After much anticipation our Swordseat™ Plans arrived from Rick Rodgers at British Fencing. We had nagged so much that he gave in and said we could test out the plans for a self-build. We were super excited.
Read below Moya’s detailed and insightful documentation of the build handy hints we found along the way.
STAGE ONE
Invite along a fellow fencing coach/ woodworker to work with your woodworking/nonfencing husband
Work out which pattern pieces go where and which pieces need to be cut out times two.
·Adjourn for coffee and cake
Cut out the pattern pieces
STAGE TWO
Move to an enclosed area where you can lay out the 2 sheets of 2440 x 1220 x25mm ply
Draw round the pattern pieces, preserving the pattern pieces as you know you will need more than one Swordseat™ set up
I suggest a garage/shed floor with enough room to work all round and remember to lay down your decorating sheet(old duvet cover) to stop the ply getting dirty.
Doing this indoors is essential in Orkney as the pattern pieces would end up on the neighbouring island if this stage was attempted out of doors.
STAGE THREE
Now is the time to move outdoors and use that wind to your advantage.
Cut out the plywood allowing the wind to take away the dust(only attempt this on a dry day)
Ensure the slots of the base and sides are cut accurately so that the sides touch the ground evenly when fitted into the base. This prevents a slight instability in use.
Useful tools for cutting out were:
Cordless circular saw
Cordless jigsaw
51mm hole cutter is very useful for cutting the large internal corners and saves a lot of refining.
STAGE FOUR
Fit together and trim and sand to ensure the pieces of seat one and seat two are interchangeable and of course able to be change right to left. This makes it easier in use if pieces get in a muddle.
Make sure you do utilise the hole numbering system as this gives you the order of assembly
Useful tip is to drill numbering holes only halfway through then drill through to match from the other side of the piece. This helps avoid blowing out the outer layer of the ply
Preserve. We chose Danish oil as we have plenty of experience using it on hardwood floors
Bind hand rail with Tennis racket handle tape
STAGE FIVE
Assemble and secure with Ratchet straps, as per the instructions, ensuring ratchet mechanism is tucked safely away.
We used 25mm ratchet straps for ease of threading through. We may go heavier once we see what happens when the Swordseat™ is in use)
Put some rubber strips on the bits that come in contact with the floor. Ensure what you use is non-marking
Add cushions, Fencers and Fencing Circuit and give it a go
Final Thoughts:
May need flatter cushion for shorter people
No facility for leg strap supports
Orkney Fencing Club would like to thank British Fencing and Scottish Fencing for the support they have provided in making this happen. Keep your eyes posted for further developments at the club over 2025!
