# Forum Home Renovation The Cubby House  hanging a swing from a pergola

## Trav

Hi all 
Have just finished a big freestanding pergola from designpine. Given the spans and overall look I was after, I used 280x42 beams and rafters. Big wood.  
I want to hang a swing for my 2yo from one of the beams. Weight will not be an issue (the beam spans less than 1m).  
I can't find an eye bolt with a ling enough thread to go the whole way through 280mm timber. What's the best way to hang the swing? Anyone know of an eye bolt on a coach screw?  
Trav

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## Bloss

You can by eye bolt fittings with a flat flange base pre-drilled for bolts -and long shaft eyebolts too. For a 2-3 year old decent length eye with a screw fitting would do the job, but through bolts would be better - a speciality fastener place (or hardware like Blackwoods) would have eyebolts with shafts of 300mm or more. 
There are also swing fittings with U shaped steel brackets that fit around the beam and have two or four bolts running through. I have used large D-ring shackles from supercheap auto that worked well - simply drilled a suitable sized hole through the beam at the right height then use rope or chain from that D-ring. These come in elongated shapes so you can have the hole 75mm or more from the bottom of the beam - more than enough to hold a child (I wouldn't let adults use that type of swing fitting). 
These guys sell specialist fittings for swings of varying types too:  http://www.doble.com.au/category4_1.htm

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## skot

I am a little bit concerned that you said FREE STANDING. How solidly is it braced? Although your child is 2 y.o., as they get older and larger the swinging motion can create a fair force. The timbers you have used may be large and able to carry the download weight but you have to cater for the lateral movement of the swinging child therefore the bracing will be important.

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## Trav

thanks chaps. Bloss - will try the specialty fastners place in Fyshwick to see if they have anything suitable. The U shaped bracket would be ideal if I can find one. Have only looked at bunnings so far and (surprise) they don't have anything suitable.  
Skot - very securely braced. It is a rectangle shaped pergola, with 8 posts. diagonal bracing both ways on the cornersas well as trenched housings for the beams and rafters into the posts. I'm confident it can withstand the lateral force. Appreciate the point though.  
Cheers 
Trav

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