Abstract:
A rope swing can be safely attached to two trees using 1/4" wire cable and 3/8" I.D. vinyl tubing. Six stainless steel cable clamps were used to secure wire rope in place. Tubing protects both trees and wire. Rope attaches to a 1.5" I.D. PVC pivot that has been cut to a length two inches longer than the swing's seat. Seat is made from a lightweight, untreated pine board which measures 1.5 x 9.25 x 34.25" with taper-rounded corners. Seat was finished with multiple coats of polyurethane. Fine (filtered) sand was sprinkled on second-to-last coat of poly for traction. Two pairs of stainless U-bolts are recommended for connecting rope to itself, and another pair will be necessary for routing the rope around/under the seat. It is advised to use nylon lock-nuts under the seat.
Install tips:
Trees will flex in the breeze, so don't over-tighten the tension wire. As long as there is still some tension on it, it will remain suspended and it will work just fine. For both your safety and the sake of the trees, it is recommended that you dismantle your swing at the end of the season. Doing so will allow the trees to adapt to the stress with a reduced risk of infection, and for your sake, you will be taking the opportunity to examine both your equipment and the connections annually. Ropes are expensive; no need to leave it out all winter just to soak up moisture and degrade.
Rope:
The rope used here was a 1.5" diameter synthetic. The swing was mounted at around 17' high, with the seat floating 2' from the ground. The seat is 3' wide. To determine total rope length, consider that the three wraps made around the PVC (+ some adjustment slack for attaching U-bolts) will require around 4~5 feet of extra length on each side. In this case, a reasonable rope estimate would have been 2(17 -2) +3 +5 +5 = 43'.
Rope-making:
Again, 1.5” rope is expensive. Consider that people have been twisting ropes together for far longer than they've been able to read, so if you can understand what I'm telling you right now, you should probably be able to figure out how to twist three lengths of (far less expensive) 3/8” rope into a sweet-ass swing bull. Really. I mean it. When I do have to replace mine, I'll spin my own way before I'd pay the unreasonable prices that sellers are charging right now. It's just a twist! I'd tell you how to do it in this description, but seriously, just go watch a video if you don't already understand why ropes stay together.
The design:
As I've mentioned, this video is a snapshot of where I now stand in my swing project, following almost a decade and one-half of thinkering. It's a pretty solid design at this point. Why? Well, it comfortably seats two. It's strong and silent. It doesn't sag. It causes nearly zero damage to the trees it's mounted to. It adjusts for height, levelness, and any seasonal changes in ground, tree, rope, and/or wire. It's weather-resistant. It has a climbable rope. The seat is big, yet lightweight enough to not be terribly dangerous. Even if the seat were to break in half, there's still a rope under your butt. The materials needed to construct it are inexpensive, common, and easy to replace. Mechanical wear on its parts is nearly negligible, but inspecting it for damage is still straightforward and clear. Any occurrence of failure to this design is more likely to be slow than dramatic, so it's something that can be trusted in use for kids. And it has a big rope handle underneath it for launching somebody!
The Swing (unlisted video):
► • The Swing (unlisted)
6 июн 2021