Everything I Needed to Know About Life I Learned from Jimmy Buffett.

Some kind soul left me the gift of an old tire on the roadside in front of my house. “How thoughtful!” I fumed.  I put the tire next to my recycling bin in the garage to take with me to the recycling and transfer station in my town here in rural Massachusetts. Later that night I was recycling some old music through my ears when Jimmy Buffet came on telling me that “life is just a tire swing…” Eureka! The mental lights went on. The one thing my well cared for new-age kids lacked - a genuine tire swing on a rope. I got to work immediately. Well Ok, I really got to work when I needed a good topic for a blog. Don’t tell the kids.

First, I made a low tech swing- the classic. I found a suitable tree in the yard, threw a rope over it, and tied it a couple of feet off the ground. Drilled a couple holes in the bottom to drain water and prevent mosquitoes, tested it by swinging on it myself for a few hours- er , minutes, and it was kid ready.

This classic vertical swing is more suitable for a solitary swinger, and I have twins, so I set about to make….

…this  horizontal model that allows more than one child to swing. This is the one we’re going to make today.

Choose a Tree for Your Swing

The tree you choose should have a horizontal branch at least 10 feet above the ground and at least 8-inches in diameter. Be certain that the tree is healthy. Don’t choose a tree that appears to be losing many large branches. The branch you choose does not have to be perfectly horizontal because a tire swing hangs from just one spot on the branch - as opposed to a wooden swing, in which ropes hang from two spots.

Prepare the Tire

Recycled tires are available at local garages. A neighborhood service station may even give you the tire free. Tractor and truck tires make the best swings, due to their larger size.

The Basics: One old Tire-available on many street corners, roadsides, yards, fields, or your local garage or tire shop.

Purchase heavy-duty rope for the swing, such as ¾-inch Dacron/polyester. For a vertical tire swing, you will need enough rope to reach the distance from the tree to the swing, plus at least 10-feet extra for tying. Old climber’s rope is good. That’s what I used on the vertical swing above. Or you can use chains and eyebolts. We’ll use chains for our horizontal swing.

Simple Horizontal Tire Swing

First, Drill good sized drain holes - at least 3 spaced evenly - on the bottom side of the tire with a ½ inch bit.

Now drill the holes for your rope or eyebolts and chains. Measure the diameter of the itre and space your holes at 1/3rd intervals. You want a balanced swing. Using a 3/8 inch bit, drill the holes for the eye bolts.

I used galvanized 3/8 inch eyebolts with an extra wide washers to secure them, and a nut to hold it all in place.

Slip the first washer over the eye bolt, and push it through the tire. Then slip the second washer over the end of the bolt and secure it inside the tire place with the nut.

It should look like this from the inside when you are finished.

Next take a screw link coupling (above) and slide it over the eye bolt and one end of the chain as shown above.

When you’ve got all three chains in place, connect them to a swivel hook as shown above.

Find a good tree and hang your horizontal swing from a long rope, or make a tripod or frame from logs and suspend it from that. You might want to take some lengths of old garden hose and slide them over the chains to soften them a bit - those little fingers can get pinched.

You can also make a horizontal swing using three sections of rope that are long enough to reach from your tire to the branch and also allow for tying knots. Tie the three sections of rope to the tree with a square knot. Then tie the three together in an overhand knot, at least two feet above the tire swing. Center the knot, so the tire swing is level. Drill your drain holes in the bottom of the tire. Then, drill three holes, equidistant, and from top to bottom of the tire. Thread the ropes through the drilled holes and through a washer and then tie a secure knot.

Easy Vertical Tire Swing

For a vertical tire swing, drill one or two drain holes at the bottom, so rainwater does not collect. Use a ladder to reach the branch and tie the rope to the branch with a square knot. You may also attach the rope to a sock, with a ball inside, and throw it over the branch. You can tie a slipknot and pull both ends until it reaches the top of the branch. (With this method, you will have a double rope). The easiest way to attach the rope is by simply tying the knot around the tire, at the top of the tire (opposite the drain holes). Get it, the water drains out of the- oh never mind. Just do it.

Alternatively, drill holes through the middle of the tire and push the rope through the holes. Tie a knot with a flat washer or even an old nut above it to hold it in place.

If you want to make a vertical tire swing using the eyebolt and chain method, just drill a drain hole on one side of the tire and a 3/8 hole for the eyebolt on the other, You can attach the chain just like the horizontal tire swing…..
Finding a new use for recycled tires helps the environment and it’s an easy way to make a tree swing for your backyard.

But I’m all thumbs, and don’t want to wrestle with an old tire….

Ok, for those of you who want something a little fancier, or don’t want to do it yourself, you can still pout an old tire to work as playground equipment by purchasing one of these high end swings from the craftsmen below…

Close the Loop.com has a selection of dragons, horses, airplanes, even a Harley Davidson, all made from old tires.

These swings are really creative and fun.

Motorcycle

Dragon

Biplane

Or, if you want the look of the tire, but with class, Herb at My Tire Swings is the guy to call. He wanted to build a play set for his grandson, found the cost of manufactured equipment too high, so he built a tire swing, painted with highlighted letters, a real Cadillac of a swing. He started getting into it, building and selling on Ebay, and graduated to his own website. He paints them bright colors to avoid the tire black that generations of moms have been trying to get out of kids clothing. Vertical, horizontal, ropes, chains, handles and every color of the rainbow, Herb keeps tire after tire out of the landfill and while keeping kids laughing and swinging.

So get off that couch, go track down a tire, and get swinging!