How to make a tire swing!

This explains how to build a tire swing. On the surface, a simple tire with a rope would seem to be a good tire swing. After all, it worked for us when we were children. But, these days, just tying a rope to a tire is not good enough. For purchased play sets, tires are now mounted horizontally instead of vertically, and that presents an entirely set of its own challenges. Here is how I succeeded in building my children a professional looking tire swing for half the cost!

Let me note at the onset that this instructable is not a joke. It is long and detailed, with lots of pictures. If you're really not interested in building a tire swing, then don't waste your time looking through it. But, if you are truly interested in building a tire swing, then this is serious and detailed instructions that ought to give you every tool to be successful. Good luck!

Step 1: Pick out a tire!

First, pick out a tire. Thinking that "Bigger is better" will only get you in trouble here. Without being indelicate, consider the size of the derrieres that will be riding the swing. For smaller children, a big tire just won't do. For large adults, a smaller tire should be fine - as long as it's bigger (the tire, not the derriere) than the one on your wheelbarrow! I was looking at a tire from a pickup truck, but realized our 2 1/2 year old twins wouldn't get near it. So, I settled for the tire I'd just taken off the 15" rear wheel of my motorcycle. Perfect!

Once the tire is chosen, look at both sides of it and determine which side looks better. This will be the top side. Flip the tire over and drill holes in the bottom sidewall. To do this, set the tire on a surface that will be at a height appropriate for drilling without straining your back. I used our new picnic table & it did the job perfectly. Use about a 1/2" drill bit and drill holes around the sidewall, ever few inches. The holes don't have to be perfectly spaced, but it'll drain better if the holes are more evenly spaced. I used the tread pattern to space the holes. Here's a picture of the bottom of the tire with the drain holes already drilled.

Comments

[jhouts1]

This is great tire swing. It is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you for letting me know the weight limits too. My only real problem is I am hanging it from the walk-way on my dock which is metal. I am hoping if I add hose around the top chain, it will minimize the loud metal and chain clanking or grinding.

[salmansheikh]

What about using rope instead of chain? Does that work?

[philandy]

Just finished ours, thank you so much for the idea - our monster tire and 800 lb rating can fit up to 3 heavy adults safely. However, check if all the components fit together at the shop! Also, check the weight ratings (some brands only rate to 20 lb, especially on the S hooks). I can see this being a 10+ hour project and future headache if you don't. If I build another my shopping list would be the tire, the 3 "complete" eye bolts, 6 C links, the swivel, and the 4 chain lengths; 3 C's would be to connect the chains to the tire (instead of S hooks), 1 to connect the 3 chains together to the swivel, 1 to connect the other end of the swivel to the long chain, and 1 to adjust the long chain length. The 1/4" C links are rated for heavier than the 3/8 and 1/2" S hooks (at least at Lowe's). This project cost about $100 for me with a free tire, however I can see it being under $50 if you can get the chain online / on sale.

[taragl]

Thanks for this great Instructable. We followed your instructions and ended up with a perfect tire swing for our three-year-old. He's thrilled!

[bkessler826]

Excellent instructions, thank you! A few variations: instead of all chain, I used 3/4" nylon 1,450lb WLL rope from the limb (16' up). To attach to the tire, I used "swingset chain" that was already coated with plastic. Instead of 'S' hooks, I used quick-links. Everything else was exactly the same as yours. My 8yo son and I did this together as a father/son project, and he was absolutely giddy about it! :-)

[JB4ever]

what would be the weight limit for this swing?

[rickluc]

I've got a 4x6 beam, about 9 feet off ground, setup for a couple of swings for my 4 and 7 year old grand kids. Wondering how much room would be needed between support post for a tire swing with one of those swivel brackets? Or I could do the swing like in this forum and how much space should I leave?Thanks

[pulrich1]

Does anyone know what to coat the tires with to get them to be hard and shiny and smooth, like on a playground? I'm thinking of using Krylon plastic spray paint. That way they tires won't leave marks and detriorate in the heat/sun as the rubber leeches out its checmicals that make it soft.

[cia0cicci0]

thank you for the easy-to-understand directions and pictures. the swing (and your yard in general) are very handsome.

[ljennings]

A suggestion. Wasps/hornets are territorial. If they find an existing nest they won't build in that area. I've seen decoy nests on Gardener Supply Company's webpage. Hang one of those near the swing and they shouldn't be a problem.

[alaskanjer]

Does the swivel get any side load when the kids are swinging? I am about to build this for three 7 year olds and I know they will test the limits of its range of motion. I would guess the swivel's rating doesn't factor anything in besides tension.
Also, the weight rating on the components you selected assumes a static weight. A 200 pound person swinging probably produces a lot more tension at the bottom of the swing arc than a 200 pound person just sitting on the swing. That said, in addition to the safety factor that you used, there is probably also a safety factor built into the numbers printed on the packaging.

[michael.su]

Thank s a bunch for this idea and great instructable! -Mike

[wbentrim]

Excellent instructions and photos. I thank you and I know my grandkids will thank you. Bill

[doitagainman]

Hey ya'll if you have a 1" hole saw or a big drill bit drill 3 holes in the bottom side of the tire. This will let all the H20 drain out. most side walls are reinforced with nylon not steel belts. But I have a problem, my tire is several years old the black coming off is excessive. How do I stop it? I power washed it, can I wax it?

[jonband]

Great instructable here. Here's my 2 cents (from an aerospace engineer working in structures). For any given swing, if you were to start 90 degrees from the vertical, the tension in the chain at the bottom of the arc will be 3 times your weight. Therefore, PLEASE PLEASE make sure that your rope or chain working load limit (WLL) is at least 3X the maximum load of the swing. I wanted my swing to accomodate a 250 lb adult, and therefore needed components with a 750 lb WLL. The big weak link in your design here are the eyelets. I could only find eyelets with a 80 lb WLL after searching around! This means the swing is really only safe with a 80 lb child ((3-80lb eyelets * 80 lbs)/3MG)=80 lb. I strongly recommend using ubolts instead for the chain-to-tire attachments, especially if your swing will be used by adults and is potentially dangerous (my chaiin length is over 20 ft!)

[jonband]

Forgot to mention my advice is against the non-welded eye bolts as pictured in your tutorial. Welded eye bolts are another story and are much stronger (but also harder to come by - neither home depot or lowes sells these in my area)

[Jayefuu]

Brilliant ible :D

Just thought you might like to know that the "connector link" you describe is commonly used in climbing and is called a maillon (pronounced may-on not mal-eee-on), can be bought for a few dollars from climbing shops. Thought it might help people find them.

[bellas nana]

Instructions were great!  DH just hung our swing last weekend after purchasing everything we needed at Lowe's and he did a fab job!  We have plenty of trees in the back yard but none with an appropriate limb for the swing. My husband (former boy scout and retired Navy) advised me it was no problem...he would "lash some boards to the trees."  I was the doubting thomas but it all worked out great.  He screwed together 2 - 2x6 boards for strength and lashed them in between 2 trees, nothing was screwed into the trees.  He tested it with his 200 lb weight and all is well.  Now we just have to wait for the grandkids (7 and 5) to arrive from Germany for the month of July.  I am sure they will have tons of fun!!  Thank you adlabens for taking the time to post these instructions and inspiring us all!  I have been unable to upload photos...sorry.

[brian5sterling]

Hey I just wanted to say that I used your directions and built a killer tire swing. I had rented a 43' lift for the day to cut down some tree limbs and thought ahead of time that that would be a great idea to put up a tire swing the same day. I spent about $65.00 in materials by using a heavy duty manilla rope 3/4'' that has a weight capacity of 640lbs and bought 15' of chain for the triangle down to the tire itself. The tire was free from my local motorcycle shop. They were more than happy to give away as many tires as I could take. So I grabbed 5 of them. One suggestion if you have the option is to try the tire out on your backside first before stringing it up. I had one of the five picked out but then asked my wife to see what she thought and she went and put it on her tushie and said no go. She proceeded to try out the other ones which were of different diameters and found one that "fit good"  It happened to be the Harley Davidson tire. Everything looks great and the kids love it. I've roped the tire up to an eye bolt running through a limb about 30' feet up so the kids have a nice big swing. The swivel works great and I used lithium grease on it to keep it quiet. Good suggestion.  One more suggestion that should be obvious to most folks. Watch out where the tire swings to. We have some electrical wires that our tire could hit if you were to swing high enough but most of our kids won't be swinging that high. But it could happen. I'm just saying that folks should check that before stringing up. Thanks soooo much for your helps and suggestion. They saved me money and time.
All my best
Brian Bartlett

[liandyk]

Great instructions! All supplies were at Lowes and a tire store gave us a free tire. Swing is over 50 feet high and my kids love it! It cost half the cost to make than it would cost to purchase from a swing-set store. Thanks for the Instructable.

[adlabens]

Liandyk, I was at a tire shop the other day, and talked with them about building another tire swing. They offered to give me one of their used tires for that purpose - they service tractor/trailers, so it was a HUGE tire & would have sat at least 4 kids, maybe 8! So, if folks are nice & don't want to use the tires for their vehicles, it seems this is a good way to get a tire! Also, with a tire that size, I'd have used four supporting chains rather than the 3 I used on the motorcycle tire. And, with 4, even on the motorcycle tire, it would have made it easier for two children to share it. That may be the only mistake I made.

[ncurrier]

Ok guys...I'm a 56 year old school teacher (white haired and female) and I made one of these for my 2 year old granddaughter. It was easy, the directions are great. I did add the tubing over the chains to avoid pinched fingers. She loves it! I got all the components at Lowe's and it was worth every penny. It is the first thing she goes for when she gets out of the car. We expect many years of use. Thank you, Aldabens...good job!

[adlabens]

NCurrier, I am humbled by your praise. I'm just 6 years younger than you, but my children (ages 7 & 3 & 3) love it also. Yep, I started a bit late. But the kids love it just the same! Thank you.

[arpruss]

Where can one buy a swivel?

[adlabens]

If you want the kind of swivel that comes with a Rainbow Playset, you can buy them from Rainbow online. I got mine (inline swivel, not "attached" swivel) from Lowe's, but I expect Home Depot or Tractor Supply or other hardware store would have those - two rings connected with a swiveling connector. Swiveling, not sniveling. ;+)

[arpruss]

They didn't have it at Home Depot where I initially went to price out components, but it was there at Lowes ($6-7--surprisingly expensive). I greased it with Lithium grease and it works well. It was a fun project, but harder than I expected. I coated the three chains that attach to the tire with transparent vinyl hose ($0.40/foot). The kids were very insistent on this. I learned that if one's going to thread chain through hose, one shouldn't have the chain be too close in size to the inner diameter of the hose--threading the chains was a horrid task (it helped to lubricate with bicycle chain lubricant while feeding the chain, but still it involved either two people pulling with just about all their strength, or the chain being tied to a tree and the hose being pulled with just about all my strength, one link--or even half a link--at a time). It was also surprising how dirty a used tire is. I just changed tires on our car, so I used our old tires. It took a lot of scrubbing with soap, water and wipes of different sorts before it stopped leaving black marks on cloth rubbed against it (it was still leaving light grey marks). One thing I did that I am not sure I saw in your writeup (maybe I missed it) was to drill holes in the bottom for drainage (don't want to provide nurseries for mosquito eggs!). I did 16 holes, 1" in diameter (with a hole saw). We just had a thunderstorm, and the holes work great--there are a few small puddles inside the tire, but they are less than 1/8" deep, and will disappear as soon as the sun comes out.

[arpruss]

I just saw--you did drill the holes, too. :-)

[cdimezza]

Very nice instuctions mate. I used about 50 feet of chain for my mission. First thing I did was get the tire. Midas was of no help, Pep Boys gave me a tire but it was a bit small so I decided to check out Just Tires. They hooked me up with a nice big truck tire. Next was onto the hardware. Home Depot had the chain. the eye hooks, washers and nuts and the Connector link which was made out of zink and weighted for 1540 pounds. They did not have rated S Hooks, quick links or swivels. I tried Graingers and Ace Hardware. Graingers could order them and Ace was very expensive. I decided to try Lowes later in the day and they had exactly what I needed. My friend came over yesterday and helped me with the install. He used to be a tree surgeon so we rigged up a baseball on a rope with a screw and he did some underhanded jerky throw and sunk it 30 feet up, between the y limb on his second try. We pulled the chain over ate lunch and got back to business. I drilled the drainage holes, mounted the S Hooks, pinhed them, cut three pieces of 4 feet chain link, attached, etc....The girls love it...Thanks bro... Chris

[adlabens]

Chris, I am so glad that you have completed this as a successful project. We've had ours up for over a full year now, and it's going strong, no problems from steel belts, wasps or hornets, or even tire-black rubbing off on kids' clothes. I would suggest, however, that this small size tire attached with three eye-bolts is suitable for just about one child at a time. If I had used four eye-bolts (& four hanging chains), it would have been suitable for two small children. But, this way, even one big child can swing in it. I am considering building a second one, a "big brother" to this one. I found a big truck tire shop on the Interstate that would give me a huge tire off an 18 wheeler. If I go get it and hang it up, it will be exactly the same as this one, but will have four eye-hooks and hanging chains so that two or four bigger kids can swing on it together. But, those tires are pretty big & I'd probably have to take the trailer out there to get one. They charge several hundred dollars for a used tire, but when I told him I was wanting it for a tire swing, he told me he'd find one I could have for free (I was there fixing their phone lines). So, that's a possibility, but only after I complete the backyard play structure (a couple of Rainbow play sets) that I'm building. I will move the old tire swing from the broken branch of the tree (the branch is now completely dead) and will hang it from the swing bar of one of the play sets. I'll have to see how it fits and then I'll decide if I'm going to go get the huge tire to hang on the other end of the swing bar.

[kyrsyan]

One suggestion to add: use a bias ply tire. These are trailer tires and have no steel belting in them that may injure you or the children.

[adlabens]

Definitely, a steel-belted tire with steel showing through should be rejected and not used in any capacity, much less in a child's toy. However, unless the tire were badly worn and only about a balloon's thickness of rubber covering the steel belts, I'd have to say it's probably a non-issue to use steel-belted tires. My thinking is that the rubber that covers the steel belts gets MUCH more wear & tear when mounted on a vehicle and driven. However, on a tire swing, about the only thing that is going to get any wear and tear is the lip and the sides where the chains mount, which have no steel belts in them anyway. My motorcycle tire (which I used) is steel-belted. The only REAL danger that I can find with this whole setup is if wasps or hornets are allowed to build nests inside the tire. But, I usually give the inside of the tire a good dose of some organic insect repellent, usually citronella oil, to make it an uncomfortable abode for said insects. But, like I said, you are absolutely correct that visible steel belts would negate a tire's eligibility for use in such an application. Thank you for that reminder.

[kyrsyan]

The warning was actually given to me by the guys at the tire shop. Of course since this shop sells used tires, it is quite possible that any tires they were willing to give away would be in really rough shape. But the trailer tire is in good condition. I will follow your suggestion for the citronella oil. I have to watch for that in our yard. BTW, thanks for this instructable!

[adlabens]

You are most welcome for the instructable! You can get the citronella oil at your local "health foods" store (Wild Oats, Whole Foods, Sun Harvest, etc.), wherever they sell essential oils. You can order bottles of them online, too. I use them when I'm going to do work in the yard and there has been an infestation of mosquitoes - after the rains but before I've emptied any open containers full of water. A few drops of citronella oil around the pants legs & shirt openings, and the mosquitoes stay away. We are about to move the tire swing off that fallen limb. We have managed to acquire a couple of Rainbow wooden playsets that I'm currently pressure washing and rehabbing the rotten wood, then will put them together so that they form one big structure. Somewhere on the structure I shall mount the tire swing (none of the Rainbow playsets we got have a tire swing). So, that should be another fun project, tho I'm not really instructable-ing the process.

[littleangelfire]

GREAT how to!!!! I have one question that you may or may not be able to answer before I print the whole shabang out to make one for us: Any idea how much clearance/how big and area is needed to put this on a swing set? We already have a wooden swing set, pretty basic, has a swinging disc off to one side that no one uses I'd like to replace it with a tire swing. I'm not sure there's enough space to make it safe (i.e. that the tire wouldn't be bonking into the slide area that's nearest where it would hang)

[liamslough]

The tire swing looks really great I am planning to go to Namibia which is in South Africa to build a tire swing for a group of children that live in the school I am going with a group of 20. I was wondering using the same process, could I use the base as three wooden beams concreted in the ground meeting to make a pyramid shape and make the tire swing around that ?? thanks for reading this comment and i look forward for a reply

[sismart]

Can we just use more connector links rather than any S-hooks at all? I don't see why they wouldn't work the same. BTW, great instructions. Cannot WAIT to make this!!! May thanks.

[adlabens]

The s-hooks were an economic decision for me. A package of several s-hooks cost less than a single connector link. So, that's what I did. But, you can definitely use all connector links and skip using any s-hooks.

[scottso55]

I found this very easy to follow and build although I used the quick links in place of all S hooks (they were cheaper and stronger at my local hardware). I also added a two foot length of clear tubing through which I feed the chain through over the tree branch so it would not wear the tree down as quickly as the raw chain. Over-all, great step-by-step instructions, easy to follow and build, and the kids love it!

[adlabens]

Scott, I did not expect someone to be doing this project in mid-December (unless you're on a part of our globe that has summer time now)! Glad it worked out for you. I didn't "rubber coat" the chain over the tree because mine is over a branch that I was hoping would die - or is going to be cut off in January or February, the branch broke months before I built the swing, so I'm not worried about the condition of the branch. When I "re-mount" the tire swing, it will be on a play structure that I build for the kids - something with some swings and a play-fort. That'll mean a shorter chain with an eye-hook type mount, so it'll be a whole different attachment. You've done a great job of adapting the concept to your situation. WAY TO GO!!!

[scottso55]

We are indeed in a warmer climate - South Carolina - so I was fortunate to be able to work outside in December. We had a tire tied to a rope but it did not swing as well and really could only handle one child at a time. Now two can sit, swing and spin - much more fun to be had by all! Unfortunately I end up doing most of the pushing :) Thanks for your clear directions. Who knows, when the snow clears where you are, you might even be able to enjoy it! Scott

[adlabens]

Scott, The "Snow" here is mostly on the unprogrammed channels of the TV. I'm in San Antonio - SOUTH Texas, where it only snows about once ever 10,000 years. The last time was 1985, so we're not due again for a while. It was in the 70's on Thursday (Christmas day), so I don't know that our weather is that much different from your own. Enjoy your time pushing the swing. Our kids are 7, 3, & 3 (yes, twins). I try to enjoy every second with them that I can, and it's never enough - not for the kids, and not for me. Seems like yesterday I saw our 4 year old walk into the delivery recovery room and introduce herself to her twin brother & sister - a scene forever etched vividly in my memory. And, even still, it seems like yesterday when SHE was born - me holding her comfortably in my arms for the first time. She's in first grade now, learning her math tables, doing big-sister stuff and simultaneously wanting to be treated like the child that the twins still are. It won't be too long and I'll be looking across the table at my wife, wondering where the kids are and missing the sounds of them running crazily around the house. Hopefully, that'll happen before they go off to school and especially before they have kids of their own. But, for now, if I could slow down time and make the joy last forever, well, I'd gladly spend eternity pushing 2 (or even 3) of them on the tire swing. For now, they're in bed and I've got too many computer issues to get resolved and not enough hours in the day. I'm really glad your success with the tire swing is so enjoyable. That's the reason I posted it rather than just keeping it for myself. Thank you for sharing your success! -> David

[adlabens]

Yes, it appears that www.all4thekids.com will have what was needed. Their prices seem to be in line with what I spent. Of course, I get a lot of enjoyment out of conjuring something up from scratch and then making it happen, so that was a great deal of the satisfaction I got from the project. But, all4thekids do seem to have what appears to be a much more reasonably priced "kit" than the local home-improvement superstore. Good post!

[The_Chief]

I don't have a vice (stolen by a Meth head) nor a pair of vice grips big enough to close the S hooks so I used connector links in place of all the S hooks. The connector links are rated at about 1400 lbs each and eye bolts at about 600 pounds each. In the event I have to take the connections apart I used Blue Lock Tight on the connector links. I don't think even my busy 8 year old grand daughter can break any of this. I got the tire free at a tire store (defective tire...made in China) and the hardware cost me about $30.00 +-.

[adlabens]

Chief, You have done exactly what this whole Instructable was intended to do - figure out how to do it best to suit your particular needs. And, you did it for about half the price that it cost me. CONGRATULATIONS!!! And, I hope your kids have many hours of fun hanging out & swinging!

[The_Chief]

My grand daughter loves it!! I weigh 210 pounds and it holds me just fine so it should be good for her and her buds for a number of years to come.

[hornbadoing]

how much waight will this hold

[adlabens]

Mine will hold two of me at 200 pounds each. The key to figuring this out is to check the rating on each piece that you buy & figure that the weakest link will fail at it's rated weight. In reality, I'd guess that the rated weight is below it's failure point, just so the mfgrs can dodge any potential lawsuits based on failure due to excessive weight. And, the weight capacity of each one depends on it's thickness, material, manufacturing method, etc., all of which play a roll in the "tensile strength" formula. The easiest answer is to simply check the packaging of each component & note it's rated weight capacity. The lowest rated one is the overall weight the finished swing will hold without incident due to weight. I know it's not a definitive answer, but it is the proper one.

[mikeasmel]

Really amazing instructions. While I like some of the packaged tire swing kits on the internet, they don't quite suit my purposes completely. A few questions: 1) Does anyone recommend any website to purchase all of this hardware, including 5 foot plastic coated chains? 2) Any suggestions about whether it makes more sense to use rope or chain to attach the the tree branch? I suppose that the chain eliminates the concern about tying knots and might last longer but rope might look nicer? Thanks!

[adlabens]

You MIGHT be able to go online to Lowe's website and place your parts order and have it delivered. I'm not sure if you must buy a roll of chain or can purchase cut lengths - like you can at their stores. Also, Lowe's DOES have a kit, and the store had it for $99, but I wanted to do it my own way and save a little money. I saved about 33% off the price of the kit. I don't know exactly what Lowe's kit contained but I know it doesn't come with a tire, so that's an even match. Also, the companies who make the big back-yard play sets carry tire swing kits. I would suggest you Google for "Tire Swing Kit" and see what you find, they may have just parts available, too. Finally, I liked the hands-on ability that I have at a brick-&-mortar store rather than just looking online. I'll admit that I do have a tendency to pick out four bolts from the same bin and get home to find that one of them was the wrong size - an issue you'll probably not encounter with an online order. But, picking out the right size fender washers for the eye-hooks, so that the fender washers squeeze the tire between them was something I wouldn't want to trust to a description - it's much easier for me to visualize how the concept will work in the assembly stage if I can get my grubby paws all over the hardware. As for the question about chain versus rope, I'll give you some of my own thoughts. If you're throwing it over a tree branch, the swaying motion of the swing in use will eventually wear out a rope. I tried that first, and the rope took quite a beating just over a couple of weekends, which is why I switched to the chain. As the punch-line from a joke goes: "I'm a frayed knot!" HOWEVER, if you're putting it through eye-hooks in an overhead structure (like a play-set or swing-set), then a rope would probably do much better than over a tree branch. Tho it will wear out quicker than a chain, it will probably last the full season with no problem and may last several years. And, for the cost of the chain, you can probably buy several sets of rope that, when combined, will last many years. And, you can get rope in various colors such as green & white, purple & white, blue & white, red & white (some of the selections at Lowe's), as well as several solid colors, too. The vinyl covered chains was only available in yellow.

[deniseelerick]

I am almost ready to hang the swing. Is the swing attachment necessary or is it just for removing and replacing swing. The swing I build will just stay up year round. It seems like I can attach the swing at the connector part.

[adlabens]

I'm not sure to which "attachment" you are referring. However, you can attach any part of the swing however you want. My method is not meant to be a hard & fast rule, but more a simple prompting of what is possible. That's how I approach most of the Instructables I consider using - I read these things & wonder "Why didn't I think of doing something that way?" and I use that as an idea and then adapt it to my own application. And, that is exactly what I suggest you do with your swing.

[marigolden]

We made one today for our kids. Perfect instructions, we are so impressed with how great it looks and works. We used yellow coated chain for the short links which looks nice.

[mmcgrath]

Looks like fun --- one clarification question --- what thickness/grade of chain did you use? My local hardware place has galvanised chain in 6mm, 8mm or 10mm....

[adlabens]

Sorry, but I can't tell you what "size" chain I used. What I can tell you is that I weigh about 200 pounds and I made sure that every component I used would hold at least twice that. The chain was rated to hold at least 400 pounds. I wish I could tell you the size (thickness) of the links, but I didn't look at any of it based on size (except the fender washers, which were the biggest I could get), but I got each component based upon being able to hold twice my weight. I figured the kids, even piling on, wouldn't add up to that, so I figured that'd be safe. Sorry I can't be more specific.

[nickels]

My latest addition to this Instructable is being tested shortly (I hope). I am going to attempt to paint the tire with acrylic latex pink paint. I have two daughters, so that should answer the "why would I paint the tire pink" question. There was only one place on the web I could find where someone asked if this were possible. The "expert" wasn't 100% positive. We'll soon find out! Hopefully the paint will keep the tire from rubbing off black on everything, and the pink paint will not get as hot as the black tire. Also, it 'should' look way cooler then a regular tire!

[adlabens]

No doubt that it will look totally awesome painted pink! Please, post us a picture here, once you have it done & at least one after it's pink & hung (no jokes, folks!). There are a number of tire shops around town that have those huge tractor tires (the ones that are taller than a human), and they've painted them various shades of blue, red, & yellow, and painted their signage onto them. It seems that most of them have black spots poking through where the tire rubber has started peeking through the paint. I'm not sure, at a distant glance, if the paint is peeling, or what, but the tire is definitely black underneath. We have had absolutely no tire black rubbing off onto any of our kids clothes. One child did lean over the wheel well of the trailer & had black all over her dress, but absolutely nothing from swinging on the tire. So, my thinking is that painting it pink to have it pink is a GREAT idea, but I'm not sure if you're really accomplishing anything if your object is to keep the clothes clean. After all, the kids are playing outside, and we do expect them to get dirty (or else they're not playing hard enough!). But, that's just us. An oil base paint may do a better job of permanently bonding to the tire. Latex seems to peel off of just about everything that doesn't completely absorb it. Oh, & I love the idea of a pink tire. My wife says that when she takes the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Beginner's Rider's Course, I'm going to have to get her a motorcycle & she wants it painted pink with rainbows on it. If that's all I have to do to get her onto a bike of her own, then I consider it a blessing. Again, please post a picture of your pink tire swing!!!

[nickels]

Parts questions: I went to my local major chain hardware store and all the S-hooks and the eye-hooks had warning about not to be used to support human weight. The max weights on every item was over 350 pounds, yet the warning worries me. I couldn't find a swivel, and again all the other parts for the top also warned about improper use yada yada and not to support human weight. Lastly, they sell chains with tubing on it already, for about $1.75 a foot. This would be perfect for the three 3-5' segments. Then regular chain $.75 a foot for the main top part that doesn't need to be coated. All the parts (free tire) come to about $40-50. The tire kit they sell is $90 and it will not look half as good (all plastic and rope).

[adlabens]

You know, I didn't even look to see if there were any "human weight" warnings. I just figured that if it was load rated for two of me (over 400 pounds), then I ought to be ok. I'm guessing that they (folks with the human weight warnings) are just covering their ... hides ... in case of a lawsuit. It's not like the carabinders that say "not for climbing" when they're such super-light duty that they barely hold three keys securely. Not sure what "major" chain hardware store you're referring to, but I can tell you that I won't step foot in Home Depot ever again (long story short, they screwed up royally & didn't have the stuff for which I'd already paid waiting when they said it would be), and absolutely love the service we get at Lowe's. And, you're exactly right about the price & professional look. Home-made is much better than mass produced.

[nickels]

Closing these s-hooks is way harder then expected...

[adlabens]

Yes, it took a bit of hand strength to make it happen. The key is to have a good pair of Vice Grip brand pliers. I say to use the real thing & not the cheap knock-offs because the real ones work smoother, are easier to control because the jaws don't slip back & forth sideways, and they don't break. I've broken a couple of the cheap knock-offs trying to do stuff and have ultimately purchased the real Vice Grip brand pliers for whatever application I was needing to accomplish. Start off with the Vice Grips as open as possible so that you're barely making any progress, then turn the know a little so that you're making a little progress. One way to make it a LITTLE easier is to make smaller turns in the handle knob. If you're having a hard time making 1/2 turns, them make 1/4 turns. If you're having trouble making 1/4 turns, then make 1/8 turns. If you're having trouble doing that, then make the smallest turn you can make. Also, because I knew that closing the s-hooks was difficult, I included a couple of pics of them closing gradually. Not that having more pics would have made it easier (I'd have given you so many pics that it would have closed itself for you!!!), but to illustrate the gradualness of the effort required. You COULD get out a pair of regular pliers and hold the s-hook on the cement and pound it with a hammer, but you better have someone standing by with a big bag of frozen peas because you're going to hurt your hand something fierce. If you've got a REGULAR bench-mounted vice, that might make it work. I do not, so I used the Vice Grips. Also, I'm not sure that the bigger jaws of a bench-mounted vice would fit where they need to fit to close the s-hooks. Maybe a c-clamp would do it, if it's got the proper cups on each side to hold the s-hook without shooting it across the floor. OR, you could just buy all the connecting links like I used to attach some of the pieces. I just didn't want to spend the extra money, & the s-hooks were cheaper, & I'd previously used Vice Grips to close an s-hook, so that is what I did. But, the connecting links are definitely a good alternative. Hope this advice helps a little.

[pandaboy292]

what about using a propane torch to heat it a little? i want to make one but didn`t know if heat would weaken it.

[adlabens]

Hmmm, it never entered my mind. The only thing I'd ever use a propane torch for is to put the crispy top on a Creme Brule' or to brown the edges on a meringue pie. Seriously. I guess a propane torch could be used to solder copper pipe, or other metals, but I haven't gotten that far with such a project. As for heating an s-hook with a propane torch, it seems that it would be more trouble than it's worth, considering that you have to put the s-hook in some secure attachment & then heat it & then still have to bend it. I'm not saying that it won't work, or even that it'll be difficult. Some might say my technique of using Vice-Grip pliers to bend an s-hook will be difficult. I didn't find it so bad, probably because I have fairly strong hands and made small increments in the squeeze tightening. But, using a torch to heat (& soften) the metal might be a viable alternative. My best suggestion, if this is a route you want to take, is to go for it - especially if you have a propane torch and are proficient with it. For me, it's a kitchen appliance. And, if you do go for it, please post a response with your comments on the results you have. I'm always open to new ideas, & this is definitely one. After all, new ideas are why we all joined Instructables.com!

[nickels]

I substituted the three s-clamps used to connect the tire's eye-bolts to the coated chains with clip hooks. For me using clip hooks over s-hooks made more sense for a number of reasons: You can easily swap out tires this way (shown is a small tire, but I was able to get a huge free used tire from the service center. So I will be swapping the tire shortly. With the s-hooks that would be very difficult.) The clip hooks hold more weight (s-hooks hold around 350 pounds - clip hooks about 850 pounds). At my hardware store clip hooks cost half as much as s-hooks. S-hooks are impossible to close - at least for me it. The only thing I would do different next time is use shorter coated chain for connecting the tire. I went with 5 feet, which is fine, but maybe a bit too long. I also underestimated the total cost. Everything came to closer to $80 - as I needed 20' of chain, 15' (5' x 3) of plastic coated chain, and the swivel alone was almost $10. You can't see it in the picture, but I also covered the main connecting chain with 1' of tubing to protect the spot where it touches the supporting tree limb. Small warning - a lot of the parts used are metal which gets very hot in the sun, as well as the black rubber tire. Make sure it is a safe temp before putting your kid on it! Thanks for the excellent instructable, you made two children very happy!!!

[adlabens]

Nickels, I am pleased with your results. Yes, there are a number of variables, not the least of which is the cost of certain parts. The clip hooks at Lowe's here in San Antonio were more expensive than the s-hooks, and they were a much lighter duty. And, the swivel I purchased was under $7.50, tho I still don't consider that cheap. And, apparently, your attachment to the tree was higher than mine. I purchased 21' of galvanized chain (3-3' sections & 1-12' section), and could have gotten away with much less (didn't need 12' for the branch we attached it to, & certainly not for the swingset I'll eventually build), and we could have purchased non-galvanized, which was much cheaper. But, as you have found out, the real satisfaction comes from figuring out what's best for your situation and applying it to the application. The clip hooks are a great idea for being able to remove the current tire & replace it with something different. Just beware that a big tire may be too big for small tushies! That is what drove me to use the 15" rear motorcycle tire I'd just replaced rather than the 22" truck tire that my FIL has sitting at his house and wasn't going to use. It's interesting that you think 5' connecting chains may be too long. They probably would be just right for an adult t use the swing. I'm able to fit on the swing using 3' connecting chains, but it seems better for the kids. And, you are definitely correct about the tire surface getting hot. One other precaution is that wasps & hornets seem to love to build their nests inside of hanging tires. I took a big can of flying insect spray (insecticide, not repellant, tho that might have been fine - maybe using some citronella oil would've been a good idea) and coated the inside of the tire after I hung it up. I did this on the "riding" surface inside rather than the sidewall surface inside - so that little hands would have a harder time reaching it. I figure that just having the insecticide inside the tire would be enough to prevent the little buggers from moving in & raising their families there. But, it's a good idea to do a visual check of the inside of the tire each day before the kiddos climb aboard. You would also be wise to do the same thing with all the hardware, at least at the start of each play season & then occasionally during the spring/summer/fall. Glad you like the project. Your response, & the pleasure of your children, are the exact reasons I chose to share the project (that & the fact that there wasn't already one posted!). I hope your children have many happy memories of fun times in your back yard. -> David San Antonio, TX

[itscasper77]

great detailed instructions, i am about to take on this project. your instructions recommend using 3 pieces of chain 3 feet each. I have seen some kits come with chains a little over 5 feet. Have you found 3 ft sufficient enough? Does that space still have enough room for an adult to swing on it? Thanks

[adlabens]

5 foot chains are probably better. Somewhere in my mind I figured that 3 would be sufficient. It's ok for the kids, but a little difficult for me to swing on it (tho I really didn't build it for me!). Emily, however, likes to stand on the swing, and the 3 foot chains are sufficient so that she can hang on to the one support chain above. I'd suggest getting the 5' chains and then seeing if you'd rather have 3'. You can always cut them shorter or just hang them shorter with extra tails on them. Like my Daddy likes to say: "I've cut them 3 times & they're still too short!"

[killerjackalope]

Really excellent instructable, well documented and very complete, the photo-documentation was great and you went in to great detail. What you were saying for the playset you're planning, though fully documenting it would be a bore a general instructable about building a good one and some build pics would be cool, even just a slideshow to give people ideas. Again excellent work.

[adlabens]

I'll have to think about doing something with the big playset. We're getting some telephone poles as the outside supports and the bottom of one of the two forts is going to be lawn equipment storage, with the fort above it. My wife wants an observation deck above the play fort so that we can star gaze with her telescope. City codes allow any size playground equipment, so that'll be a "go!" And, along that line (of providing info on what we're doing in the back yard), my wife just bought one of those 15' wide above-ground swimming pools. We have to put sand under it to give it a smooth bottom. Rather than buy bags of sand (expensive), I'm just going to get a cubic yard of sand. But, we won't need nearly all of it, so I've just picked up the pressure treated lumber to make a sandbox for the kids. It's a rather simple design that I've adapted from a Norm Abram book I've got. I'll may do an instructable on that. As for the picnic table (upon which some of the pictured parts are sitting), I got that design from another website and followed the direction exactly. Being that I followed someone else's plans, I'll refrain from posting an instructable on their design. And, I'll refrain from posting pictures here until I have seen it in action for a couple of years and am convinced that the design will withstand the test of time, unlike so many others that I've seen warped beyond useable in just a few short years. A slide show, huh? I'll have to think about that. Ever tried to sink a 21' telephone pole 4' into the ground? How about 8 of them??? That, alone, might be worthy of an instructable!

[killerjackalope]

Would it be wierd if I said yes to the pole question? We didn't have anything cloe to a piledriver so I came ou with the idea of using a random and rather large lump of steel that was possibly part of a railway to make a ten pound sledgehammer, granted it was hell to swing it did the job...

Even just taking loads of photos of the construction process and breifly outlining it in an instructable would be great, you wouldn't need to go in to the extreme detail you did here since they'd be looking to make one fore themselves.

Ever built a shed built by a civil engineer? I moved three tonnes of dirt with a shovel and a wheelbarrow, we then concreted in the main corner posts and the doorframe... The people that moved in after use moved the shed and used the foundation as a patio after tiling it, since it had to be prefectly level.

For the pinching problems with the chains you could nick the cover off a tow rope chain or even the stuff used on lock chains...

Picnic tables are pretty bad for warpage, you need a start with properly treated or seasoned wood and immediately it'll need a good seal of varnish on the whole thing to keep the water from ruining it, around ten coats does the trick. Also by that stage it should be slick enough to wipe dirt off without having stuff stick in.

I like the idea of an observation deck, this thing sounds as over the top as my plan for a three story shedhouse if Iver get land...

[adlabens]

The warped picnic tables are why I chose the design I chose. The guy who designed it had one for something like 20 years & it remained useable until the untreated wood legs rotted. Mine are treated. The water seal treatment says the wood must "dry" for at least 30 days. When I built it, you could see the liquid oozing out of it with ever screw I tightened up - like stepping on the sand at the beach & watching the water squeeze out of the sand around your foot! So, I'm still in that 30 day range & am going to sand it & clean it & then will seal it - I have to do something because I used treated wood for the top! But, while we were picking up lumber for the sand box last night, I stopped & looked at their water sealers & found what I want/need for the project.

[killerjackalope]

Any heavy duty tarp can actually be used for it... even the polythene weave stuff, granted it's a bit of a pain to fix to things with bolts or nails, the trick of that is to have a clamp of wood, like the walls then the sheet then a bar of wood with the bolts going clean through it, you probably thought of that though... Doing that prolongs the life of any item such as that. Hopefully the bench stays straight and true... I always wondered if you could use a really pure clear coating almost like casting resin to get a really nice sheen... Any luck with your telegraph poles?

[romaine]

Great Instructable! Once we have the subject of swings here, does anyone know how to make a horse out of a couple of tires? I saw such a thing in Kent (England) but didn't have time to make notes and take pictures.... It looked like a regular little horse. Keep up the good work

[killerjackalope]

What kind of shape do you mean? I used to cut up tyres all the time in work and have seen loads of different tyre based things. If you wanted to make a big one any tyre dealer working in truck tyre or for a free tyre for this stuff just go down and ask at a garage or tyrefitter's since they need to be disposed of and it cost money scrap tyres can be had for nothing.

[romaine]

what I saw was a horse and I would like to attempt to build one for a friend but I need a sketch or pictures to get started

[killerjackalope]

Like as in a simple horse like the ones in gym or a horse shaped thing... Honestly get some scrap tyre, a reciprocating saw, a drile and some big nuts and bolts, it's really easy to make things from tyres, car tyres are very flexible and easy to work with, tractor or loading shovel tryes are great for big things, lorry tyres can be akward as they're very rigid and heavy compared to the likes of big tractor tyres. You can obtain free tryees anywhere there's a fitters due to the new cost of environmental disposal.

[romaine]

Thanks for the incentive, I will get started and take pictures of the process. Perhaps I can (finally!) make an Instructable

[killerjackalope]

Honestly it's dead easy, you can actually make some great stuff out of tyres, a low profile car tyre bolted to a bit of wood makes a great stool kind of seat and is really comfortable. Stuff like that and even the horse look at one or think about how it's made and copy with your own touches... I'm really glad to help you on this one, tyres are a resource and a half, though the steel beads of a tyre are reclaimable vulcanised rubber isn't, meaning you're really do the world a favour...

[ve2vfd]

They used to have tire swings like that at the local park when I was a kid, they were awesome! One suggestion... cover the chains with large hose or tubing. Kids like to spin those swings and the chain will pinch their fingers/hands without mercy (been there, done that, still have the scars!) Pat

[adlabens]

I did ride the swing for a few minutes, and you're correct, the galvanized chain is a little rough even on my hard hands. I'd hate to see what they do to our 2 1/2 year old twins' hands. I'll definitely be looking into getting some kind of tubing. It'd take too big a hose to get the chain into it, but there is rubber tubing that will work. Thanks for the tip!

[nickels]

Some tips from other websites on the subject: Power wash the tire prior to use. Use tubing, like a hose, where the chain hits the tree branch. You can get free tires from various places like service stations if you ask nice and are a little lucky.

[adlabens]

If I were keeping the swing attached to a viable tree branch, I'd definitely have softened the attachment so as to not hurt the tree. In this instance, the tree branch is a fallen branch that happens to still be alive. It's attached to the tree about 20' up, and the other end is sitting on the ground - but it's still iving and sprouting new growth on the branch. However, the branch is going to be chainsawed off (removed). We're going to try to wait until the sap goes back down (winter), but may be doing too many things in the back yard to wait that long. As for pressure washing the tire, that may be a necessary action on some older tires - especially if it's been sitting in the sun for a long time (several years). This particular one is just 2 years old & has only 11k miles on it - it's a motorcycle tire that served me very well and has been replaced when the tread was at it's minimum depth for safe riding. Power washing was not necessary. In fact, there was no transfer of the tire black to any clothing. And, the tire shops around town charge a state mandated "disposal fee" for every tire they sell. I'm certain that they'd be glad to give away a tire or two, here & there. Just don't ask for a hundred of them or they'll know/think something is up. We have a couple of rivers near San Antonio and they're great for tubing (take a big inner tube, fill it up, jump in the river & float downstream for several hours). You can ask the tire shops for some of their old inner tubes & they'll give them to you without the pin in the valve stem. But, you can get those at the auto parts stores for a couple of dollars, and a patch kit for a few dollars more. Wah-lah, you've got a floating tube for next to nothing. Off topic, I know, but just illustrating the point of getting a free tire.

[ll.13]

Nice! very good Instructable!

[Mr. Rig It]

Over all an excellent Instructable! However it looks like your Instructables has a lot of garbage characters that were automatically added. I know this isn't sloppiness by the author it happens for some odd reason when saving. It would be best if you went back through to fix them. I can see this one being featured quickly once the errors are fixed. Good job

[Mr. Rig It]

I meant Instructable in the first line not Instructables. Sorry.

[adlabens]

I've spent a couple of hours compiling this in MS-Word, and about 2 more hours going thru it & posting it here. The problem is with the website's treatment of apostrophies, apparently based upon cut & paste & not originally typing them in here. I won't have time to fix it for at least another week, and don't see any link to edit it again. It is what it is, I guess, which is pretty worthless considering the effort it took to make it happen. This is my first one, and if it takes any effort to fix it, it'll be my last one, too. Pretty embarrassing if you ask me.

[adlabens]

Ok, I found the button to let me edit this thing. I've been through it (yet again) & manually typed all the contractions and "1/2" characters. Hopefully, this fixes it completely. I've spot checked it & all I've seen looks right, but I haven't gone back & read the entire thing another time after final editing. I think they should have a mandatory instructable on how to create an instructable before you are allowed to make one. It surely would've saved me the time, effort, and embarrassment that the system caused. Anyway, it's done & my long day is now over. Thanks, Mr. Rig It, for your quick and polite response. I appreciate it.

[Mr. Rig It]

The same thing happens to me the apostrophies always get messed up. There are instructables on how to create instructables those may help you in the future, but it looks like you have it right on target. And what a great job for a first one. I certainly hope you write more instructables and don't worry about the embarrassing stuff it happens to all of us. You will also find some people on here can be jerks but don't let them deter you. After the first one I wrote I almost quit this site, because of some boneheads, but I hung in there. I have found there are a lot of great people here really nice and always ready to help with with ideas, or editing or whatever, espcially the staff. I'll be looking for more from you and again good job!

[Mr. Rig It]

Oh my gosh I spelled so many words wrong and didn't use my commas effectively and I teach English part time. Now that is embarrassing :) lol