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Show The Park Record C-5 Ask Martha by Martha Stewart Price Effective July 8-9, 2000 At our Park City Store 0 How can I make a backyard swing? Saturday, July 6, 2000 : f . A. f S When was the last time you soared through the air on an old-fashioned swing? Children aren't the only ones who can enjoy this summertime pleasure. Following are instructions for three swings that can be made with a few supplies and an obliging oblig-ing tree. The basics When choosing the location for a swing, select a tall shade tree w ith a high canopy of branches. Make sure the entire tree is leafy and free of dead wood that might shake loose. Hardwoods such as oak, maple and ash are best; you'll need a limb that's four inches in diameter. diame-ter. If ou want to hang your sw ing from a softer wood, such as apple or cherry, the branch needs to be six to seven inches in dimeter. Look for a limb that's close to horizontal. You can compensate for a slightly non-level branch by adding extra rope or chain to the higher side. There are a couple of important impor-tant things to keep in mind when you're hanging a swing. First, do not loop a rope over a tree branch: it will choke off nutrients. nutri-ents. Instead, anchor the rope or chains from eyebolts inserted directly into the wood. The tree will grow scar tissue around the eyebolts. causing little harm and actually actual-ly securing the bolts. And for your own safety, make sure you tie the swing's knots securely if using rope. The tire swing and plank swing described below call for a nautical knot called a three-strand three-strand eye-splice. You'll find illustrations on how to tie it on my Web site at w ww. mart hastew art com swing-knots swing-knots template. asp. Or consult a book such as "Chapman's Nautical Guides: Knots" by Brion Toss (Hearst Marine, 1W0). In addition to the eyebolts. you'll need a few other materials from the hardware store. One worth mentioning is a quick link, a useful chain attachment that works like the clasp on a necklace, neck-lace, connecting two lengths of chain, or a chain to another piece of hardware. Quick links enatl.you to take down the . . swing without removing the nuts and bolts that anchor it to the tree. Tire swiag Many tire shops will donate an old tire that you can use to make this classic swing. A steel-belted steel-belted tire holds up well, but make sure there's enough Head so the steel won't poke through the rubber. Drill holes through the tread every four inches so rainwater will drain out. Tie 12-inch nylon rope to a quick link with a three-strand three-strand eye-splice knot. Loop the other end of the rope through the tire: ti : with another eye-splice eye-splice knot. Drill a 3 8-inch hole vertically through a strong limb at least six feet out from the tree trunk. Insert a 3 8-inch eyebolt from the underside of the branch and fasten with a washer and locknut oa top. (The washer provides a flat surface for the nut to be -if r VSV' RDsa vv :-!oj , j p - i - - - - J tightened against: the nut literally literal-ly locks in place, so it withstands repeated vibration and stress.) Join the quick link to the eye-bolt, eye-bolt, hanging the tire. Plank swing A plank swing is simply a piece of wood suspended from two chains that allow you to move back and forth like a pendulum. pen-dulum. To make it. cut a 12-by-24-inch seat from 5 4-inch stock, as well as two 4-by-10 inch cross braces from 3 4-inch stock. The braces will strengthen the seat and prevent w arping or cracking. Using a hand plane, remove sharp edges from the boards. Place a brace at each end on what will be the bottom of the swing, one inch in from the front, back and sides. Fasten braces with four stainless-steel screws in pre-drilled. countersunk counter-sunk holes. Sand, prime and paint the seat using exterior paint. The seat hardw are consists of U-bolts U-bolts that pass from top to bottom bot-tom through the seat and cross braces. Drill holes for the U-bolts U-bolts so they'll be centered over each brae. Link 3 8-inch chains to thd-U-bolts before inserting the end? of the bolts through the holes in the seat: then secure them under the seat with a screw plate and acorn nuts. All metal parts should be stainless or galvanized gal-vanized steel. Starting at least 2 12 feet from the trunk of the tree, insert and secure eyebolts as described for the tire swing above, making sure the bolts are the same distance dis-tance apart as the U-bolts in the seat. Use quick links to join the other ends of the chains to the eyebolts. Pancake swing This round swing is a wooden disc with a rope running through the center of it. To make a 16-inch 16-inch wide "pancake." cut two eight-inch lengths from a 5 4-by-KVinch poplar plank. You'll also need a 4-by-12-inch cross brace from 3 4-inch stock. Brush one long edge of each of the pancake pieces with PHOTO BY WILLIAM WALDRON waterproof glue, and clamp them together side by side until dry. Draw a 16-inch circle using a pencil, string and tack as a "compass." Cut out disk with a jig'iw, and soften the edges w ith a hand plane. Sand, prime and paint the disk with exterior paint. Glue on the cross brace (painted the same color) so it's perpendicular to the middle seam in the seat. From the bottom bot-tom of the seat, fasten the brace with four stainless-steel screws in pre-dnlled. countersunk holes (use screws that are just shorter than the thickness of the two pieces of wood so the ends donl pierce the top of the seat). Drill a 1 '2-inch hole through the disk and cross brace: run 12-inch 12-inch rope through the hole. Tie a few simple knots under the seat to support it. Hang the rope from a branch as described fot the tire swing above. Questions should be addressed to (ar;h,a Sieart, care of The Sew York Times Syndication Sales Corp.. 122 E. 42nd St.. Sew York, S.Y. 10168. Questions may also be sent to Stewart by electronic elec-tronic mail. Her address is. mstewarflg marthastewart.com. Please include your name and daytime telephone number. Questions o f general interest will be answered in this column: Martha Stewart regrets that unpublished tetters cannot be answered individually. For more information on the topics covered cov-ered in the askMartha column, visit www.marthastewart.com. Give an abandoned pet a loving home. Check out Pet of the Week on page C-8. If th best preemptive strike on middle-age yet With a 185 hp Kompressor engine, the C230 also comes standard with features like the Electronic Stability Program, regular scheduled maintenance and 24-hour Tele Aid" assistance, making for one sweet ride at an Incredibly attractive price. You'll feel younger and a heck of a lot wiser too. The &2sst, starting it $31,750 a mm r ujlujj- .rdil'Mj ZidlM limm&J) u rawest 1VH I' .. 6 VISIT U ONLINE AT www.parkrecord.com iw vrtiit mm tffim m - " " "mm"' ..,,ui.. .... . v' . - (& Ken Garff Imports 575 South State Street (801)297-7395 (300)725-374! w.kengar fT.com msm m J33U jjjiiLiw Effective at our Park City Store located at 1500 Snow Creek Drive (Behind the Top Stop & Mt. Air Cafe) WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIMIT QUANTITIES. NO PEAI J.R5 A si i - 'i J 'J ". unoN Wt Tmn!U - J 0U 775 $700 te' ' tmut tth nm ' - - ' tJ . . tail npUMi arw tfirfrL cmiinrm.' - Limit 10 Lbv .V i. - ISJow ycxj cxiri ncix -v.- . . . -v , .i - ""x;r-": x::r. . . '' kn Snam ikt m waM l .- x m m u tnferWBBBIl Copy (..M-i...'j.....7R |