# Making swings "swing".



## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

One of my plans this year is to build a swing set with two skellies on swings. The top bar holding the swings will be a piece of pvc, supported by uprights, like a traditional kid's swingset. Any ideas on how to make the swings actually move?
Thanks


----------



## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

electric magnet on a timer below the swing, and a magnet or metal under the swing.

or, make the chains on the swing poles instead and rig up a small 4 bar mech

or, attach filament line to a motor.


----------



## bradbaum (Jul 26, 2008)

look at the baby swings at the garage sales this spring, and adapt the mechinism to your swing?


----------



## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

My approach would be to go with real "swinging." A motor assembly to make the skelly extend its legs out in front of it and then flex them back down again. You'd have to play with the timing to get it to match with the length of the swing's chain, but once you hit the right timing pattern just the fore-and-back weight shift of the legs will be enough to get the little guys swinging on their own. Maybe add a little weight to the feet to help it along.


----------



## beelce (Jul 21, 2007)

wow rev....that could be really cool.....it wouldn't have that jerky animated look...love to see this happen


----------



## BoysinBoo (Dec 10, 2007)

Great idea J-Dub. We are changing our front yard from a graveyard to a skelly playground this year. It's the "Playgroud of Screams". We will have a geodesic jungle gym, a teeter totter, a merry-go-round, and a swing set. I've been struggling with the swing mech too. If I come up with one that works, I'll let you know.


----------



## psyko99 (Jan 11, 2008)

You could try a mechanism like this:

http://www.flying-pig.co.uk/mechanisms/pages/crank.html

All you really want to do is to keep the swing oscillating, so you could either physically link the mechanism to the swing, or rig it to occasionally give the swing a 'tap'


----------



## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

Sickie Ickie said:


> electric magnet on a timer below the swing, and a magnet or metal under the swing.
> 
> or, make the chains on the swing poles instead and rig up a small 4 bar mech
> 
> or, attach filament line to a motor.


One of our Dept. 56 pieces has the magnetic thing for a swing. works well and I had thought of this, but would likely have to have the swing very close to the ground.



bradbaum said:


> look at the baby swings at the garage sales this spring, and adapt the mechinism to your swing?


My first idea as well. I think these are just a spring loaded ratchet gear type of thing. It might work and I know whre I can get one free!



Revenant said:


> My approach would be to go with real "swinging." A motor assembly to make the skelly extend its legs out in front of it and then flex them back down again. You'd have to play with the timing to get it to match with the length of the swing's chain, but once you hit the right timing pattern just the fore-and-back weight shift of the legs will be enough to get the little guys swinging on their own. Maybe add a little weight to the feet to help it along.


That would be awesome, but I'm shooting for simple. Not sure what type of motor would work here, but I'm not mechanical.



BoysinBoo said:


> Great idea J-Dub. We are changing our front yard from a graveyard to a skelly playground this year. It's the "Playgroud of Screams". We will have a geodesic jungle gym, a teeter totter, a merry-go-round, and a swing set. I've been struggling with the swing mech too. If I come up with one that works, I'll let you know.


I'm also planning the teeter totter and a slide which will be static. Keep us posted on your progress. Sounds neat!



psyko99 said:


> You could try a mechanism like this:
> 
> http://www.flying-pig.co.uk/mechanisms/pages/crank.html
> 
> All you really want to do is to keep the swing oscillating, so you could either physically link the mechanism to the swing, or rig it to occasionally give the swing a 'tap'


This looks very do-able. A couple of wiper motors and the linkage. I could set them so the skellies swing at different times too. Thanks for that link. This might work well!


----------



## davy2 (Sep 10, 2008)

JD:
What about a baby swing, cannibalize the swing motor assembly:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000I2USMA?tag=appletothecor-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=B000I2USMA&adid=1N7BCGC0G7C3ZRAH2C6W&

or a christmas "lawn reindeer" motor:

http://www.cwebdirect.com/pivetarm.html

one of these might work perfectly, though one is obviously cheaper!


----------



## slightlymad (May 25, 2006)

Combine the flying pig mech with a pvc armiture much like a kicking hangman large pvc over small pvc and have a short length of pvc from a T say 6-12" then the chain at the end of it


----------



## HolyTerror (Mar 11, 2009)

Think your best bet would be the electric swing from one of those FISHER PRICE swings ... 
As a matter of fact ... SICKIE has one for sale in the FOR SALE section  and cheap too !


----------



## buckaneerbabe (Jun 5, 2007)

I don't know if you got this figured out or not yet but I rigged this swing with a wiper motion. It may work out for you too.

http://s153.photobucket.com/albums/s202/buckaneerbabe/?action=view&current=S7300048-1.flv


----------



## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

buckaneerbabe said:


> I don't know if you got this figured out or not yet but I rigged this swing with a wiper motion. It may work out for you too.
> 
> http://s153.photobucket.com/albums/s202/buckaneerbabe/?action=view&current=S7300048-1.flv


Now THAT looks interesting! Any still pics of the wiper and linkage? I've been thinking over options and have a baby swing motor but the wiper motor would likely hold up better. Thanks so much for posting this. I like it!:smoking:


----------



## buckaneerbabe (Jun 5, 2007)

No stills but I might be able to take a few pics for you if it's packed away where I think it is. I'll see if I can find it tomorrow or this weekend for you.


----------



## Demon Dog (Mar 30, 2009)

Very nice, Buckaneerbabe. Just the right speed and a good steady motion. And my son got a laugh out of the skeletal parrot with just a couple feathers.


----------



## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

you made the parrot skele yourself?


----------



## MotelSixx (Sep 27, 2008)

Jdubbya,
Let me know if you decide to go the reindeer motor route, if so I got an extra one for ya!!!!

6


----------



## Just Whisper (Jan 19, 2009)

I am so glad you started this post. I also am adding a skeletal park to my front yard (hopefully) this year and was trying to figure out the easiest way to make a swing and merry go round. These are all great ideas.


----------



## mymania (Jun 12, 2007)

We were looking at doing this same thing last year...but didn't get it to work. Maybe I should try again this year.


----------



## buckaneerbabe (Jun 5, 2007)

Jdubbya, I'm sorry but he's up in my garage rafters and I can't get to it easly. Maybe you can pause the video to capture a picture from that. Or ask as many question, I'll be happy to help if I can. 

Yes, Sickie I made him two years ago and upgraded him with a servo for his jaw last year. 

Thanks DemonDog, he got lots of giggle with his routine last year, so tell you son thanks for me, I love giggles!!!!


----------



## Just Whisper (Jan 19, 2009)

HolyTerror said:


> Think your best bet would be the electric swing from one of those FISHER PRICE swings ...
> As a matter of fact ... SICKIE has one for sale in the FOR SALE section  and cheap too !


I tried this last week, not so good. The motor goes too fast for the type of swing I wanted. It only works for little short swings. I wanted one with ropes/chains (whatever) about 3 1/2-4 feet long. And the swinging motion itself is too short for me.


----------



## spinman1949 (Jun 29, 2009)

*Swing Motion*

Not sure if just swinging the legs will work. If you think about it, the actual motion that allows one to begin the swinging motion is much like standing and squatting. Not only do you extend your legs, but you also lean back. On the return you lean forward as you pull your legs back. So it is like standing and then squatting from a sitting position. The other challenge as I can attest to after recently trying to teach one of the numerous meho's in my wife's family to swing is indeed the timing. The two movements involved must occur at the high point of the swing in each direction. If you just swing the legs, not only am I not sure you will see much movement, you will kill whatever movement you have if the legs don't swing at the correct point.


----------

