is the whole point. The bracket sets the A-frame angle, so the only cutting is trimming the four legs to the length you want for your swing height, with square ends. No mitre angles, no carpenter’s square, just four matching straight cuts, then slide the lumber into the brackets.
How do I know where to drill?
The bracket is the template. Slide the lumber fully into the bracket and drill your pilot holes straight through the bracket’s pre-set holes, then fit the included bolts and washers. You do not measure or mark hole positions yourself, the bracket places them, which is what makes it a no-measuring build.
Does it need to be anchored?
Yes. A wood A-frame is light and lifts off the ground as a child swings, so anchor the legs to the ground with stakes or ground anchors suited to your soil. This is essential for safety and stability, and since the brackets do not include anchoring, it is on you to add it.
Can I use it to upgrade a swing set I already have?
Yes, that is one of its strengths. Because it is a bracket-and-hardware system, it is well suited to extending, reinforcing or customising an existing set, adding a swing bay or replacing worn hardware. The same approach, straight lumber into brackets, anchored and levelled, applies whether you are building new or improving what you have.
Installers.org is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Jack & June or Escalade Sports. Jack & June is a trademark of its owner, referred to here only to describe the assembly services that independent installers on this directory provide.