Child's swing on a tree

F

Firefly

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We have a lovely old tree in the back of our garden with a perfect, almost perpendicular branch that would be ideal to hang a childs swing from. Can anyone advise how to attach the swing? Idealy I'd like to protect the tree but also ensure that the swing is free for ease of pushing. I was thinking of a screw-in hook but am worried about damaging the tree.
Thanks, F.
 
On each side of the swing seat there will be two holes (front and back).
Run the rope (from the bottom) up one hole and tie a knot underneath.
Put the rope over the branch.
Wrap it tightly around the branch a few times.
Drop it down to the other hole and tie a knot underneath when level. Cut off excess.

Repeat for other side.

The fact it is wrapped around will stop it chaffing the branch.
 
Thanks Fraggle, but if the rope is just looped a few times around the tree then I would have thought it wouldn't go as high/fast.
 
I have used this method and it swings freely. OK if it is a massive branch it might be restricted a bit. In that case you need to drill a hole through the branch and put a long bolt through that has an eye at one end. Use a large washer on the top. Then use regular swings hooks.

Some people just use eye bolts that screw in from underneath but I wouldn't trust this method.
 
here's what I did. I went to a local car tyre depot. he gave me a bald tyre for free. I took it to the local car wash and power hosed it clean €3.50. I drilled 6 holes in the tyre as drainage holes. I bought some rope in the local DIY shop for less than €10. I got an old plastic football that the kids had been using - it had gone flat. I cut a piece of that into a nice square size bit of plastic and tacked it on to the branch of our back garden tree when the swing was going (to protect the tree). If you google 'tyre swing' there's some ideas on how to tie it on well to the tree. I did a basic loop over the branch around the tyre and tied it off. all our kids use it. one of my daughters is constantly swinging on it. there'd be 2 of 'em on it on occasion. one through the middle, one on top of the tyre. I've even had to raise it a little bit lately as they are all growing taller. Mind you I've very little grass underneath it but I plan to fill in the 'hole' with earth and peg down some plastic grass type stuff to make it a bit cleaner for them if I can locate some.
sell the swing on ebay if you haven't already set it up. you'll have a small profit!! I think the sight of a tyre swing on a tree is a throwback to simpler times. all our kids helped in some way when we put it up. someone held nails, someone held hammer etc

majee
 
Firefly said:
I was thinking of a screw-in hook but am worried about damaging the tree.
Click to expand...

Hold everything. I have a friend that was a twin, who when he was a child, his parents put a swing in the garden as suggested as above. Whilst swinging in the garden, the sister became caught in the rope on the swing and was found dead in the garden by her parents.

So do yourself a favour. Please find an alternative form of amusement for your children. Accidents just simply don't happen, they are caused.
 
is it the screw in hook or the tyre swing you're worried about here?

majee
 
If the question referred to my post, it refers to the rope used to hold the seat part of the swing.
 
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