Set up a new swing...

[moss]

Put my tree-O-board swing up in a new location, 200 ft. rope, basal anchored on one white pine then up through a second two-leader white one with two rope sleeves at contact points, then down through to the swing pivot point in a leaning black cherry with another rope sleeve at the contact point...

-AJ

 

[FreeFallin]

No words man, that is beyond cool! I might not even see dirt on the ground for another 2 months, but as soon as we top 50° the swing is going up.

 

[moss]

No words man, that is beyond cool! I might not even see dirt on the ground for another 2 months, but as soon as we top 50° the swing is going up.

Glad you liked it, we had some crazy warm January weather a few days ago when I was shooting that, felt nice but it's not supposed to be like that in January!
-AJ

 

[96coal449]

Yea, weather is definitely not the norm. Awesome video! Also very inspiring. Maybe one day tree boarding will make the Olimpics. At least give the younger generation a reason to get off their tablets and i-phones.

 

[DanHouse]

I would like to share my thoughts about limb anchors when used for setting up a swing.

The most common method is the rope with/without a sleeve goes once over the top then tied just below.

What I dislike is that with each swing back and forth the rope moves with a sawing motion that is not good for the bark or the rope.

The bigger the arch the more motion. By going completely around twice before tying will eliminate ALL rope motion on the limb.

Of course I recommend a long conduit type rope sleeve that protects the bark plus the rope stays clean, dry and chew-resistant.

 

[moss]

I would like to share my thoughts about limb anchors when used for setting up a swing.

Hello Dan, I used three Dan House style conduit sleeves for the swing setup shown in the video above. Last three swings I've set up are SRT basal anchored swings, I'm really liking the technique, allows the rope to be positioned further out on limbs to create a more 360 degree swing zone and reduces chances of accidental contact with the trunk. The same safety benefits that climbers experience climbing SRT on a rope distributed through redirects can be applied to swings as well.
-AJ

 

[DanHouse]

Moss, Yes that method is great to get the apex far away from the trunk and it can add a certain bounce to the action if over a limber limb. Whenever we set up our 8 foot round trampoline swing we have to use two limbs to support the 1,000 pound live load. One at the apex that acts like a yard arm and the other near the trunk as high up as possible then down to the base anchor. This reduces the load on the apex limb since it acts like a spreader and put the majority of the load at the strongest point at the trunk. Hope to see your swing in action.
Climb UP
Calm DOWN

 

[smsunman]

This is really cool, what did you use for materials (kinda of wood, etc)? Can you post some more pictures of the construction?
Thanks in advance.

 

[moss]

This is really cool, what did you use for materials (kinda of wood, etc)? Can you post some more pictures of the construction?
Thanks in advance.

Of the tree-o-board swing? It's white pine with a 1"x reinforcement keel screwed in on the bottom length of the board.

 

[smsunman]

thanks Andrew, I think Ill make one, the kids will love it. I have an extra hank of 16 strand laying around. Any caveats?

 

[moss]

thanks Andrew, I think Ill make one, the kids will love it. I have an extra hank of 16 strand laying around. Any caveats?

Reduce chances for trunk impact in the swing range, have the kids try it "low and slow" before they get too ambitious. I've noticed on my swing that adults and children who aren't tree climbers or strongly physically able overestimate their strength/abilities and can just fall off the swing at the wrong moment. Nobody hurt but I'm cautious now when people try it for the first time, encourage them to take it easy until they figure out what they can and can't do.
-AJ

 

[moss]

This is really cool, what did you use for materials (kinda of wood, etc)? Can you post some more pictures of the construction?
Thanks in advance.

Here are some photos to give you an idea of the construction etc.:

-AJ

 

[moss]

Maaaan, that is sooo freaking cool actually. I would also really like to get such a swing. The problem is that I do not have a good place where I could actually place it. Well, the place is not such a great problem, I would find it for sure. I have another question, where did you find that sort of a rope?!

It’s odds and ends of various arborist ropes, thx.
-AJ

 

[Birdyman88]

That is too cool.

 

[moss]

Here's a recent swing build, a variation on a traditional swing setup, you can still get crazy on it but it lends itself to a more sedate ride...

White pine slab seat

Red oak spreader and grab piece

Hung on a big ash limb with cambium protection and plenty of room for limb diameter expansion. Helps that its on the side of a hill to amplify the the ride ;-)

Details of transition from two lines to single

-AJ

 

[moss]

This was a functional "proof of concept". I'll be switching all the cordage involved to kernmantle/core strength lines. The tough cover protects the core from UV. I inspect all the lines in a swing setup annually. I wear gloves when handling line during install so salts don't get on the cordage and attract rodent chewing. All rope/tree interface has cambium/friction protection. I've got a swing in 4 years and another in 2 years and both passed recent manual inspections of all the lines, condition excellent. I do some adjustments where there is very slight cover strand wear to move the wear point away from the bend point or whatever was causing the wear. After one year my harness bridges look 100x worse ;-)
-AJ

 

[Birdyman88]

Hey @moss, I saw where you basal anchored and ran through a few points - so about how far is it from the swing to the pivot point?

 

[moss]

Hey @moss, I saw where you basal anchored and ran through a few points - so about how far is it from the swing to the pivot point?

Different on every setup, one is 60' the one above is probably 35', it's not a redirect setup, most of my swings are done redirect style or suspended off high lines.
-AJ

 

[Dan Cobb]

I installed a couple of swings not long ago. Woman wanted the cheap store bought round swing for the grand kids installed with eye bolts, but wanted the front yard swing I made for her just tied around the branch. Couldn't quite figure that one out, as the eye bolts, nuts and washers aren't expensive and I wasn't charging her more to install bolts.

 

[moss]

Have you ever utilized a rated eye bolt through the limb for longer-term swing installs?

What's the purpose of the short green rope and carabiner near the end of the tree-o-board in the second-to-last photo in post #12? EDIT: I re-watched the video in post #1 and found the answer.

That custom swing seat and spreader bar are much cooler and fancier than the cheap retail swing platforms that families often want me to install.
View attachment 76914

So far I've done zero thru-bolt attachments. I'm always looking for a way to hang swings that does zero damage to the tree. For a single point suspension swing I make a custom sleeve out of liquid-tight conduit, run the rope through and tie-off with plenty of room for the limb to grow. I do annual inspections of my swing installs so I can stay ahead of limb growth as needed. The outside diameter of the sleeve resists being sucked in by the expanding cambium. Placement location is key, if you position it in a tight union the tree will eat it pretty fast.
-AJ