OLD FASHIONED SUMMER FUN: Tire Swing

This is for my upcoming TV spot on News Channel 8 (WTNH) Good Morning Connecticut Weekend show, Saturday, July 19th at 7:23 am

Old Fashioned Backyard Tire Swing
From my book, Summer: A User's Guide

Materials:
Rope
A stout tree branch about 12 to 16 feet overhead
Clean, old tire
Power drill or awl and hammer
A piece of rubber hose, approximately the width of your branch (optional; but it will protect both the branch and the rope from wear and tear)


To determine the length of rope needed, measure from the tree branch to the point you want the tire to hang, then add approximately ten feet for various loops and knots. (Note: The farther the swing is from the trunk the larger the supporting branch should be.)

Using a Figure 8 Knot, create a loop in the rope about 5 to 8 inches in diameter at one end of the rope. Secure the Figure 8 with a Double Stopper Knot. Double and triple-check that this knot is secure.

Find a piece of hose with an inside diameter that is slightly larger than the rope, then slip the rope through the hose, and slide it all the way up to the loop. Throw the loop end of the rope over the selected branch. You may need to attach a guide weight to the rope for make for an easier throw – but exercise extreme caution when doing so.

Once you have both ends of the rope in your hands, slip the loose end of the rope through the loop in the opposite end. Pull on loose end of the rope and draw the loop up to the top, securing the rope to branch.

Using a power drill or an awl and hammer, drill or poke several holes through the bottom of the tire. (The holes will keep rainwater from collecting in the tire.)

Decide the approximate height you want the tire to hang, then wrap the rope twice around the tire around and use a Figure Eight Knot secured with a Double Stopper Knot to secure the rope at the tire end. You may need to adjust the swing height after a few weeks, as the rope may stretch out from use.