You can turn old car tires or a set of tires lying around into a do-it-yourself tire swing for local kids. Don't rush to throw them out of the garage. They can serve well when designing a garden path or become a simulator on the dog training area.
Yes, perhaps only for children! After all, a swing is one of the varieties of a “time machine” that can easily transport anyone who uses it 20 or 30 years ago, without requiring payment at all.
You can make a swing out of anything, but it’s always wise to combine business with pleasure. After all, car tires that have served their useful life are still quite strong and capable of withstanding heavy loads, and their shape is pleasing to the eye.
So, if you have one (or several) used tires, a piece of durable board and 4-5 m of strong twine or chain, you can safely build a tire swing with your own hands. And the first step is to conduct reconnaissance of the area.
It is immediately necessary to make a reservation that in cities, especially large ones, initiative will be ruthlessly suppressed by the full might of the bureaucratic apparatus. The arrangement of childhood facilities here is managed by the department for the construction of small architectural forms under the housing and communal services. Even if the construction of a swing is considered advisable, you will have to go through so many approvals and commissions that in the end you will really want to abandon this idea.
It’s another matter in a village, in a country house, on the shore of a lake or on the edge of a forest clearing. No permits are needed here yet, and a grateful public will definitely appreciate the idea. If the swing is installed on a tree, then the branch to which it will be attached should be quite thick and massive, without visible damage or breaks.
You should never compromise when it comes to safety. Even if the height from which you can fall if a branch breaks or a rope breaks is small, no one needs bruises and fractures, frights and abrasions, especially children.
The main principles that must be observed when constructing a swing are reliability and safety.
If you decide to place the swing on your summer cottage, you will have to take care of constructing a stable suspension. One of the options is a diagram (photo 1).
And here it is appropriate to move on to the technical side of the matter. Despite the simplicity of the swing design, you can’t do it without skillful men’s hands, a set of plumbing tools and the right eye.
And we need to start with inventory. We will base our design of future swings on what materials are available.
Simple option
There is one old but in good condition car tire, 4-5 m of strong rope (or chain) and a variety of fasteners. For a complete set, all that is missing is a piece of thick (from 40 mm in cross section) board, preferably smoothly planed on both sides. Getting hold of such a board, I think, will not be difficult. If you have a plane, you can make it yourself by sanding the surface and cutting the edges to the desired size. The size will depend on the diameter of the existing tire.
The essence of this simple design is to embed the board, which will be the seat of the swing, into the inner space of the tire. To do this, you need to cut holes along the outer rim of the tire corresponding to the size of the board in the end projection. The holes must be positioned strictly diametrically, so that the center of the board inserted into them is located symmetrically from all edges of the tire rim. The length of the board should be sufficient to protrude beyond the tire by at least 10 cm.
Cutting tire tread is not an easy task. Inside the rubber there is a metal cord, running in frequent threads under the entire surface of the rim. The quality of the steel is quite high. And if you can’t cut through the veins with wire cutters, you should use a grinder. It is better to do this outdoors, since the rubber will melt and smoke when it comes into contact with the rotating disc of the grinder.
But, having made such a seat, you can breathe a sigh of relief, since half the work is done. Now you need to attach a chain or rope to it and hang it.
Preference, of course, is best given to chains with small links. It will reliably protect the product from breakage at the most inopportune moment. In order to securely secure the chain to the board protruding along the edges of the tire, it is advisable to purchase a special bracket. It will serve for many years and will never let you down.
If this is not possible, you can get out of the situation by drilling two neat holes at the ends of the board. Their diameter should be such that the chain passes through them freely. By inserting several links into this hole, you can firmly secure the chain with a transverse metal rod, such as a thick nail. At the same time, it is very important that there are no sharp ends sticking out either inside or outside; everything should be smooth, without corners or edges that could scratch or injure the skin. And it is better to make the board itself rounded on the protruding edges, and file the edges.
Now you can safely hang the rocking chair in its designated place. In addition to the strong crossbar to which this swinging unit will be directly attached, it is worth paying attention to the area surrounding it. There should be enough space to swing without fear and without getting caught on anything hard.
With the most favorable seat height of 0.5 m from the ground and a height to the crossbar of 2.5 m, the radius of the free zone should be at least 3 m. It is not necessary to cover this area with concrete or asphalt - it is better to sprinkle it with sand or sow it with green grass.
Steps
Making a simple tire swing
- Find a suitable old, unwanted tire.
Make sure it is relatively clean and still in good enough condition that it won't tear under the weight of a person.
- The bigger the tire, the better, but up to a certain point. While you'll want kids to have more room to sit in the tire, a truly huge tire will be especially heavy and may weigh so much that a regular tree branch won't support it. Use your common sense to find the ideal balance between size and weight for a particular tree branch.
- Clean the tire.
Wash it thoroughly with a good detergent, scraping the entire outer surface and rinsing the inside. If a dirty tire is well cleaned, it can be used.
- Use WD40 (a water remover) or tire cleaner to remove stubborn dirt stains. This tire will sit on, so the cleaner the better. Make sure you remove any remaining cleaning product as well!
The branch itself should be thick and strong, with a circumference of at least 25 cm. Make sure the tree is healthy and large, with no signs of weakness indicating instability. Freestanding maple or oak usually works best.
- The branch you choose will affect the length of rope you will need. A suitable size for a tire swing would be about 2.7 meters from a strong branch to the ground.
The branch should be far enough away from the tree so that the swing you hang does not immediately hit the trunk. While you shouldn't hang the swing at the very end of the branch, you should place it no closer than a meter from the trunk.
Take about 15 meters of rope. It must be of high quality so as not to fray or tear under the weight of the load.
- There are many types of ropes you can use, such as high-strength climbing rope or regular rope, although you can use chain if you prefer. On a simple tire swing, a galvanized chain will last longer, but the rope is easier to hang, will cause less damage to the branch, and will be easier for children to hold on to.
In addition to the quality of the rope, fraying can be prevented by using covers in areas that are most susceptible to wear (where the rope touches wood, tires, and where it will be touched by hands).
Since it will hang during rains, water can collect in the inner part of the tire if the surface is without holes. To prevent water from pooling, drill a few holes in the tire where the base will be.
- Carefully drill through the tire. There may be metal threads inside it that you can tear when drilling. Just be prepared to drill through different layers.
Make sure it is secure and will not tip over under you. It makes more sense to have a friend hold it while you climb.
- If you don't have a ladder, you'll have to find another way to hang the swing from a rope. Find a roll of duct tape, or something similar in weight, and tie it to the end of the rope. Then throw this roll over the branch so that the rope loops around it. Once this happens, untie the sticky tape or whatever you were using as a weight for throwing from the rope.
This must be done so that it is not erased by knots or any irregularities in the branch. You can wrap the rope around the branch several times, just make sure it is fixed in one place.
- If you have a cover, this part of the rope should be covered with a cover to prevent abrasion on all sides (where it touches the branch).
Make sure the knot is strong. If you don't know how to do it, find someone who can.
- If you whip the rope around a branch from the ground, you will have to tie a slipknot from the ground and pull it to move it under the branch.
Again, use a seaman's knot to secure the rope to the tire.
- Before tying a knot, consider how far from the ground you want your swing to be. The swing should not touch any obstacles on the ground and hang high enough so that the child’s feet do not touch the ground; there should be about 40 cm left to the ground. On the other hand, they should not be so high that the child himself cannot reach them. Make sure the bar is at this height before securing the assembly.
Remember that the drainage holes should be at the bottom, with the top of the tire facing the holes.
Tie the end of the rope up so it doesn't get in the way or come undone.
Level the ground under the swing if you wish.
Add soil or dig up the soil to create a softer surface for landing if you jump (fall) off the swing.
Check the swing.
Make sure they swing well. Before allowing others on the swing, check your handiwork with a supervisor in case something goes wrong. If all is well, you and your children can start swinging.
Making a horizontal swing from a tire
- Find the right tire.
You want it to be relatively clean and in good enough condition that the sides won't come apart under the weight.
- You can choose any size, but remember that the larger the tire, the more it weighs. You'll want to have plenty of room for kids to sit in the tire, but a very large tire may weigh too much for a regular tree branch.
Wash it thoroughly with a good cleaner, scraping everything inside and out.
- You can also use tire cleaner.
It should be thick and strong, about 25 cm in diameter, and about 2.7 m high from the ground.
- Make sure the tree is healthy and large, with no signs that would indicate it is unstable or has a dead core.
Make sure that the location where the swing will be located is far enough away from the trunk so that the swing will not hit the trunk. This means that you need to hang the swing about a meter away from the trunk.
You will need to purchase three "U" clamps and two matching washers and nuts for each side of the clamp. In other words, you will need four nuts and four washers for each U-clamp. In addition, you will need to purchase about 3.5 meters of rope, 7 meters of quality galvanized chain, and an s-shaped hook large enough so that you can hang three links of chain from one end.
Drill several holes in one of the side walls of the tire.
This side will become the bottom of the swing. The holes will help drain any water that collects on the inside of the tire when it rains.
- Be careful when drilling holes in the tire. There may be metal threads inside it, which you will also have to drill.
Make sure the area is safe and there is solid ground.
- It is better if your friend helps you hold the ladder for stability.
Tie the branch several times before tying a sea knot.
- You will need to hang an s-shaped hook on the rope, under the branch. Lock it around the rope to prevent it from slipping off the hook.
Make sure the knot is strong. If you don't know how to tie knots, ask someone to do it.
You need to decide on the length by deciding what the height of the swing will be. Measure from the hook to the height you think the top of the tire should be. This will be the length of each of the three parts of the ropes.
- The tire should be high enough to prevent your child's feet from dragging on the ground, and should be approximately 40cm from the ground. However, it should not hang too high for your child to climb onto it on their own.
Test your work with a supervisor in case something goes wrong before letting others use the swing. If everything is correct, you can let the kids start swinging on them right away!
- Different types of tires can be used for swings, such as car tires, truck tires, or even tractor tires.
- Periodically check the rope on which your swing is suspended for wear. After a few seasons, the rope may need to be replaced.
- An alternative to hanging the swing is to use swing bolts and a chain from the playground. Hang the chain on the drop bolts after you have secured them to the branch and bar. If you choose this approach, you must remember to frequently check the hinge bolt connections on the branch and bus to ensure they are securely attached.
- Instead of using a regular tire, try something different for your swing. You may be able to use a chair without legs, or cut a tire so that it is easy to sit on.
- Decorate your swing. Painting the entire surface with heavy-duty paint will make the swing more attractive and have the benefit of keeping your clothes clean since the fabric won't come into contact with the old tire (no matter how well you wash it).
Creative way
Available 2 tires or more, unlimited number of chains and ropes, cables, ropes. Wooden boards of various lengths, widths and thicknesses. Rings, brackets, the entire set of carpentry and plumbing tools.
Something to think about, isn't it? After all, there are hundreds and perhaps thousands of options for how you can arrange a swing using this abundance of materials and your own imagination.
With a creative approach to business, you can build an original swing that no one else will have.
Creativity has no boundaries, and many continue to invent new types of swings. Including those made from good old car tires.
If you firmly believe that the list of tire swings is limited to inconvenient vertically or horizontally suspended tires, then you are VERY mistaken. The variations of models of ground and hanging swings are so numerous that they boggle the imagination. It is usually a one-piece wheel with strategically cut, folded and/or riveted pieces. And also with additional decorations, of course. Creative thought makes all kinds of animals out of car tires, miniature vehicles (from airplanes to motorcycles) and even swing chairs. And you can recreate almost all of them with your own hands without any special skills or talents. Let's look:
A swing for children from 5 years old, when all that is left of the tire is a thin inner rim (wide on the right, cut with fringe for beauty) and a piece of rubber at the bottom as a seat. The simplest advanced model. Of course, before creating a swing for children, the tires must be thoroughly cleaned and treated. If the harmlessness of rubber still worries you even after this, you can always additionally wrap or cover such a swing with fabric, soft self-adhesive film, etc.
Almost the same option, but safer - with a backrest. And the back may be different:
For the little ones, the most convenient and reliable variation is with a kick and a crossbar in front:
If the wheel is larger, you can make a swing with a back for older children. And this is how this craft will look if you decide to color it brightly and beautifully:
And here is the whole cradle plus additional design for beauty:
This line is completed by a luxurious swing-chair for an adult, although not a heavy-set person. They are made from a wheel for a truck or tractor.
Also still a simple swing, but with a slight twist: the wheel is cut off at the back and cut off at the top, and also bent back...
...and the cut off side of the wheel is bent, and the same sidewall from the second wheel is mounted on top and across it with rivets.
Before we move on to the most creative, beautiful and complex models, let’s look at a few ground swings. Classic for two with a crossbar on a lever base in the middle. As practice shows, if an adult does not decide to swing on them, no additional strengthening of the half of the wheel from below is required - it will already withstand the weight. Typically, such swings are equipped with handles closer to the center, and can be supplemented with soft seats for greater comfort.
These are rocking benches on which you are supposed to sit as usual and swing sideways from side to side.
And these are improved models, when an analogue of a rocking horse is made from half a car tire:
Finally, there is a wheel on a huge spring, but this is an attraction for brave young extreme boys, as injuries are possible. Knee pads, elbow pads and helmet are recommended when using.
Hanging bench swing made of tires - for the whole family: a classic of the genre, when wooden boards are mounted between the tires, and the latter serve as armrests.
Well, now what we’ve all been waiting for: real masterpiece swings made from tires. The production of such swings in the form of animals and various objects has recently become a real business abroad, and people shell out a lot of money for such toys for their children.
The main sources, among others, are the same as in previous articles on landscape design and flowerpots, ponds and tire sandboxes.
Organizing a children's playground is not an easy task, but if you think about it, entertainment and children's recreation can be arranged using improvised means. Any dad will always have a couple or three unnecessary old tires on hand, and it’s just from them that you can build an entire playground. Such a playground can be equipped with decorative beauty for children, labyrinths made of tires, all sorts of devices for games, and also, of course, swings. Below are 10 photos of excellent and unusual do-it-yourself tire swing models.
Surprisingly simple but comfortable children's tire swing.
A tire swing with both a seat and a backrest.
Children's swing, stylized as a ladybug.
Another type of children's swing with handrails and a tire seat.
Fastening the swing in horizontal and vertical form.
A swing is a horse made from a tire.
Tire swing for two.
A swing is a motorcycle made from a tire for children.
A wonderful swing made from cut large tires.
Tire swing with chains for the playground.
What tools and materials will be needed
It is clear that when making swings from car tires, you cannot use random materials of unknown origin. It is best to choose tires from old stocks; be sure to buy new chains or ropes with fasteners. And most importantly, before putting into operation the entire structure of the garden swing made of tires needs to be checked with your own hands several times, tested and loaded to the maximum to make sure that they are completely safe.
To work with tires, depending on the chosen model, you will need:
- A sharp knife with a very thin, preferably forged, fillet-type blade. You can use a carving knife for meat or fish;
- Sharpening stone or devices for sharpening the cutting edge;
- Liquid soap;
- Chalk pencil;
- Electric drill with a set of large diameter drills.
You can also cut the tire with a hand saw or jigsaw. It all depends on the size and design of the cradle. If you make a seat of a special shape from a swing tire, the amount of work will increase several times. In this case, to cut the tire, you can use scissors for cutting reinforcement or a regular grinder with a stone disc.
You can also cut with a regular hacksaw.
What you can make from tires (with your own hands) - photo report: 10 ideas
Tires are one of the most multifunctional materials; from it you can make furniture for home and garden, a wide variety of tables and chairs, children's swings, labyrinths, a variety of decorations for the garden and much more. Let's imagine what you can make from tires with your own hands in 10 photo essay ideas.
An original crocodile made from a tire, covering a hatch on a personal plot.
An excellent example of country furniture made from tires.
This composition has no equal; a few tires and a little fittings can create a real masterpiece.
Excellent round table made from an old tire.
A swing for children made from old tires will always be relevant in the yard or garden.
A car made from tires for the playground, original, fun and without unnecessary expenses.
A donkey with a flowerpot made from tires can even decorate a park.
A “happy” piranha will decorate the garden and arouse curiosity among friends and neighbors.
Wonderful firebirds can become not only a beautiful decoration for the site, but also a wonderful place for your child to play.
A labyrinth of tires for a playground is an excellent solution that will always find a response in children's fun.
Read in full (link)
The roof of my house is a shelter from all bad weather, as well as from adversity of a very different nature. Roofs are now made to suit every taste, from classic slate, tiles, corrugated sheets, to soft roofing and the latest fashion trends. This includes flexible tiles, membrane roofing, self-leveling. Let's talk about roofing made from tires. Let's present 10 ideas for using do-it-yourself tire tiles.
A roof dome made from tires is the right solution, it’s easy to make, and attaching it won’t be difficult.
Covering the surface of the walls and roof with tires will protect against moisture and any bad weather.
But this structure is made entirely of tires; the roof and walls are all made from broken tires.
Tire shingles will last a long time.
Synthetic roofing is an excellent and inexpensive solution.
Car tires are a great idea for creating a roof for a house, the following example is a clear confirmation of this.
Another example of a roof made from car tires - everything was done by hand.
A roof made by yourself from treated tires is a durable solution.
Another example of a roof made of tires in a kind of “gazebo”.
Amazing tire tiles on a beautiful, luxurious country house.
DIY car made from tires. 12 super ideas for the playground
It is interesting that from childhood, children develop an interest in mechanisms. In this situation, in order not to be afraid that the baby will climb into something he shouldn’t, it’s worth creating an analogy for him, happiness will know no bounds. Just as wooden horses used to be made, now children's cars are made from outdated tires. Below are 12 super ideas for a playground made from tires.
Great idea from tires, it turned out to be a super crossover, an excellent sports car.
The car, which resembles a tank with a sight, is great fun for kids.
A car made of tires that also doubles as a sandbox.
Machines - tractors, a bold and bright solution for skillful hands.
The car is made of tires, with children's chairs installed as seats.
A car for a playground made from tires will always please the kids.
An excellent hypercar made of tires, designed for four seats.
The car is made of tires, spacious, there is enough room for everyone.
And here is a tank made of tires, an excellent solution for a children's playground.
Single-seater, comfortable, dad did his best.
At least four kids can sit on this tire machine.
An excellent car made from tires, even the most irrepressible child can handle it.
Read in full (link)
Rocking swing
You can also make a swing from tires. They can be for one child or for two. The only difference is the number of places and handles you need to hold on to. The single swing is reminiscent of children's favorite rocking horses.
To make a rocking chair you will need a tire. It needs to be cut into two parts. Choose a board whose length will be equal to the diameter of the tire. Insert a board into the cut of the tire and attach with screws. Screw a long board on top of it. The top board should be well sanded and smooth so that children do not rot the splinters.
Having measured the places for children to sit, attach the handles. These can be long door handles, you can make them from rope or make them from wood in the form of a steering wheel. It would be a good idea to attach cushions to the seating areas. The advantage of such a swing is that it can be moved to any convenient place or stored indoors in winter.
DIY tire well (decorative) -10 photos
A great idea for a summer cottage is to create a well from tires. The tires themselves are of regular round shape, durable, and can be at hand in any household. Moreover, three tires are enough for a decorative well, a well - a flower bed. It is easy for a skilled owner to build such a well. And if you decorate it beautifully and decorate it, it will be a kind of masterpiece on your personal plot.
A wonderful well made of tires; this model also has a roof made of tires.
The following photo shows the stages of creating a decorative well.
A great idea for a well decorated with stone, it turned out to be a very realistic well.
Tire decoration in the form of a “red brick” well.
An excellent decoration for the garden, in the form of a turquoise tire well with elegant flowers in a blue pot.
“Birch motifs” are good in any interpretation, as well as in creating a decorative well from tires.
A simple craft, it would seem, but a flower garden in the form of a well will always decorate a personal plot.
A well made of tires, decorated with African giraffe motifs, is a great idea for children's games.
In the next work, the tires are decorated with cement, everything is simple, but quite attractive.
A wonderful decoration for the garden is a full-fledged decorative well with a roof and a bucket that goes into the flower garden. The decorative white pebbles bordering the well stand out effectively.
Read in full (link)
DIY chairs made from tires - 12 photos (The best)
Furniture for the home, cottage or garden performs a completely natural function of convenience and comfort. However, the creation of furniture can be approached from an alternative point of view; furniture is created from the most controversial materials, such as tires or tires. Armchairs made from tires can be made with some designer finds, which we will present below in 12 photos.
Garden set of chairs made of tires with air-covered seats and backs.
Blue painted tire chairs, in which even the armrests are made of the same material.
Armchairs made from car tires, where the back smoothly transitions into the armrests.
A beautiful invention of armchairs and a table for a summer cottage, which ensures comfort and coziness in nature.
The fabric-covered tire smoothly turned into a mini chair.
And here are also variations of chairs made from tires with intertwined seats.
This “brutal” design of the chair will inspire its future owner.
Such a large set of chairs does not require a company of ten people.
The next chair can compete in style and beauty with other works.
The set “Armchairs, ottomans and table” invites you to have a tea party on the lawn.
Covered tires gave new life to obsolete items.
Such a chic red set of chairs and a table ensures 100 percent relaxation and a lot of positive emotions.
Read in full (link)
Don’t rush to throw away unnecessary tires; they will come in handy for beautifying your local area. A variety of elements, such as swings, can decorate a yard and please all its inhabitants. By making a swing from tires quickly and easily with your own hands, you will organize entertainment not only for children, but also for adults.
Particular attention should be paid to the choice of material: winter tires from foreign cars are better susceptible to external influences - cutting and bending. Preparing tires for use includes removing dirt and draining water (several holes need to be made in the bottom of the seat). The size of the tires is also important: you should choose not the smallest, but not the heaviest. There are ground-based and suspended rubber swings.
Kinds
It would seem that with such limited material one cannot count on diversity. But home craftsmen create miracles with their own hands. Therefore, tire products are as follows:
- Ground rockers-balancers in different variations;
- Hanging swing with vertical and horizontal tires;
- Figured swing-cradles with chairs made of tires, as well as with seats in the form of various animals and birds.
Ground rocker-balancer
This is a classic version of a swing. Not a single one can do without such a simple design. Two people sit on the edges of the lever board and swing, now rising and now falling.
Instructions for making a ground rocker-balancer from a tire
To lift one arm of the swing, the child sitting on it pushes off the ground while their partner lands on their feet.
Such devices come in the following types:
- Swing on two car wheels;
- Balancers on the tire halves;
- Rocking chair made of tires for a children's room.
To make such a balancing device with your own hands, you will need a strong, smooth board made of wood or some other material and a strong support for it. The original basis for a swing can be two car wheels with tires, connected along the axis by a metal crossbar, to which a lever is attached in the center.
Children and adults enjoy swinging on this structure. It is also convenient because it can be moved around your own yard or summer cottage without much effort. There is another option for a rocking balancer.
Take a wide tire from the wheel of a large machine, such as a tractor or tractor, cut it crosswise and use one half as a support. You will also need two planks. One should be equal in size to the diameter of the tire and fit tightly into its upper part, where it is attached to the rubber with nails or screws. The second, long one, is superimposed on the first and fastened to it.
For convenience and safety of swinging, it is necessary to attach handles to the board, preferably made of soft material. Holes must be drilled in the bottom of the tire to prevent water from accumulating in its cavity.
Devices that have two halves of a tire installed as a support will be more stable.
They will need to be bolted together along the entire semicircle, and a long board will need to be fitted on top. For greater attractiveness, rubber should be painted in bright colors and designs applied.
An example of painting a children's tire swing
You can make a small swinging balancer with your own hands for this purpose, without having any special skills. The technology for its manufacture is the same, only the length of the top board should be no greater than the diameter of the tire. You can only swing sideways while sitting on it, left and right. It is necessary to make armrests along the edges so that the child can hold on to them.
And if you straddle the balance beam on top, you get a new kind of fun: you will be able to swing back and forth. On one side, instead of a handle, you can attach a horse’s head carved from wood, and on the other, a tail. Small children really like these rocking chairs. You can come up with a stylized figure of another animal. It depends on the dad's ability and creative imagination.
Hanging tire swing
They are also very easy to make with your own hands. The main thing is to find a suitable crossbar to hang them. This could be a horizontally growing thick tree branch, a beam in a barn, or a specially mounted metal structure. And, of course, a car tire is suitable as a seat.
You need to choose rubber without damage, and strengthen it with the more attractive side up.
Before attaching ropes or chains, the tire should be thoroughly washed with detergent. The simplest swing is a tire hanging vertically on one rope or chain. Making them with your own hands is as easy as shelling pears. They ride on such a swing, putting their legs through the wheel and hanging them on the other side.
The original design of a hanging tire swing
Swing, holding a single fastener with both hands. But this is not entirely convenient. Such a device is usually suspended from a tree near the river, and the boys, standing on the tire or grabbing its lower edge, swing as hard as possible and then jump into the water. True, not every child will decide on such entertainment.
In the yard or country house it is better to make a swing in which the horizontal seat is supported by a double mount. It is desirable that it be a metal chain. They attach it to the tire using weight bolts that have a ring instead of a head. For them, holes are drilled in the rubber, secured, and S-shaped hooks are inserted into the eyes. They are threaded into the lower chain links and clamped with pliers.
Attaching the hooks to the tire
The upper ends of the hangers are fixed to the crossbar. For convenience, a round wooden board is placed on the tire, and a pillow or rug is placed on top of it.
There is another option for a hanging swing - a cradle made from a tire. It is also made by hand. Using a shoe knife or other cutting tool, cut the tread in a circle down to the strength ring of metal cord, leaving only part of the rubber for the seat. Ropes or a chain are attached to the resulting circles from above and suspended from the crossbar. Even very small children can be rocked on this device.
Making a swing from a tire with your own hands: balancer
Portable swings are suitable for installation both in the yard and at home. You will need the following materials: wooden board; half a tire; wide block, paint for rubber, nails.
- Paint the tire (this will make your product last longer) - this will be the base of the swing.
- Sand and paint the board and block.
- Dry the paint on all elements.
- Cut off a portion of the block equal to the diameter of the tire.
- Insert the block into the base and secure it with nails.
- Nail the board to the block - middle to middle.
The rocking chair for two is ready. It can be supplemented with a pattern and pens.
The rocking chair can also be made single-seater. Materials: half tire; a board and a block, the lengths of which are equal to the diameter of the tire; bar with a diameter of 6 centimeters and a length of 35 - 50 centimeters; a round block or pipe with a diameter of 2 centimeters and a length of 25 - 30 centimeters. Stepping back, nail a strip to it from the short edge of the board. Fasten the tire, block and board according to the algorithm described above. Attach a crossbar to the bar - the child will hold on to it. For convenience, wrap the handle with foam rubber (the same handles can be made for a two-seater rocking chair). Using various materials you can designate the seat and even the pedals.
Hanging swing.
For a simple swing we need a tire and a rope or chain with a carabiner. We pass a chain (rope) through the tire. We throw one end of the suspension over a tree branch or the crossbar of a high horizontal bar and secure it with a carabiner (or tie a knot).
Materials: tire, chains or thin rope, two carabiners, bolt with a hook or loop on the head. The stand for such a swing is a tree.
Place the tire vertically. We cut several drainage holes on one side of the tire. On the opposite side, screw in the bolt. We tie one end of the rope to the bolt, to the loop. The other end is fixed to the tree. To fasten the chain, we use carabiners rather than knots: we fasten the chain with the bolt hook with a carabiner; Having wrapped the chain around the branch, we also secure the loop with a carabiner.
If there are no suitable trees nearby, then the stand can be made from pipes or logs (with a diameter of at least 10 centimeters). We will need 4 pipes of 3 meters each and one pipe 2 meters long. We make the rack supports: we fasten two pipes at an acute angle using welding (we fasten the logs with large nails, driving them in not all the way to bend them). We attach the remaining workpiece to the corners of the supports: weld or nail it. We dig the lower ends of the support into the ground; for reliability, they can be cemented. The rack can be strengthened with additional strips, as shown in the photo.
Types of seats.
Place the tire horizontally. We make several holes to drain water. We turn the seat blank over. At the same distance from each other, screw in four bolts with loops. We attach chains or ropes to the loops.
For a seat with a backrest, the tire will have to be cut. Cut off one side surface of the tire. We cut off the second side surface to the middle. Turn the uncut part inside out. We attach bolts to the sides of the bend.
For a more comfortable seat, you will need two tires. Cut off the side parts from both tires. We will use two wide rings. We insert one ring into the other, crosswise. We bend the vertical ring, forming a seat with a backrest. We fasten the joints with bolts. We make fasteners for the chain as described above.
If you have a wide tire, for example from a tractor, you can make a seat - a hammock. Here are a few options.
Cut the tire in half; clean and paint it; We attach bolts with loops on the sides; hang the swing on a rope.
Cut off the side surfaces. We cut an opening in the large ring so that the bed remains on two thin rings. We tie ropes to the rings and hang them.
Place the tire vertically and cut off half of the top part. We cut out the pattern on the free parts of the sides. We hang the rubber hammock as described above.
What is the best place to make a swing?
There are two proven ways to make a children's attraction. In the first case, the swing can be hung under a canopy near the house. To attach ropes or chains, it is enough to lay an additional 90x90 mm beam or a steel pipe with a diameter of at least 70 mm.
The second way is to hang a swing tire seat with ropes on a horizontal section or a thick branch of an old tree. It could be walnut, acacia, oak, maple. Poplar or fruit trees are not suitable for installing a swing; the wood is too weak.
In any case, the place for a children's attraction should be level, without holes or humps, and clearly visible from the windows of a dacha or a resting place for adults.
Pros and cons of tire swings
If carefully analyzed, children's entertainment made from wheels has many advantages:
- Rubber wheels are a durable material. Such a swing is almost impossible to break or deform.
- Different wheel sizes make swings for all ages. You can make it fun for adults, teenagers, children and even a cradle for a small child.
- If you show your imagination, find it on the Internet or come up with an unusual pattern, then from the cut tire you will get an original swing seat.
- Wheels are not afraid of heat, frost, rain and other natural phenomena. The swing will remain outdoors all year round, and this will not reduce its service life.
- A big plus is the fact that you can create a swing from old tires with your own hands for free. Wheels are found in a landfill. All that remains is to attach the material available at home to them: chains, rope, log or board.
- Primitive swings are considered less dangerous in terms of injury. If a child accidentally collides with a rocking seat, the rubber will soften the impact. In extreme cases, you can get away with a slight bruise.
- The swing is so easy to make that even a person whose arms grow out of the wrong place can make them.
Among the minuses, two points can be noted. Firstly, rubber gives off an unpleasant toxic odor in the heat. Secondly, large wheels have an impressive weight. Reinforced support will be required so that the swing does not break off.
Creative solutions for swing design
You can make a rocking chair for several people from several tires united by a wooden beam like this. On each side, a tire is screwed to the beam, located in a perpendicular plane to the rest. Half of the wheel is attached to the top of the front for holding while swinging. There is a strip of tread spread on top of the seat. It must be attached to the swing body with self-tapping screws.
A swing in the form of a bench from wooden planks and two tires is also easy to make: clapboard slats are attached to the tread around the circumference of the wheel. The fastening is made using bolts and nuts, since the load on the fasteners is quite large and the self-tapping screws may not be able to withstand it. The tires in this swing model act as armrests, and a cable or suspension chain is attached to them.
Animal swings are in demand, and some enterprising people even make them for sale. But it’s not difficult to make such a rocking chair with your own hands. To do this, you need to enlarge and transfer the pattern to the sidewall of the wheel, cut the rubber along the lines, keeping the tire rims and the back of the animal intact. Unfold the cut rubber and bolt the head and neck into the prepared holes. To maintain the shape of the seat underneath, you need to install and secure metal pins or pieces of wood on self-tapping screws in the area of the animal’s withers and closer to the tail. The seat back should be bent into a loop and securely fastened with a bolt and nut - one of the hangers will pass through it. Pass the second one through the junction of the head and neck, wrapping the cable around the tire tread.
To make a rocking chair in the shape of another animal, it is enough to change the outline of the head and attach horns, mane and other details to the finished product. They can be cut from the pieces left over when processing the tire or made from another material.
To hang a swing of any design, you need to use special parts: metal clamps covering the crossbar, eye bolts passed through it, or U-shaped hooks. A steel washer (4 mm) must be placed under the nut of the eye bolt or hook. A locknut is installed on top of the nut. This will prevent spontaneous unscrewing of the fasteners and make the swing safer.
If you want your children to spend more time outdoors, then you should think about how to make this time more interesting. Hanging a tire swing is an excellent way to give a second life to an old unwanted car tire, while at the same time creating something fun for your kids to enjoy for years to come. All you need is some equipment and a little know-how, the most important thing is to think about the safety of your children when making the perfect swing from a tire.
What you need to make a swing from car tires
To make a safe and reliable gaming complex, you need to choose the right material for its manufacture. In particular, many demands are placed on wheels. After all, they became the main material. However, the tires themselves will not make a swing.
Auxiliary elements will be required. A selection of tips will help you choose the right material:
- If possible, it is better to choose wheels from imported cars. Domestic tires are hard and will create discomfort for the child. In addition, such tires are more difficult to cut or bend the chair out of.
- Winter tires are considered the most flexible. From such wheels it is easier to make swings in the form of a cradle, chair and other unusual shape.
- It is optimal to use wheels from passenger cars for hanging swings. They have less weight. Agricultural tires are distinguished by their large size, impressive weight, and increased rigidity. It is better to bury them in the ground for the base of a swing-balance.
- Usually a swing is created from old tires, but they should not be very worn. If the court wire peeks out from the rubber, then such material is dangerous. It needs to be thrown away.
- Old wheels are very dirty. Before use, tires are washed well with water and detergent.
- The shape of the tire is designed so that when it rains, water will accumulate inside. The suspended wheel from below needs to be drilled. 2-3 holes with a diameter of 8 mm are enough.
- The free support for the hanging swing is a tree.
Here, too, you need to make the right choice. An adult tall tree with a thick and strong crown is suitable. You cannot hang the wheel on dry and thin branches. They may break off. Advice! The optimal location of a tree branch for hanging a swing is from 2.5 to 3 m above ground level. The presence of other branches lower down the trunk is unacceptable. You can get caught on them while riding and get injured. - A tree branch 25 cm thick is considered strong. It is excellent if it has side branches or knots. They will act as limiters that prevent the rope from sliding down.
- It is better to use climbing ropes to hang the wheel. Metal chains are more durable, but when swinging they peel off the bark of the tree.
When the material is prepared, it’s time to create a swing from tires with your own hands according to the design you like.
Which tires are best to use?
To make a children's attraction, you can use old worn-out 15-20" tires for winter driving and always with a synthetic cord. These tires are much softer and require less effort to cut. The more the tread is worn, the better. This only increases the level of comfort.
For your information! It is strictly forbidden to use tires with metal cord. The wire often breaks inside the rubber and comes out as thin metal needles.
If possible, it is best to use high-profile tires produced in the European Union. These tires do not contain special softeners or oil-based chemical additives. They do not delaminate even during long-term storage in the open sun and do not sweat out soot and lubricants.
How to make a swing from a tire with your own hands
There are many options for creating children's entertainment from tires. The designs differ in support, method of hanging the tire or installation on the ground, and other nuances.
Tire nest swing
A tire swing seat suspended horizontally on chains or ropes resembles a nest. This is where the name came from.
The support is a thick tree branch or a self-installed crossbar. It can be made from pipes or hewn logs. Two racks are buried on the sides. You can create two identical structures in the shape of the letter “L” or “A” with a jumper for rigidity and simply install them on the surface of the ground. The supports are connected at the top by a crossbar.
To hang the wheel, eye bolts are screwed into its side. You can install four of them, evenly spaced from each other. Each pair is connected by a chain thrown over a crossbar. The nest will only rock back and forth. In another embodiment, three eye bolts are installed at equal distances. A piece of chain about 1 m long is taken from each eye. They are brought together at the top, connected to one chain and secured to the crossbar. Such a nest will be able to swing and rotate around its axis.
Advice! For a rotating socket on three eyebolts, it is better to use rope instead of chains.
Tire balance swing
The classic design for pair skating is the balance beam. The essence of the device is the presence of a support located in the center of the board. Two children sit on the edges of the lever. Under the influence of their own weight and pushing off the ground, their legs begin to swing.
Creating a swing from a tire with your own hands can be considered step by step in three options. For the first design, the support is made from a wheel. The tire is cut into two halves. Only one part is needed. Sections of boards are inserted along the edges of the cut. These will be embedded elements. Their length corresponds to the width of the tread. The boards are attached to the tire with self-tapping screws. For the next part of the swing, you need a board about 2 m long. The workpiece is polished, and a handle is attached to both edges. The board is bolted to the embedded elements on the tire. The support from the wheel must be located strictly in the center, otherwise there will be an advantage on one side.
The balancer is not tied to the ground by its support. The swing can be moved to any place. For aesthetics, the wheel and board are painted with bright paint. You can draw patterns.
The next version of the balancer is tied to the ground. The support is made of two vertically dug logs or pipes. They protrude from the ground to a height of about 1 m. The parameter is selected according to the height of the children. The supports are installed parallel to each other at a distance of 50 cm. Coaxial holes are drilled at the top point, and a jumper made of a thick metal pin is inserted.
A hewn log 2 m long is drilled in the center. Thread it onto a pin between the supports. Screw two nuts on both ends. At the edges of the log, seats are attached from a piece of board, and handles are installed. In places where each seat will touch the ground when the lever is lowered, bury the wheel vertically. While swinging, the swing will not hit the ground, but will spring from the tire.
The third version of the balancer is made in the form of a rocking chair for one child. As in the first design, the wheel is cut in half. Mortgages made from pieces of boards are placed at the ends. The seat is made so that it matches the length of the half ring of the cut wheel. The board is bolted to the embedded elements. The rocking chair is decorated with bright colors. If desired, handles can be attached to one side.
The video shows an example of a swing made from a wheel:
Vertical tire swing
Using the nest method, a swing is made from a tire on vertical chains. The support is similar to a tree branch or a homemade crossbar. The only difference is the way the wheel is secured. The eye bolts are not screwed into the side flange, but into the center of the tread. Here, similarly, there are two options. You can screw in one eye bolt and hang the wheel vertically on one chain. You will get a bungee with which you can jump onto the sand.
If you screw two eye bolts into the tread at a distance of 40-50 cm, the wheel is suspended by two chains. You will get a classic version of a swing. In both cases, the bottom of the tire must be perforated. If positioned vertically, water will accumulate inside the wheel during rain. It will flow through the holes.
Advice! Vertical swings can be suspended on chains and ropes.
Swing-cradle made from a car tire
If you have a small child, you can decorate a garden swing made of tires with your own hands into a cradle or a chair.
The first option will require a large diameter wheel from a truck. Using a knife, cut the tread and side shelf halfway. The rim rings themselves are left behind. The protector can be cut off completely or folded under the bottom of the cradle, where the ends are bolted together. The structure is tied by two rims with a rope and hung on a support.
For an older child, an original chair is made instead of a cradle. There are two ways to cut a tire. In the first option, you will need two wheels from a passenger car. Use a knife to completely cut off the side shelves. A seat body with side sides is formed from one tread ring. The part is placed horizontally. From the second ring they make the back and the seat itself. The part is bolted perpendicularly to the horizontal body.
In the second option, you will need one wheel. Use a knife to cut off one side shelf. On the other side, the rim is cut off from the tread to half. Now all that remains is to unscrew the tire, create the shape of the chair, and secure it with bolts. The finished swing is secured with eye bolts and chains to the support. For a visual example, the photo above shows a swing made from a wheel with your own hands in two versions.
A few useful tips will help you better arrange a playground for children, ensure safety, and find new ideas:
It is advisable to put the swing in the barn for the winter. Tires are not afraid of frost, but ropes can rot. The chains will become covered with rust. In the spring, children's entertainment will not be put into place for long.
Recommendations
One of the disadvantages of tire swings is the weak durability of the rubber. The tire gradually ages and releases microdust, which remains on the hands and clothes of children. Therefore, after completing the work, the finished chair or seat must be washed with soapy water and thoroughly dried in the shade for several days.
Before installation, the tire must be painted with any plastic paint; acrylic and furniture varnishes are not suitable; it is best to use polyurethane or latex paints and varnishes; they do not slip, are practically not subject to abrasion and do not collect dust.
