A swing for the younguns!

[Monty]

This is a project I've been wanting to do for a while, so naturally I wait until we're in the middle of the biggest heat wave in recent memory to get it done! :eusa_doh: :lol:

Our kids' old metal Toys-R-Us swingset has been looking pretty pitiful lately. It's rusty, squeaky, wobbly, and just plain ugly carcass has been donated to the land fill. In its place I built this:

This was not built from a kit, but it was inspired by some kit swings I have seen around the 'net. I used much more beefy joinery to keep things in line and stable. It's also about 2 feet higher than any kit swing - giving a nice 8' swing radius. The hardware is all heavy-duty, so it has plenty of capacity even if daddy wants to sneak a swing in every once in a while!

There are still a few things left to do. I need to ease a few more corners which are kind of sharp, and I need to add some mulch or something under the swing in case somebody takes a spill.

If you're interested, there are more pics showing some construction details here. If anybody is considering a project like this, I'd be happy to share more details as well as some "lessons learned". ;-)

 

[woodguy1975]

Awsome dude!!!!!!!! Now stop your swinging and get to rockin.
!!!!!!!!!


:rolf::rolf::rolf:

 

[D L Ames]

Great looking swing set Monty.:icon_thum I know the kids will love it. BTW, shredded rubber makes for a great landing area. I think you can even get it dyed in a limited number of colors.

D L

 

[DaveO]

Awesome swing set Monty. I can't let the wife see it, that has been on Honey-do list for a while.
IMHO, the rubber mulch while effective is terribly expensive, and seeing as it never breaks down you will have to haul it away some time when the play set is decommissioned. For my clients I use a mulch material known as Certified Play Mat. It's a graded wood chip product, that doesn't stick to clothes like regular hardwood mulch, breaks down organically but much slower than mulch due to it's higher C:N ratio, but provides excellent cushioning and is a commercially specified material (read lawsuit city public playgrounds) You will want about 5-6" thick layer of whatever you decide to use for effectiveness.
Dave

 

[Monty]

Where does one get this certified play mat? Is it a "mat" or something that comes in bags like mulch? I was thinking of squaring off an area with timbers and dumping in some sort of stuff.

 

[DaveO]

I would start with the local landscape material suppliers in your area. It is a loose material like mulch, I doubt you will find it bagged, but seeing as you will need at least 2-3 cubic yards and have a truck I would buy it in bulk or have it delivered and dumped on the drive. Do you have a Mulch Masters, that is one of my sources here in the /_\ (that's my attempt at a triangle)
Dave

 

[cskipper]

Monty - that is one sharp set. I'm sure the kids (even the big ones) will enjoy it for a long time to come!

 

[chris99z71]

Looks great Monty! I'm sure your kids are the envy of the neighborhood.

 

[Ray Martin]

Monty,

That's one fantastic swing set. I suspect that you'll find you now have more kids than you though you had... soon as the neighborhood kids discover this thing in your yard.

Ray

 

[skeeter]

Nice job on the playset. I'm sure the kids will really enjoy it (and the parents occasionally).

 

[Monty]

DaveO - I found the web site for Mulch Masters - looks like they're just in your area. I see the product you're talking about here. I'm sure I can find something locally.

 

[DaveO]

DaveO - I found the web site for Mulch Masters - looks like they're just in your area. I see the product you're talking about here. I'm sure I can find something locally.

Yep,that's exactly what I was talking about. You would be OK to use the walkway chips also. I am sure that you can find a similar product at your local mulch-monger.

Dave

 

[sapwood]

Nice Monty! With well thought-out, sturdy construction as usual. The kids are gonna love it :icon_thum

Hmmm, I can almost see water at the bottom of the slide . . . safer than mulch :lol:

Roger

 

[Monty]

Now there's a great idea! I don't know about safer, but definitely MORE FUN! :lol:

 

[Grgramps]

Monty, That's a swing set with class. That's so much more than the metal ones, and this one will never rust and I'll bet the kids will never tire of it. And furthermore, it looks like it'll be in the shade at least part of the day. Now that's a plus.
Roy

 

[Splinter]

Nice job. :eusa_clap :eusa_clap I really like it. I prabably will steal some of your ideas if you don't mind when I get ready to build one for my grandson. He is only 3 months old now so I have a littel time.

Where did you get the chair hardware? You mentioned leasons learned.......

 

[Monty]

I got the chair hardware from the BORGS... some from Lowes and some from HD, depending on what they happened to have in stock. The heavy duty hardware costs a total of about $60 per swing (compared to probably about $30 or so per swing for regular hardware), but the difference in quality is significant. There are probably cheaper places to get this stuff online, but I was impatient and wanted to get the project DONE!

One of the most important lessons learned: swing spacing. According to the directions included with the swing hardware, the recommended minimum spacing between two swing hangers or between a swing and the support frame is 12". Before I drilled the holes I checked the CPSC web site and they said 8" minimum. The spacing between the swings on the old Toys-R-Us swing was 10", and my neighbor's "kit" swing was 12"... so I figured after all that checking I'd be OK with 12". Well... once I put it all together I was not happy. When the kids tried it out it really looked fine, but an adult's arms (mine) came uncomfortably close to the support frame. I know kids don't always swing straight, and I could picture a broken elbow or noggin knot happening down the road...

I ended up moving that middle leg over about 10" (which wasn't easy after it was 9' up in the air! ), and spreading the swing hangers out more. Bottom line is, I would recommend more spacing between the swings and the frame. I hesitate to make hard and fast recommendations on this, because I'm no expert on this and it's really a matter of what you're comfortable with. I personally think a minimum of 16-18" from the frame, and at least 14" between swings would be much better than 12".