How to make a tire swing!

Step 18 Final Notes:

Let me provide some final notes. I used components that were rated at a weight capacity greater than anything that'd be on the swing. The s-hooks were rated at over 600 pounds, the Clip Hook was over 500 pounds, the Connector Links were over 500 pounds, and the Swivel was over 400 pounds. This means that ANY adult who can fit between the chains, or can stand on the tire, will be safely held by the hardware used. If you want, you can certainly use lighter-duty components, which will naturally cost less money. But, I wanted to test the tire swing, and I'm 200 pounds, so I wanted to make SURE that it was safe! So, I went with double weight protection just to be certain. The whole thing, except for the tire, cost about $60.00. You could buy the kit from one of the playset manufacturers. The kit runs just a hair under $100.00. Doing it this way gave me the flexibility to do what I wanted and hang it how I wanted, and saved money along the way. If anyone has any comments, I'm interested in hearing them. But, don't ask me to do an instructable on how to build the completed playset! I'm planning on building two elevated forts with a swingset between them & a walkway above them, tho the vertical supports for the forts are being planned to use telephone poles! And, if anyone does use this to build their own tire swing, I'd really like to know.

Comments

[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.

[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.

[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. :-)

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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!"