Swingset fun
- irowiki
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Swingset fun
400 pounds worth of wood, bolts, etc.
Imagine this as a big ugly sand pit. Now with rubber mulch.
But oops, we ran out of mulch, what to do? At least we have a wagon!
"Phase 1"
Progress!
More progress, and we figured out where to put it.
Alas, it got dark, nothing some lights can't fix! We got two more hours out of the day.
More pictures tomorrow!
Imagine this as a big ugly sand pit. Now with rubber mulch.
But oops, we ran out of mulch, what to do? At least we have a wagon!
"Phase 1"
Progress!
More progress, and we figured out where to put it.
Alas, it got dark, nothing some lights can't fix! We got two more hours out of the day.
More pictures tomorrow!
Former Tercel Enthusiast (not a practical family car anymore but they still have a place in my heart)
Site administrator, if something is broken, PM me!
87 Corolla FX16, 105k
94 Jamboree RV (Ford E-350), 90k
95 Camry Wagon, 170k
97 4runner, 275k
Site administrator, if something is broken, PM me!
87 Corolla FX16, 105k
94 Jamboree RV (Ford E-350), 90k
95 Camry Wagon, 170k
97 4runner, 275k
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Re: Swingset fun
Nice job! I built something similar for our son when he was five. Twenty two years later, it is still standing. Time does fly.
- Gottolovem
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Re: Swingset fun
That's one lucky young man who will help you repair all your cars now
At least you can reclaim your garage now.
At least you can reclaim your garage now.
Re: Swingset fun
Despite what paul would have you believe, over 75% of the garage is stuffed with tercel and tool stuff even with the swingset gone =P
- irowiki
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Re: Swingset fun
Not quite that much!
Former Tercel Enthusiast (not a practical family car anymore but they still have a place in my heart)
Site administrator, if something is broken, PM me!
87 Corolla FX16, 105k
94 Jamboree RV (Ford E-350), 90k
95 Camry Wagon, 170k
97 4runner, 275k
Site administrator, if something is broken, PM me!
87 Corolla FX16, 105k
94 Jamboree RV (Ford E-350), 90k
95 Camry Wagon, 170k
97 4runner, 275k
- Gottolovem
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Re: Swingset fun
If I had a garage 75% percent means there is another 25% left
- Petros
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Re: Swingset fun
usually with only a few children it is not a problem, but the people that design these play sets do not put enough diagonal bracing on them. With a lot of kids climbing on them it could do the parallelogram trick and collapse. this would be very dangerous for life and limb, I suggest adding a few diagonal boards like knee braces or a full diagonal from the lower corner up to the upper corner on each side.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
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Re: Swingset fun
what Petros said!
My tool-clueless ex s-i-l "built" a similar set years ago. I warned him about adding the diagonal bracing, but he naturally poo-pooed my suggestion, saying the manufacturer did not mention it.
After seeing kids on it and its movement...the next time they were out of town I came over with matching lumber and installed the bracing - plus lots of extra carriage bolts. If he ever noticed it, he said nothing.
Tom M.
My tool-clueless ex s-i-l "built" a similar set years ago. I warned him about adding the diagonal bracing, but he naturally poo-pooed my suggestion, saying the manufacturer did not mention it.
After seeing kids on it and its movement...the next time they were out of town I came over with matching lumber and installed the bracing - plus lots of extra carriage bolts. If he ever noticed it, he said nothing.
Tom M.
T4WD augury?
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit."
T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"
"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates."
Mark Twain
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit."
T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"
"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates."
Mark Twain
- Petros
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Re: Swingset fun
we attend a small town church that got two of them donated, they were used but in fair condition. some volunteers assembled them and soon after over a dozen small children were climbing all over them. One had a swing set attached, the other a slide, both moved frighteningly when kids were playing or climbing on them. the only thing I think keeping one from collapsing was the slide. I went and bought some matching treated wood and plated screws and added some diagonals to all of them, more screws in all the critical joints, and put some collar ties on the swing set. Nice and solid now.
I am surprised the companies that make these have not been sued yet, it is entirely irresponsible to not realize this structure has no lateral stability. It is not a good visual I get should one of these devices collapse, still bolted together, with small children playing on it.
I am surprised the companies that make these have not been sued yet, it is entirely irresponsible to not realize this structure has no lateral stability. It is not a good visual I get should one of these devices collapse, still bolted together, with small children playing on it.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
- irowiki
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Re: Swingset fun
I'm no carpenter so bear with me:
So you mean a brace like this: /
Or a brace like this: X
Carriage bolts? Collars on the swings?
So you mean a brace like this: /
Or a brace like this: X
Carriage bolts? Collars on the swings?
Former Tercel Enthusiast (not a practical family car anymore but they still have a place in my heart)
Site administrator, if something is broken, PM me!
87 Corolla FX16, 105k
94 Jamboree RV (Ford E-350), 90k
95 Camry Wagon, 170k
97 4runner, 275k
Site administrator, if something is broken, PM me!
87 Corolla FX16, 105k
94 Jamboree RV (Ford E-350), 90k
95 Camry Wagon, 170k
97 4runner, 275k
- Gottolovem
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- Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2012 4:28 pm
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- Location: Reno
Re: Swingset fun
The first one under The deck cut at 45 on each end around a foot long on each side of all the vertical posts should do nicely.
- irowiki
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Re: Swingset fun
So, what I did here in green:
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Former Tercel Enthusiast (not a practical family car anymore but they still have a place in my heart)
Site administrator, if something is broken, PM me!
87 Corolla FX16, 105k
94 Jamboree RV (Ford E-350), 90k
95 Camry Wagon, 170k
97 4runner, 275k
Site administrator, if something is broken, PM me!
87 Corolla FX16, 105k
94 Jamboree RV (Ford E-350), 90k
95 Camry Wagon, 170k
97 4runner, 275k
- Gottolovem
- Highest Ranking Member
- Posts: 1637
- Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2012 4:28 pm
- My tercel:: 1985 SR5 with snow plow,1987 auto 1984 parts car,1987 FX-16 GTS
- Location: Reno
Re: Swingset fun
That's the ticket don't forget to do both sides and the ends to.( all the way around)
Re: Swingset fun
We did notice it was quite wobbly. I actually recall a segment in the "FAQ" of the instructions saying something tot he tune of
Q: The playset wobbles of moves freely.
A: The ground is not level and the set is improperly squared.
Seriously, that was their excuse.
I already had plans to reinforce several bits on it due to extreme cheapness. The seats on the "picnic table toybox" area are 3 slats of wood about 3/4inch thick each, about 2.5 inch wide, and at least 3~ feet long, they were looking like they'd break under the weight of a 2.5 year old... And this set is rated for 3 to 10?
Q: The playset wobbles of moves freely.
A: The ground is not level and the set is improperly squared.
Seriously, that was their excuse.
I already had plans to reinforce several bits on it due to extreme cheapness. The seats on the "picnic table toybox" area are 3 slats of wood about 3/4inch thick each, about 2.5 inch wide, and at least 3~ feet long, they were looking like they'd break under the weight of a 2.5 year old... And this set is rated for 3 to 10?
- Petros
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Re: Swingset fun
what you illustrated is the knee brace. It will work just make sure you put enough bolts on it so it is strong enough. The knee brace has the most amount of stress on it as compared to a diagonal brace, but it will still be stronger than what you have now.
the diagonal brace is like the knee brace only it is longer, it runs from the lower corner to the opposite upper corner. It crosses over the center of the opening. the cross or "X" brace is a variation of the diagonal brace with them going both direretions, these are usually used only with cable or rod braces, since a lumber brace will take both tension and compression loads you do not need to cross brace with a lumber brace (cables clearly are only good for tension loads, so you need one going each way). Using cross braced lumber braces are unnecessary, just a single diagonal on each side of the structure is all you need.
make sure you put either knee braces or a diagonal brace on each side, including the ends (short dimension) and the sides (the long dimension). than it will be braces along all axis of the play set. Plan carefully so you can place them in such a way none of them interfere with the various play things that go with the play set.
the diagonal brace is like the knee brace only it is longer, it runs from the lower corner to the opposite upper corner. It crosses over the center of the opening. the cross or "X" brace is a variation of the diagonal brace with them going both direretions, these are usually used only with cable or rod braces, since a lumber brace will take both tension and compression loads you do not need to cross brace with a lumber brace (cables clearly are only good for tension loads, so you need one going each way). Using cross braced lumber braces are unnecessary, just a single diagonal on each side of the structure is all you need.
make sure you put either knee braces or a diagonal brace on each side, including the ends (short dimension) and the sides (the long dimension). than it will be braces along all axis of the play set. Plan carefully so you can place them in such a way none of them interfere with the various play things that go with the play set.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)