A Simple Swing

Isn't it amazing how something that should be so simple can turn into such a nightmare. About a month ago Todd took all the boys on their annual boys camp. That left just Alaina and I to do something fun for a couple of days. To end our fun weekend I bought a swing that is meant for inside. She was really excited and I got the hardware to install it downstairs.

Now the swing was for Alaina but I knew it would be too much to ask for the boys to stay off of it, so with that in mind I went to Lowes and asked them what would be best. They gave me their advice and I headed home to screw in the bolts. I screwed in the six inch 1/4 inch bolts almost all the way in when one by one they broke off. To my horror I now had four holes with metal stuck in them.

Frustrated I went back to Lowes and explained my dilemma. They suggested a longer drill bit and walked me over there and helped me pick out the right one. Sure this would work I headed home to put in the swing. Alas the same thing happened and I now had 8 holes in the ceiling beam with pieces of bolts forever lodged in them.

At this point I am not proud to say I gave up. However a week or so later I explained my dilemma to my handyman father. Something I should have done in the beginning. He said to get a bigger, not longer, drill bit. I explained to him that the Lowes employees had informed me that in order for it to hold the weight I needed it to hold, not to get a bit that was more then half the size of the bolt. He reassured me it would work and so I went back to buy my second drill bit.

Interestingly enough this time when I went back to buy a new bit I got a different man to help me and this guy asked me what kind of material I was drilling into. When I told him a wood beam he directed me to some different bits. Turns out the last guy hand picked a cement bit for me to use. Turns out those just burn through wood. Anyway to make an end to a long story this time it worked. We now have a swing in the basement that Alaina can not get enough of, and so far it has held the weight of all of my boys.

I also have the hardware to put up another hook to hold the punching bag we bought almost 6 years ago but has never been put up. This family needs it hung up, so they don't use each other as a punching bag. I figured I would give myself a week before attempting to bolt another thing to the beam however.

Amazingly you can't see the holes in this picture but they are there between the two hooks. Eight ugly holes I must now patch and paint. It will probably get done sometime in the next three years.
She now watches tv from her swing. That is what she is looking at in this picture.