# Setting up a tire swing for my nephew



## Plasmech (Sep 12, 2009)

I set up a tire swing for my nephew about a year ago. This was before I new anything about tree stuff. Beach tree, huge horizontal branch about 60-70 feet above the ground. I did everything from the ground...sling shot a lead sinker and some 6 pound test over the branch, then cinched a 13mm static line (the "black stuff" using a figure-8 loop. This is obviously not the right way to do this. I'm concerned that the rope is going to break when it erodes through the loop. UV rays from the sun is not helping much either.

I want to remove the tire, then ascend the rope, tie into the branch, and re-do the whole thing by installing a proper sling around the branch and use a steel 'biner to attach the 13mm static line. 

Does this sound like the correct way to do a tire swing? I need to practice my ascending as I'e never done that before...I'll practice a bunch on a very low branch. I could also use some graphics or videos on how to use an ascender. 

Any help and flaming would be much appreciated! Thanks guys!


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## Plasmech (Sep 12, 2009)

Somehow I wouldn't have expected anything more helpful from you...




TreeCo said:


> Give it a few good bounces at the 40ft. mark to see if the UV degradation has advanced to the point that it's unsafe.
> 
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> /


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## Gologit (Sep 12, 2009)

TreeCo said:


> Give it a few good bounces at the 40ft. mark to see if the UV degradation has advanced to the point that it's unsafe.
> 
> 
> 
> /



 Perfect.


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## treemandan (Sep 12, 2009)

Take some pictures bro. From what you describe you should have the limb supported.

I can't acess my pics right now but I posted some concerening this.


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## treemandan (Sep 12, 2009)

" dynamic tree support" is the name of the post I made about this.
" miserable old man sitting in his dirty underwear in front of his computer" is the name of the post I am going to make about Treeco.

Both are awesome threads.


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## treemandan (Sep 12, 2009)

Yeah Plas, give my old post a bump will ya its great.


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## Plasmech (Sep 13, 2009)

treemandan said:


> Yeah Plas, give my old post a bump will ya its great.



What types of ass-enders do you have TMD? I notice you have the boot strap device too.


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## SINGLE-JACK (Sep 13, 2009)

*Real life tire swing example*

What follows is NOT a recommendation (since it breaks a few rules) but an actual tire swing setup that worked successfully for 30 years.

Forty years ago, not knowing any better, I put up a tire swing for my kids as follows. I bought a hard laid, 1/2" nylon (bull) rope. I put a long eye splice in one end and seized and frapped the splice. I 'girthed' the splice around a large Siberian Elm branch 25' high. I then spliced the other end through an old tire and seized and frapped the splice. The tree & limb and the tire swing were still in excellent condition 30 years later when I took it down to move.

I attribute the lack of damage to the tree to the long eye splice. Apparently, the friction of the two strands girthed over the limb forced the rope to flex in the single strand below the eye and not rub the bark. I also assume the girthed eye splice alowed the limb to grow each spring and not be girdled by the rope. I fact when I examined the branch as I removed the rope, there was virtually no damage at all. The tree growth had acually forced the girthed eye splice to progressively open up over the years. The splice (seized & frapped) through the tire frustrated young curious fingers from freeing the tire.

This might have not worked so well with another species of tree or another rope or another person. Again, this definitely is no recommendation - just an example of one very successful tire swing installation.


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## SINGLE-JACK (Sep 13, 2009)

*Punch a hole in the tire!!!*

I forgot to mention that I sharpened the end of a 1-1/2" steel pipe and punched a hole through the tread of the tire. I always kept that hole oriented to the bottom to let rain run out.


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## J.Walker (Sep 13, 2009)

TreeCo said:


> Give it a few good bounces at the 40ft. mark to see if the UV degradation has advanced to the point that it's unsafe.
> /



I agree little nephews grow up. It's hard to keep them small!


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## SINGLE-JACK (Nov 15, 2009)

Plasmech said:


> I set up a tire swing for my nephew about a year ago. This was before I new anything about tree stuff. Beach tree, huge horizontal branch about 60-70 feet above the ground. I did everything from the ground...sling shot a lead sinker and some 6 pound test over the branch, then cinched a 13mm static line (the "black stuff" using a figure-8 loop. This is obviously not the right way to do this. I'm concerned that the rope is going to break when it erodes through the loop. UV rays from the sun is not helping much either.
> 
> I want to remove the tire, then ascend the rope, tie into the branch, and *re-do the whole thing* by installing a proper sling around the branch and use a steel 'biner to attach the 13mm static line.
> 
> ...



So ... what's the rest of the story ... did you ever get to _"re-do the whole thing"?_ I've been holding my breath ...


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