garden swing

[Philipj.cosson]

Hi,

I want to build a garden swing for my kids - but my son is a 6 foot 2 tall 14 year old.

I have seen an adult garden swing for sale which is suitable, but it is too big, as it is a triple swing and it's base is 6.5m wide ans

3.5m deep.

I have the old readers digest plans for a garden swing that is for children which looks really attractive, but i'm not sure it will scale.

The readers digest plans don't use an A frame. They use 9ft 6 x 2 timbers sunk into the ground 2ft and concreted.

I would need to scale this up I think, which is where the questions start

a) do you think that a swing like this can work? it seems that A frames are all the rage. b) anybody know a way of calculating how high the upright has to be to give an adult sized kid a proper swing experience? c) what size uprights, how deep, would the group think I should try?

Phil

[Paul Matthews]

How heavy?

Triangular - stronger. You only mention height. At 6'2" he could be anywhere from 10-20 stone. While I doubt that he would be at the higher end, expect a little bulk to be gained as he matures.

That's quite a bit of weight for a single vertical to be trying to "hold back". The staic weight will be no problem, but all that weight, at the end of around

8-9' and moving is quite a force. The A frame will almost certainly hold it better.

Dunno about calculating, I'd just directly scale it up.

P.

[www.GymRatZ.co.uk]

Seems like a bit of a errand if you ask me. Have you asked him if he would actuall like or indeed _use_ a swing ? Not really a cool thing is it. I presume he is the oldest and you a younger clan that would appreciate such an item?

FWIW, going back to my youthfull days... we had an "A" frame swing made from 5 full length scaffold poles. Held together at the top with your typical scaffold clamps of course.

The width was spaced to allow 2 swings for the different heights of myself my older brother and older sister. AKA the big swing and the little swing.

The "swing poles" as they were affetionately known provided a brilliant climing frame and I would regularly shin up the poles for stunts and acts of hair-whitening insanity. :¬)

The swing seats were planks cut to the right length with a hole through each end.

The rope which was of the stringy hempy type provided a great grip, though it shrung to half it's length when wet which was pretty funny to see.

Finally, when the time had come and hit the age of mopeds and pubs (16) Mum & Dad were able to recliam their garden by filling in the fairly small holes left byt the minimal concrete foundations.

Can't see you ever being able to get rid of 2 foot of concrete with the same ease.

Just a thought. I expect my dad knicked the scaffold poles from the local building site if the truth be known, though he's never admitted to it. :¬)

Pete

[Philipj.cosson]

You got it - youngest is 10.

14 year old would never admit it, but would still enjoy it - probably seeing how far he can catapult himself.

He probably weighs about 60kg

Phil

[www.GymRatZ.co.uk]

Appologies for the significant number of smelling pistakes! :¬(