Author Topic: Tying for tree swing  (Read 10945 times)

tb582

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Tying for tree swing
« on: August 14, 2014, 05:52:45 PM »
Hello - I know next to nothing about knots aside from how to tie my shoes and my tie :)

I'm going to attempt to hang a rope swing from a tree limb for my kids. I purchased a throw weight and line that I figured I use to get the rope around the limb I'm going to use. The question then becomes how do I go about tying the swing rope to the brach which is high up in the tree?

roo

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Re: Tying for tree swing
« Reply #1 on: August 14, 2014, 07:45:08 PM »
Hello - I know next to nothing about knots aside from how to tie my shoes and my tie :)

I'm going to attempt to hang a rope swing from a tree limb for my kids. I purchased a throw weight and line that I figured I use to get the rope around the limb I'm going to use. The question then becomes how do I go about tying the swing rope to the brach which is high up in the tree?
Here's a non-chafing option:

http://igkt.net/sm/index.php?topic=2708.msg16135#msg16135
« Last Edit: August 14, 2014, 07:52:12 PM by roo »
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tb582

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Re: Tying for tree swing
« Reply #2 on: August 15, 2014, 02:22:42 PM »
Not sure I get it - since I'm not going up in the tree to tie the knot I'm planning on just heaving it up there whats the best method?

Wed

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Re: Tying for tree swing
« Reply #3 on: August 15, 2014, 02:55:39 PM »
Traditionally, you'd tie a monkey fist as a heaving weight. Maybe you can tie another weight to the end.

Then throw it around the branch twice or more. Both ends are fastened to the swing. That way, the rope folds/unfolds around the branch without chafing it.

roo

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Re: Tying for tree swing
« Reply #4 on: August 15, 2014, 03:04:30 PM »
Traditionally, you'd tie a monkey fist as a heaving weight. Maybe you can tie another weight to the end.

Then throw it around the branch twice or more. Both ends are fastened to the swing. That way, the rope folds/unfolds around the branch without chafing it.
If both ends are fastened to the swing, it will cause rotation of the rope around the branch, not just wrapping and unwrapping.  One end needs to be stationary.

If you meant that one end of the rope should attach to the right side of the seat, spiral around the branch, and the other end attach to the left side of the seat, that would also pose problems, as one side would gain rope distance while the other side lost rope distance during the swing.  That would tilt the seat side to side.

The wrapping needs to be symmetric, which is easy to do with separate weights.
« Last Edit: August 15, 2014, 03:44:07 PM by roo »
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roo

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Re: Tying for tree swing
« Reply #5 on: August 15, 2014, 03:09:09 PM »
Not sure I get it - since I'm not going up in the tree to tie the knot I'm planning on just heaving it up there whats the best method?
Once you throw a few wraps over the branch, you can tie a sandbag or a similar weight to one end of the rope.  Just be sure that the wraps spiral out far enough to be out of the swing path.   The other end would attach to one side of the swing seat.

You don't have to be at branch level.  Just reach up or stand on a stool or ladder to tie off the weight.  Or you could tie the weight at the ground, and try to support its weight with one hand as you pull the other end of the rope firmly to get the weight at the desired elevation.

If your sandbag doesn't have a handy attach point, you can attach directly to the neck of the bag with a Constrictor Knot, Sailor's Hitch, or the like:

http://notableknotindex.webs.com/boaconstrictor.html
http://notableknotindex.webs.com/sailorhitches.html
« Last Edit: August 15, 2014, 03:24:04 PM by roo »
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Wed

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Re: Tying for tree swing
« Reply #6 on: August 15, 2014, 06:15:14 PM »
Attached is what I mean.

roo

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Re: Tying for tree swing
« Reply #7 on: August 15, 2014, 06:20:24 PM »
Attached is what I mean.
Even if you put enough wraps to prevent slippage, your seat would tip forward and back during the swing due to length changes in the rope parts. 
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SS369

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Re: Tying for tree swing
« Reply #8 on: August 15, 2014, 06:30:55 PM »
Hello - I know next to nothing about knots aside from how to tie my shoes and my tie :)

I'm going to attempt to hang a rope swing from a tree limb for my kids. I purchased a throw weight and line that I figured I use to get the rope around the limb I'm going to use. The question then becomes how do I go about tying the swing rope to the brach which is high up in the tree?

Good day tb582.

Firstly, what type of swing? A tire? A plank? Or just a knot/loop on the end for them to stand on?
Do you have a sufficient length of suitably sized rope to hold both ends once it is over the branch?
If so, then if you'd like a single line from which to suspend a tire, then tie a loop, say a Figure 8 in the end of one of lines in hand and then thread the other, unknotted, into the eye and pull the loop to the branch. It will be self tightening.
Make sure the rope is initially over the branch where you want it.
Then tie the tire, etc. to the hanging end.
Hope this helps.

sbachar

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Re: Tying for tree swing
« Reply #9 on: August 19, 2014, 11:20:40 PM »
I have made several rope swings for my kids over the years (two ropes, plank swing).I have had great, non chafing success in high branches using a running bowline.at the base, each rope runs through one side of the swing and i connect to the other rope with adjustable grip hitches. will try to take some pics tonight.

tb582

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Re: Tying for tree swing
« Reply #10 on: August 22, 2014, 01:17:59 PM »
Hello - I know next to nothing about knots aside from how to tie my shoes and my tie :)

I'm going to attempt to hang a rope swing from a tree limb for my kids. I purchased a throw weight and line that I figured I use to get the rope around the limb I'm going to use. The question then becomes how do I go about tying the swing rope to the brach which is high up in the tree?

Good day tb582.

Firstly, what type of swing? A tire? A plank? Or just a knot/loop on the end for them to stand on?
Do you have a sufficient length of suitably sized rope to hold both ends once it is over the branch?
If so, then if you'd like a single line from which to suspend a tire, then tie a loop, say a Figure 8 in the end of one of lines in hand and then thread the other, unknotted, into the eye and pull the loop to the branch. It will be self tightening.
Make sure the rope is initially over the branch where you want it.
Then tie the tire, etc. to the hanging end.
Hope this helps.

Yes I should of been more specific, thanks for the follow up questions.

I'm aiming to just to have it be a rope with loop on the end for them to stand on... Finally got my throw line in the mail so I should be able to try something once I know what to do :)

preventec47

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Re: Tying for tree swing
« Reply #11 on: October 11, 2014, 12:14:15 PM »
For the sake of discussion as I am not a knot scientist,  it seems to me
that the important factor is you cannot climb a ladder to be at branch
level to tie a knot ......  so if it were me,  I would put a loop knot at the end
of the rope ( your choice of loop ) ...  (For my whole life I just used overhand
knot loops as you dont lose too much rope when you have to cut the loop
off)  then throw the loop end over the branch and coax it back to the
ground where you can thread the other end through to form a lasso.

Now all you have to do is pull and shake the rope to get the lasso loop
to rise and tighten around the branch.

The problem being later when you want to take the rope down.... you will
have to get up to tree branch level.

If I could climb a ladder to reach tree branch level,
an unsophisticated person that did not know any fancy knots like
me would put 8 or 10 turns around the branch and finish by adding
a half dozen half hitches followed by an overhead knot to use up
the extra length of the tail end.   Not real pretty but effective and
it wont ever come loose and it will be easy to untie.








struktor

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Re: Tying for tree swing
« Reply #12 on: November 21, 2014, 09:20:21 PM »

dkjeep88

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Re: Tying for tree swing
« Reply #13 on: November 01, 2017, 12:05:36 AM »
Youtube. Youtube. Youtube. If you need any kind of guidance that's where you go lol. Just out of curiosity where did you get your swing? I wanted to get one for my backyard, so I bought one off of https://treeswingstore.com/. I figured buying a kit would be safer than making my own.