Future dads/parents….. Play Set are from Hell

• Belly35

  

  Some 35 years ago I built my first Play Set Metal (3 Swings, 1 Slide, 1 Glider, 1 Swing Double Pinch Finger Crap Thing) ….. What seemed to be massive amount of screws, nuts, bolts and black rubber cap was not intimidating. Two days later and many words the children should not have heard, it is completed………The back yard ride from hell is created…
  Note: Three girls, three trips to the hospital, one broken arm (not my kid), few stitches, one trip to the dentist, several close calls on head injuries all in a span of 7 years. The Pinch the Finger Thing was the first to be gone, then the Slide and next the Glider …..leave a simple three swing set that we should have bought in the first place.
  
  Well! Now (full circle) 35 years later its the time for the grand kids ….. The wife is looking at Wood Play Set (OMG) just shot me now. They want like $1000.00 to install from one of those side of the road Play Ground and Yard Barn places.. No way that happening. I am going to Sam Club get whatever they have (wife approval). I have two son-in-laws and I’m not going this project alone…I have had to live this once and I’m not doing that again.
  Come Hell or High Water no one leaving until it’s done………
  
  Has anyone ever built one of those Wooden Play Set ?
  Any suggestion to ease the pain?
  
  
• redstreak one

  

  ^^^^ A shade tree, cold drink and barking instructions at your son in laws sounds like a plan to me!~
• Belly35

  

  redstreak one wrote: ^^^^ A shade tree, cold drink and barking instructions at your son in laws sounds like a plan to me!~

  
  Shade tree can do, cold drink can do, barking instruction can do.....cordless tools can do Great plan
• bigkahuna

  Agreed.
  
  When I finally have to have a playset for my kids, I want as many people there as possible.
  
  Also, what is a pinch finger thing?
• Belly35

  

  bigkahuna wrote: Agreed.
  
  When I finally have to have a playset for my kids, I want as many people there as possible.
  
  Also, what is a pinch finger thing?

  
  See that thing the two kids are riding together That is the Pinch Finger Thing
  
  
• bigkahuna

  Haha I used to have a playset just like that.
  
  Mine was metal and the slide was bigger. Come to think of it my grandpa built it for me too.
  I understand why you call it a finger pincher, but why not simply call it a teeter totter?
• Belly35

  

  bigkahuna wrote: Haha I used to have a playset just like that.
  
  Mine was metal and the slide was bigger. Come to think of it my grandpa built it for me too.
  I understand why you call it a finger pincher, but why not simply call it a teeter totter?

  
  Teeter totter would indicate that it would be fun to go as high as possible holding onto the bar and not to expect injury.
  Finger Pincher is just a reminder of what has happen in the past (many times over) and will happen again if you just think of it as a Teeter Totter
• Shane Falco

  I have built a big wooden play set.
  
  Do yourself a favor, stick to an "A" frame type structure with 2-3 swings on one end and a small deck at the other end for a ladder and slide.
  
  Should take about 2-3 hrs and a case of brew!
• Mohican00

  

  Belly35 wrote:

  bigkahuna wrote: Agreed.
  
  When I finally have to have a playset for my kids, I want as many people there as possible.
  
  Also, what is a pinch finger thing?

  
  See that thing the two kids are riding together That is the Pinch Finger Thing
  
  

  ahh, got a shattered elbow falling off of one of the crossbars on that thing when I was 6.
  
  Good times
• redrocket

  

  I feel your pain, I put one together for my kids years ago, thought I would never get it together. Then came time for my granddaughter, it wasn't near as bad. I recuited my eldest son who speaks spanish, went together very smooth.
• osudarby08

  

  Belly35 wrote:

  bigkahuna wrote: Agreed.
  
  When I finally have to have a playset for my kids, I want as many people there as possible.
  
  Also, what is a pinch finger thing?

  
  See that thing the two kids are riding together That is the Pinch Finger Thing
  
  

  
  wow we had a playset exactly like this when I was little...and I definitely remember pinching my finger on that two person thing!
• Sage

  

  My kids will never be caught dead on something as queer as those "play-sets." He will be putting in 14 hour shifts on the basketball court from age 5 on.
• se-alum

  

  They aren't difficult to put together. Get 3 or 4 guys together with some cold beer, and you'll have it done in no time.
• Gameover

  I guess I was sheltered. We had no play set. Our back yard looked like a baseball field and the neighbor's driveway was the basketball court minus the hoop. Spent a lot of time playing sports and riding bikes. We were lucky if we made it to the city pool on Friday's.
  
  I can't see my kids having a play set either!
• darbypitcher22

  

  Buy a pre-fab play set?
• CenterBHSFan

  

  We lived on a farm, so playsets were not needed.
  
  We did have a rope swing hanging from a huge pine tree, though.
  
  Our favorite was a vine that swung wayyyy out over the creek.
• Sonofanump

  Belly35 wrote: They want like $1000.00 to install from one of those side of the road Play Ground and Yard Barn places..

  We paid an extra $250 for installation. Seemed like a deal to me thinking of installing it with my father in law.
  
  http://www.ultrabuilt.com/
• holy_buckeye

  I built this in May last year. Took about 30 hours all told but I bought the raw lumber and cut every piece myself to save a ton. I had help for 3-4 hours of it. I enjoyed it and the kids have a blast. (shrugs) I've wasted my time doing worse things over the years.
  
  
• rookie_j70

  

  kids dont need that safety shit. they need to dislocate thier shoulder falling of the jungle jim
• j_crazy

  

  I have the same one that belly put in the first post.
  
  took 1 solid sunday and Monday - Wednesday Evening to put that SOB together. j_baby loves it so it was worth it. but that thing kicked my ass for awhile.