Andrew Pitonyak
07-01-2010, 3:03 PM
I took a 2 x 12 pine board, cut it about 18 inches long, smoothed out the sharp edges and used it as a swing seat. I drilled a large hole in the middle and then finished it with Cabot Australian Timber Oil that I use on my ceder swing set and an oak bench that I keep outside.
I hung a rope about 30 feet up in a tree, ran this rope through the hole and then tied a knot. The knot will not be easy to untie.
I noticed yesterday that the seat is splitting and now has a split that is a few inches deep that goes all the way through the seat (top to bottom).
I suppose that I have questions:
(1) Would I have better luck with say white oak? I also have some ash sitting around.
(2) It will not be easy (but is probably possible) to pull the seat from the rope. Should I simply place a butterfly dovetail across the split (difficult for me but possible) or screw on a reinforcing piece on the bottom (easy for me, but I have reservations)? If I dovetail the split, should this go all the way through? I will try to do this in place. If I pull the seat, I will simply replace it (which takes us back to question 1).
(3) Was the finish that I used fine for the task? Works very well for my Oak bench and Cedar swing set.
I have had that piece of wood sitting my basement for a couple of years. Never expected it to split.
I do not have photos of the swing at the moment, but, I do have a video of this thing in action. Since my surgery about four weeks back, I can no longer "throw" my daughter or my wife higher than a first floor roof, but, it is still a bunch of fun
Video of the swing:
http://www.vimeo.com/12100304
The wife thought that I was crazy when I put this thing up. Now she thinks that it is the greatest thing since sliced bread and my backyard has become the place to be...
I hung a rope about 30 feet up in a tree, ran this rope through the hole and then tied a knot. The knot will not be easy to untie.
I noticed yesterday that the seat is splitting and now has a split that is a few inches deep that goes all the way through the seat (top to bottom).
I suppose that I have questions:
(1) Would I have better luck with say white oak? I also have some ash sitting around.
(2) It will not be easy (but is probably possible) to pull the seat from the rope. Should I simply place a butterfly dovetail across the split (difficult for me but possible) or screw on a reinforcing piece on the bottom (easy for me, but I have reservations)? If I dovetail the split, should this go all the way through? I will try to do this in place. If I pull the seat, I will simply replace it (which takes us back to question 1).
(3) Was the finish that I used fine for the task? Works very well for my Oak bench and Cedar swing set.
I have had that piece of wood sitting my basement for a couple of years. Never expected it to split.
I do not have photos of the swing at the moment, but, I do have a video of this thing in action. Since my surgery about four weeks back, I can no longer "throw" my daughter or my wife higher than a first floor roof, but, it is still a bunch of fun
Video of the swing:
http://www.vimeo.com/12100304
The wife thought that I was crazy when I put this thing up. Now she thinks that it is the greatest thing since sliced bread and my backyard has become the place to be...