How to Build a Double Swing

Building the Swing

• 1

  Draw three lines with the pencil, in 4 inch increments, off the end of the board. Cut along the lines with the saw. These will be reinforcement pieces. Sand the rough edges of the board.

• 2

  Draw a line in the middle of the board, using the measuring tape. Glue the reinforcement blocks to each end of the board and in the center, where marked. Mark five holes on each block with a pencil; one in each corner and one dead center. Screw the wood screws into each hole.

• 3

  Drill 2, 3/4 inch holes, 2 inches in from the corner, on the two outer reinforcement blocks. Drill the 3/4 inch holes along the center line of the middle block.

Tying the Swing

• 4

  Cut three, 10 foot lengths of line and burn the ends with the lighter. Thread the end of one line through the 3/4 inch hole and tie a double overhand stopper knot by forming a loop in the rope and passing the end through it twice. Tighten and repeat on the other side of the reinforcement block. Repeat this for all three reinforcement blocks.

• 5

  Cut the remaining line into 3, 40 foot lengths and burn the ends with the lighter. On each end of the line tie a bowline knot. Make an overhand loop and pass the working end through the loop and then behind the standing line and back down into the loop again. Swing the line over the tree limb. Thread the other end through the bowline knot and pull to tighten.

• 6

  Clasp a chain link to the all three lines attached to the swing. Clasp the bowline knots into the chain link from the lines attached to the tree.