I don't this is the right thread but I have some few questions about gardening. I'm planning to make a little forest on our backyard garden. First, I'm thinking to put a double swing. What is most advisable, wood or concrete? Is wood safe enough especially to children 2-3 years old? Also got this similar garden statue (like this) in our backyard, but I don't like it because its not made of wood. My main concept was to build garden with all wooden furniture. Is it safe or inexpensive to make such a all-wood garden furniture? Any details will much appreciated. Thanks

On Thu, 13 Mar 2008 18:40:39 +0000, luckytiff02
wrote:


I don't this is the right thread but I have some few questions about
gardening. I'm planning to make a little forest on our backyard garden.
First, I'm thinking to put a double swing. What is most advisable, wood
or concrete? Is wood safe enough especially to children 2-3 years old?
Also got this similar 'garden statue' (http://tinyurl.com/22wu7e) (like
this) in our backyard, but I don't like it because its not made of wood.
My main concept was to build garden with all wooden furniture. Is it
safe or inexpensive to make such a all-wood garden furniture? Any
details will much appreciated. Thanks


White oak, cedar, redwood, teak and cypress are fine choices for
outdoor wood. PT lumber may not be safe. Concrete lasts forever,
wood about 20+ years. Good luck with your garden and children. Would
like to see some of your pictures in
alt.binaries.pictures.garden

luckytiff02 wrote:
I don't this is the right thread but I have some few questions about
gardening. I'm planning to make a little forest on our backyard
garden. First, I'm thinking to put a double swing. What is most
advisable, wood or concrete? Is wood safe enough especially to
children 2-3 years old? Also got this similar 'garden statue'
(http://tinyurl.com/22wu7e) (like this) in our backyard, but I don't
like it because its not made of wood. My main concept was to build
garden with all wooden furniture. Is it safe or inexpensive to make
such a all-wood garden furniture? Any details will much appreciated.
Thanks

With regard to "safe enough", safe in what way? If you have a swing,
the falling danger is the same no matter what it's made of. The risk
of being struck by a moving swing depends on the mass of the
swing--concrete hitting someone in the head is far more likely to do
serious damage than, say, white cedar, which is a relatively
low-density wood. The splinter danger is there but a suitable coating
and suitable choice of wood can minimize it--the Royal Navy discovered
around the time of the Napoleonic wars that oak and pine splinter
wounds are less likely to get infected than teak for what it's worth.
The risk of a fall due to breakage you can minimize just by picking
adequate stock thickness--3/4 inch yellow pine on 16 inch centers will
take my weight plus 100 pounds of barbells without any problem, so
should be sufficient for a 2-3 year old.

Put some thought into how to suspend the swings--chain is traditional
but one can get a nasty pinch or abrasion from it--use smooth link
chain with links small enough that little fingers can't get inside the
loops. Remember that kids' hands are smaller than yours. You'll also
want to be using something corrosion resistant--stainless is
best--galvanized generally has a rough surface and wears off where the
links rub together, but it will nonetheless last a good long time.

As to the safety and expense of making it, well, quite honestly a
cheap plastic Chinese playset is likely to cost a good deal less than
making your own, and should have been inspected to pass government
standards (doesn't mean it _did_, but it _should_ have). As to how
easy it is, that depends on you--it's really a question that nobody
can answer for you--there are some people for whom building a four
seat seaplane out of wood is a fun project (not a toy, a real one in
which one can go travelling) while there are others for whom putting
up a shelf in the hall is a frightening mystery. Most people fall
somewhere between these two extremes but only you know where on that
spectrum you lie. Also, do you have tools? If not you're going to to
have to add the cost of the necessary tools (as to which ones are
necessary that depends on the specifics of your design) to the cost of
the project, and add some extra for spoiled lumber (suggestion, cut
the longest components first, that way if you mess them up you can
make the shorter ones out of the remains) as you learn to use your
tools.

As to specific species of wood to use, I notice that you're posting
from a UK account--being in the US I know what's available here but
not what's available there--your best bet is likely to contact a
supplier of decking materials (in the US a "deck" is one of these
arrangements http://www.flickr.com/photos/snapify/513763660/, kind of
like an elevated wooden patio or a large uncovered porch--I don't know
if they're called "decks" in the UK). There are a number of species
in use for this purpose--the thing I would avoid is pressure treated.

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

On Mar 14, 7:41*am, "J. Clarke" wrote:
luckytiff02 wrote:
I don't this is the right thread but I have some few questions about
gardening. I'm planning to make a little forest on our backyard
garden. First, I'm thinking to put a double swing. What is most
advisable, wood or concrete? Is wood safe enough especially to
children 2-3 years old? Also got this similar 'garden statue'
(http://tinyurl.com/22wu7e) (like this) in our backyard, but I don't
like it because its not made of wood. My main concept was to build
garden with all wooden furniture. Is it safe or inexpensive to make
such a all-wood garden furniture? Any details will much appreciated.
Thanks

With regard to "safe enough", safe in what way? *If you have a swing,
the falling danger is the same no matter what it's made of. *The risk
of being struck by a moving swing depends on the mass of the
swing--concrete hitting someone in the head is far more likely to do
serious damage than, say, white cedar, which is a relatively
low-density wood. *The splinter danger is there but a suitable coating
and suitable choice of wood can minimize it--the Royal Navy discovered
around the time of the Napoleonic wars that oak and pine splinter
wounds are less likely to get infected than teak for what it's worth.
The risk of a fall due to breakage you can minimize just by picking
adequate stock thickness--3/4 inch yellow pine on 16 inch centers will
take my weight plus 100 pounds of barbells without any problem, so
should be sufficient for a 2-3 year old.

Put some thought into how to suspend the swings--chain is traditional
but one can get a nasty pinch or abrasion from it--use smooth link
chain with links small enough that little fingers can't get inside the
loops. *Remember that kids' hands are smaller than yours. *You'll also
want to be using something corrosion resistant--stainless is
best--galvanized generally has a rough surface and wears off where the
links rub together, but it will nonetheless last a good long time.

As to the safety and expense of making it, well, quite honestly a
cheap plastic Chinese playset is likely to cost a good deal less than
making your own, and should have been inspected to pass government
standards (doesn't mean it _did_, but it _should_ have). *As to how
easy it is, that depends on you--it's really a question that nobody
can answer for you--there are some people for whom building a four
seat seaplane out of wood is a fun project (not a toy, a real one in
which one can go travelling) while there are others for whom putting
up a shelf in the hall is a frightening mystery. *Most people fall
somewhere between these two extremes but only you know where on that
spectrum you lie. *Also, do you have tools? *If not you're going to to
have to add the cost of the necessary tools (as to which ones are
necessary that depends on the specifics of your design) to the cost of
the project, and add some extra for spoiled lumber (suggestion, cut
the longest components first, that way if you mess them up you can
make the shorter ones out of the remains) as you learn to use your
tools.

As to specific species of wood to use, I notice that you're posting
from a UK account--being in the US I know what's available here but
not what's available there--your best bet is likely to contact a
supplier of decking materials (in the US a "deck" is one of these
arrangementshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/snapify/513763660/, kind of
like an elevated wooden patio or a large uncovered porch--I don't know
if they're called "decks" in the UK). *There are a number of species
in use for this purpose--the thing I would avoid is pressure treated.

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

Well done John!

Sorry for the late reply, thanks for the informative details...You guys are great.. It really give me such a nice idea... I'm gonna try it this day... I'm gonna post as soon as possible when the project is done... Thanks again