I would like to make these rare swingset chains for my swing set.
Would I need a wire bending press to bend the thick wire to make the loops at each end?
What gauge wire do you think is being used in the pic?
Those look cool, but they are a pinch hazard.
If you are set on making them, the rod looks to be 1/4 - 3/8" or so. You could bend it with a hammer and anvil.
Or you could just buy long s-hooks and they’re pretty much already made, just some bending open to link them together. If you really want to get something cool, contact a blacksmith and have something commissioned.
What do you think was the length of each of these long chain hooks? Like 9 inches or 12 inches?
Just be sure to make them at least a grown persons hand width.
I would go with 6-7 inches of straight shank just for looks and safety.
Your swings, your call.
I was thinking they looked 7 inches, without much frame of reference besides the seats.
I’m not sure that homemade chain can hold much weight. Those seats are very close to the ground and only a really young kid could comfortably sit in them. Six year olds don’t weigh very much.
That chain might snap under the weight of a teen or adult. I’d be concerned about the safety. Test the swing with something heavy like a couple 30lb sacks of dog food. Give it a good push so it swings back and forth for awhile.
Don’t worry too much, ace. Don’t think the OP would mind much if he landed on his head.
Could I use these hooks? They say they can hold 30 lbs when attached to another hook. But they look thick and sturdy.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Hookery-inch-Extension-Hook/dp/B0007D0SG6
And a bit of heat.
Says only 8 left in stock, Better find a different source, you’ll need more than that!
Those are for plants. If you’re planning on putting a plant on the swingset, go for it. If you want to put a person on it, you need proper weight bearing links, not something you could bend with a pair of pliers.
An anvil more than a bending table/press and a 4 pound drilling hammer. (short handled sledge - think “Thor” but smaller) You won’t need red hot but you will need more heat than a back yard grill will handle. Knew a guy who loaded his Webber with coke once -------- just once.
Check around for a basic blacksmith. Sources/resources could include
local historic sites
black powder/muzzleloader events
amusement parks (Knoebels Grove or Dollywood for example)
I know SeaDragonTattoo gave a web site but I would try to stay to someone local I could actually visit. The price could be a lot better.
(I was a fill-in smith at Knoebels for a couple weeks once; I loved jobs like that and did them almost at cost just to break the boredom of the usual plant stands and hangers I had to do)
I would think they would be easier to make with a single long piece bent, then cut into smaller pieces.
It’s a lot easier to bend a long steel rod into a tight circle and cut it than to try to bend the very tip of a short steel rod.
WAG here, but every swingset I’ve seen in anime seems to have that style of “chain”. Maybe check with swingset folks in Asia. They may actually be common enough there for you to get some detailed info.