Over time, the double tree trunk may pull apart, especially when heavy snow or ice forms on the upper limbs. Tie up the rope's loose ends or melt them into knots. This method eliminates friction on the bark, but it does cause damage to the tree. If your hammock has bars at each end to keep it spread out, hang it 5 to 6 feet off the ground. If you have trees that are spaced farther apart than 15 feet or so, the eye bolts need to placed higher off the ground to account for the inevitable sag that will result when you suspend and lay in the hammock. The eye of the bolt should be on the bottom of the tree limb. Yes, it is a hole in the bark, which could allow disease, but it is a single hole and is then plugged with the eye bolt--the tree should heal around the eye bolt and make the bolt stronger over time. For instance, for a 50-inch swing, space the hangers 52 to 54 inches apart. Although this sounds destructive, the tree will heal around the bolts. One end of the eye bolt resembles the threaded end of a screw, while the other side is forged into a circular shape. Make sure that you have someone spotting you as you. After you install the swing, check the eye bolts regularly to make sure that they are in good condition. We have seen thousands of tree houses built by others over the years as part of our tree house consulting practice. 4. Wrap rope around the branch four times and then through the eye-bolts, knotting tightly. Instead, use stainless or galvanized steel 5/8-inch eye bolts. Put another fender washer on the inside, followed by a lock washer and finally the lock nut. This eye bolt boasts a formed circular eye This eye bolt boasts a formed circular eye at the non-threaded end and a blunt machine screw thread on the other end. For directions on mounting a tree on this type of stand, please refer to section 1.d.1. If the bolt is ever removed the pipe stays in the tree, so if you are able to get the screws out, put in a rod of plastic to fill the hole. This will aid uniform weight distribution and also prevent the chains from rubbing against the swing when in motion. The flange is the circular piece of metal that goes between the eye bolt and the hole of the base. Double tree trunks form a crevice or crotch from a single main leader trunk. If the wood is cracking near the bolts, however, you may need to move the swing to a different branch. You can also just tie the rope directly to the tree, but this may cause damage to the tree over time. Tree House Supplies offers professional quality tree house fasteners including a full line of Treehouse Attachment Bolts and tree house lag bolts If you have trees that are spaced farther apart than 15 feet or so, the eye bolts need to placed higher off the ground to account for the inevitable sag that will result when you suspend and lay in the hammock. 5-eye bolt 1. http://192.241.130.228/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/vector-chart.jpg. There are simpler methods, but this one certainly avoids the issues of direct rope attachment. If the branch bends or bounces while someone is using the swing, it may mean that the branch is not strong enough to support the swing. Option 2: Wrap a sling around the tree. For specific instructions on using eye bolts to hang the swing, read on! Do not attach the rope to the swing yet. It will throw sawdust back reducing your risk of losing the bit on the extension. In a standard unit, the shank of the bolt is centered below the mid-point of the circle. #Step4 – Attach the s-hook spring with the eye bolt and hang a hammock chair to the other side of the s-hook. Next, those twisted hooks couldn't take the forces from the swing and broke (twice). Step 3: Drill a hole. Place an eye-bolt, facing in, and put a nut on the outside face of the post. Great for light-duty applications, it is made with steel for strength and is designed to attach rope or cables to surfaces. There are 2 different ways to hang a tree swing. Improperly attaching a fence to a tree will result in a dead tree or a broken fence. Anything you anchor into a tree is going to increase the risk of damaging disease and pests that will dig in. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Make sure that the knot is still tight. The benefit of these is that the fixing can be made really tight (making it stronger) and that it keeps the attachment close to the mount. Not like a tree house that is stationary or a hammock that is pretty low stress. The tree will eventually grow around the bolts, making a permanent installation. Dave . ie Bacteria from the bolts. Happy to answer any questions or to post pictures of the trees or the eyebolts I ordered or anything else. Place the shank of the eye bolt into the hole under the branch. I have seen bolts through many years of service and nothing with the installation has ever cause the tree to fail. If you hire an arborist to hang your tree swing, odds are they will use eye bolts through the limb. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. To save your tree from worn down bark, slide a tube of rubber on the rope so it’s not directly on the tree. Next, align the holes in the base and the flange, then screw the eye bolt through the flange. There you go. At first I used 5x120mm screws, then 10x180mm lag bolts, pines swing on the wind so much that both of those broke. If it is for adults, make it the same height as the seat of your pants. There are 16 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Learn more... For many people, tree swings are a comforting reminder of the joys of childhood. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Straps Sometimes straps can be used to provide even more protection for the tree. 75-inch trunk and has an 21. If a through eye bolt or wire stop is used a hole must be drilled and the rod or wire inserted. If the tree's diameter is too big to put the eye bolts all the way through, drill a pilot hole in the tree and then screw in screw hooks. For directions on mounting a tree on this type of stand, please refer to section 1.d.1. For the clothes line, I'd put an eye bolt through the tree, with washers and an adjustable nut so the bolt length can be increased as the tree grows. Attach eye-bolts to the wood of the walls near any branches. Screw a washer and a nut down onto the threads until they are pressed against the branch. which continually abrades the bark where the loop is. The eye bolt should be 2 inches longer than the diameter of the tree. If a through eye bolt or wire stop is used a hole must be drilled and the rod or wire inserted. There would be some slack in the cable to allow for tree movement. For the clothes line, I'd put an eye bolt through the tree, with washers and an adjustable nut so the bolt length can be increased as the tree grows. The eyebolts are rated for 7200 pounds but this goes down quickly depending on the angle of the cable vs the tree--at a 30 degree angle it's down to 25% (1800lbs). I need to install a 3/4" diameter 24" long eyebolt into a maple tree with a 24" diameter trunk. If lag hooks are the type of anchor used they can simply be screwed into the tree. Attach a washer and nut to the ends of the bolts tightly to secure the bolts. These are designed for when you have access to both sides of the mounting position (such as a post) and allow you to add a washer and nuts for strength. Press J to jump to the feed. The latest gear from the best suppliers. If you use an S-hook, hook 1 loop on top; the bottom hook will be used for the rope. Screw the eye bolts through the holes in the trees and out the other side. If you are going to be lifting with your slings at an angle or with any kind of angular loading, you will need to use a shouldered eye bolt. Simply hook or loop the chain onto the link. This will help stabilize the swing. That is a lot of movement and force for a living tree. This method eliminates friction on the bark, but it does cause damage to the tree. Unless the swing came with the rope already attached, do not attach the rope to the swing yet. For example: A lag eye bolt will hold more load when screwed into a new oak board, compared to an old pine fence post. Step 3: Screw in the bolts Screw the eye bolts all the way through the holes in each tree. Yes, it is a hole in the bark, which could allow disease, but it is a single hole and is then plugged with the eye bolt--the tree should heal around the eye bolt and make the bolt stronger over time. 5-inch bare trunk needed. It is not going to split. Thus, I am stuck hanging it between two maple trees--one is 24" diameter and the other 16" diameter at the point I will be hanging the swing from. Twist each eye bolt counterclockwise until the screw part on the bolt is completely in the hole. The loop should face down towards the ground. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/d\/d9\/Hang-a-Tree-Swing-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Hang-a-Tree-Swing-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/d\/d9\/Hang-a-Tree-Swing-Step-1.jpg\/aid9414083-v4-728px-Hang-a-Tree-Swing-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"