Rebuilt Ropeswing

Thanks to my friends, Frank and Kristin Hoffman at http://www.knot4fun.com/, I rebuilt our rope swing over the weekend. I used a swing hitch to secure the rope to a Sweet Gum branch which overhangs our back yard.

I used solid braid, multi-fiber (polypropylene, nylon, polyester) rope, 7/16" diameter (purchased at Home Depot). This has a working load of 300lbs, so I doubled up the rope. I tied a swing hitch at the top, and secured the loose end with a stick so it cannot work out of the knot. I then used overhand knots on the rope all the way down so that the kids can climb up the rope.

At the seat, I use a 2x4 with a single hole drilled through the middle. Thread the rope through the hole & tie an overhand knot under the seat bottom so the 2x4 rests on that knot. I leave a little 'tail' on the rope that I can use as a handle when giving the kids a big push on the swing.

I chose my rope so that it won't stretch with age or use, nor will it shrink after a rain. The swing is about 13 feet high off the ground.

Bridge Building Project

We've spanned the creek in our backyard with a bridge. The main deck was salvaged from a nearby home - it was an outdoor wheelchair ramp no longer needed. The ramp didn't quite span our creek - 16' wide from bank-to-bank. So I build a rough support of 4x4s - also salvaged from the woods. And then constructed a small 4' deck to span the gap. All the wood is salvaged pressure-treated wood. Home Depot sells cutout lumber for .50 to $2, depending on the length & quality.

The pre-cast concrete footings were purchased at HD for about $6 each.

Grilling Patio

Over the past weekend I layed out a small brick patio for us to use when grilling or smoking food outside.

All [new] materials purchased at the Home Depot. Total cost: about $140.

Notice the spiral brick design. I layed that out on Excel first, to get an accurate measurement and brick count.