Tree Swing - Rope and Anchor Tie

[BlackBikeDave]

I have a friend who's family are all overweight.
He wants me to put a single line rope swing in one of his big pines in his back yard.
What's a good choice for a rope that's gonna be outside for the swing?
I've seen a strait line up to a branch tie and I've also seen a line over a branch that tied to another brach angled above it.

Just wondering what I should be thinking about in regards to their weight and the rope being outside in the weather.
Thanks

 

[lxskllr]

I'd use treemaster for the rope. I wouldn't want anything anchored directly to the tree. I'd have to think about it, and see exactly what I was dealing with, but I'd want room to grow for the tree, and something to insulate it from abrasion.

Has this tree, or one like it had a swing in it before? I'm mostly familiar with white pine, and I don't see many of those suitable for a swing of even moderate weight. There's a lot of ways it could be (over)engineered, but it would be a bespoke solution for an individual tree.

 

[Bermy]

Ohhhh, who remembers the drama and court case when a member installed a rope swing and it was incorrectly used and he got sued!?

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Deva, cost him like 20 or 40k to defend himself and have the suit dropped.

 

[Bermy]

Yeah, that was awful.

 

[stikine]

Damn

 

[Cobleskill]

Yes. Our legal system needs an overhaul also. Disgusting.

 

[Mick!]

Ohhhh, who remembers the drama and court case when a member installed a rope swing and it was incorrectly used and he got sued!?

That’s one thread I’ll never forget. Changed the way I work, not that I install rope swings you understand.

Any sketchy tree where a client wants to save it or similar, I just say ‘it’s out or nothing’

 

[Altissimus]

Long time back swimming at lake and surrounding lands all owned by the Power Company here ... someone had put up a cheap nylon rope to swing out and let go landing in the water ... my big drunk friend Jimbo had the inevitable accident , wound up fracturing both of his middle fingers (he looked hilarious after the doctor splinted them) .... epitaph, the Power Company came out and cut down the tree.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

We lose folks to rope swings pretty regular up here. Places where there are plenty of bolders beside and under water.
Some one will put one up, and the inevitable happens. We are all bullet proof till we aren't.

 

[BlackSmith]

I refuse to be liable for someone else’s stupidity. A bad day fishing cost less than a good day in court.

 

[stig]

I have been called in to remove probably close to a dozen over the years, by the State forest.
Worst one was over a cliff by the sea, with a 50 foot fall onto boulders.
In a scetchy tree, no less.
I looked down while I was up there and thought of Darwin.

As in: " WHAT THE FUG WHERE THEY THINKING OF?????"

So to the OP.....................don't!!

 

[Kaveman]

And here I didn't want to seem a curmudgeon. I could just feel that it was a bad idea.

If tubs and Co want a rope swing, they can do it themselves. If they can't figure out how, they're not qualified to use one anyway.

 

[Cobleskill]

I used to be big on swings growing up. Had a killer one at my treehouse. On the side of a hill. You could go sideways and do a big circle or striaght. I had a 5/4 board with a hole drilled in it and a knot under. The board split and a girl did not hold on. Fortunately not way up in the air. Another girl had an incident also. One got a concussion,one a broken arm. Another swing I had in a barn caused another girl problems. Don't remember what. I had 4 sisters. They were smarter or tougher I guess.

We didn't get sued back then. After the manilla rope was up for a few years Dad told me I better go take it down. Wise move. Could have killed someone.

 

[BlackBikeDave]

If tubs and Co want a rope swing, they can do it themselves. If they can't figure out how, they're not qualified to use one anyway.

Sounds like great advice!!
I have to learn to say NO more often.
lol

 

[Marc-Antoine]

I have the same difficulty to say NO