Backyard zipline // How-To | I Like To Make Stuff

[@themaestro5338]

Sitting in the backyard looking at the forest with my little girl and she says "dad, we should build a zip line" so I told her I bet there is someone on KZbin that'll show us. Thanks man. Btw, don't try to float down from your roof top with an umbrella kids. I tried that in the 70's after watching Mary Poppins. Fail. I also don't recommend attempting a large garbage bag as a parachute. Also an epic fail. Both painful experiences.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+Homey Van Smack Awesome! I hope you guys have a blast with it!

[@brandongrkman593]

I was young once and tried to jump off my 10 foot roof with a bed sheet…I was on crutches for 4 weeks lol I learnt my lesson

[@superpinkmix7131]

+Brandongdoeshockey I was 8 and thought I was a superhero and jumped off my 8 foot shed roof. I needed surgery

[@ChristinesArtAnime]

well.... too late, did that before and i luckily didnt get hurt. it was FUN . . . off of a mailbox -_-

[@BabySnugglez_]

Homey Van Smack 😂😅 i jumped off the stairs with a large garbage bag, safe to say that that didn't work

[@ugenbird]

As someone who operates a high ropes course, I would like to say that you should make sure to use carabiners that are designed for climbing. Climbing carabiners are designed to withstand 10 times the force of an average human falling. Carabiners that aren't designed for climbing fail a lot more easily when put under load (eg. when put all your weight into it) On a similar safety note, backups are nice to have in case something fails. When I say backups, I don't mean spares that are used to replace a broken part, I mean something that prevents injury if the main part fails. Backups shouldn't share the load, they take the load if the main part breaks. I'm repeating myself, but seriously, it's better to not get hurt. I suggest having another brake behind the main brake (no one likes to break the brake (pun intended) and then end up smashing their face into a tree). I also suggest having a second, longer connection point between the pulley and the handle. I feel like those are the most important things to point out that haven't been pointed out yet.

[@b-utifulbruiser3693]

Thank you. I screenshot this because with my luck I would probably have ended up knocking myself out lol.

[@katiehowell1058]

Thanks! I want to make ours extra safe. The original zipline that was here when we bought our house broke while my niece was riding it. She was ok but it scared us so badly! We plan to install a new one that’s way better and safer.

[@JayBates]

That's bad ass. I'd definitely diagonal that into the pool! Well...probably not with the kids but it would be neat.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

I've got plans :). Needs more backyard infrastructure so it'll be next summer

[@SgtofUSMarines96to04]

Bob great build! Jay, that is exactly what I was thinking!

[@cwadub]

Awesome this has been on my mind for sometime to do in my backyard... maybe I see a weekend project here soon!

[@MaximKachurovskiy]

You might not want having pool edges in the drop zone.

[@Stizzer123]

Decide if it's safe for my kids? Bob please, I'm making this for myself xD

[@myracleh.6969]

lol same!

[@Thing5O0]

Hey, just wanted to share a few ideas around, these are things I've have on my zipline and they seem to work pretty well. As a brake I have a tire cut in half that I drilled holes in each side and fed the wire through before stringing the wire up. Then I duct taped the wire behind the tire so it couldn't be pushed back (I'm sure you could use a clamp here instead). It's been up for 8 years now and still works fine. Another helpful feature for kids if your zipline is pretty high up you can take the string that you have to pull the zipline back and put a loop (practically a big slip knot) at their foot level, so they don't have to hold all their weight by the handle.

[@LaneyShaughnessy]

Even though I just turned 40, I want one in my yard.... for sure!! Great Job Bob!

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Laney Shaughnessy Never too old!

[@thomaseduard10]

I Like To Make Stuff btw bob, what is your age?

[@jackslife2039]

Happy 43rd bday

[@jomilojuagbetuyi2408]

47 now man

[@louiswhitaker6997]

I'm British, so when he was talking about the cable and went 'it's rated for 1500 pounds' I was like 'wow that's expensive' 😂

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Hahaha :) Hadn't thought about that!

[@ad-hn8ff]

+I Like To Make Stuff How much is it in kg? I'm Australian.

[@friendsandfun7044]

Louis Whitaker same

[@jackslife2039]

Haha I'm Irish but I thought the same thing

[@bradleyhinton9104]

*O O F*

[@sophiecole3741]

I need one straight from my bed to my fridge

[@jonathanbrackett9460]

xD

[@shxlyio]

XD

[@ezekiel3919]

lol

[@elisttm]

and back

[@twigziy]

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[@hypnolobster]

Most people who don't spend all day rigging have never even thought about this, but with wire rope/cable clamps it's important that the U of the ubolt is against the short end (or, dead end) of the cable. The old adage is "not to saddle a dead horse." The reason is the U side will crush the cable and lose a little strength, and the saddle end is wide and doesn't damage the loaded end. I honestly couldn't tell from the video if you got it right or not, but it's a good thing to know.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

hypnolobster Oh wow, I'd never heard that! That's a great bit of knowledge ,thanks for sharing! I'll go check them now!

[@Rough_country]

@@Iliketomakestuff The "never saddle a dead horse" adage is a real, and serious thing. When I was 18 I was re-cabling a 250 ton crane and was told this. Never questioned it, although I was curious about what tragic ending would come from not following this advice. Fast forward 15 years and I got to see first hand. Not my doing but the cable was essentially severed clean at the first incorrect clamp and the entire load was lost. The U actually cuts the rope as it is loaded and unloaded.

[@grdovwd1589]

Like many on ILTMS channel, when you got hooked by one video, you get through SO MANY of them ! And it is very interesting how Bob had got better on his channel, not only as a KZbinr, but mainly as a person!! You can really see that having Josh with him really has helped him be more relaxed, more rested, more fun and smiling :) Good for them !! ... and for us !! Lucky we all are :D

[@sillyygoober750]

Your kids are really lucky to have a dad like you.

[@BROUSBLADES]

This is the type of project that makes me what to get out and go do, such a cool video and idea.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

BROUSBLADES That's exactly what I hope happens!!! Go make stuff!! :)

[@janetledesma6899]

I love the fact that you mentioned protecting the tree from the cable. I have watched a few videos about ziplines and you are the first to do that. We are making one from your video, it was the best by far. Thanks!

[@glennspeeds]

Great video! I made one of these for my daughter about 15 years ago. I bought the cable and clamps and made everything else. I used a couple steel riding mower idler pulleys. It was 200’ long. I didn’t think she could hang on that long so I made the handle with two pieces of rope coming off the ends with a seat like a swing out of wood. It was awesome!

[@TheSqoou]

Brings back memories. I had a zipline put way up in a tree house. It stretched far into the woods. I used a spare climbing rope as a brake. Good times ...

[@odt]

Tip: I made a couple extras of the cutting board slider while i was at it so I don't have to in the future.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+DanT Good call! When I made my first replacement set, I went ahead and got a BIG cutting board and cut the whole thing down to have a few extra sets as well.

[@thebornmaker]

You don't realize you need something until bob from I like to make stuff makes a zip line.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

The Born Maker You definitely NEED it!! :) I'm digging your channel, btw.. great stuff!

[@PaulGreggBYRC]

In aerospace, and other engineering disciplines, we define a design limit load (DLL) as the most weight you would ever expect to experience. We also define a Factor of Safety (FOS), typically 1.5 in commercial airplane primary structure. Then, we do an ultimate load test, loading the parts to DLL X FOS, and then check for any cracking or yielding. If it passes the test, then we call the design "qualified" for that DLL. So if you want to allow 180 pounds riders, 180 pounds times 1.5 = 270 pounds ultimate load. So, if you want it to be safe(r), get 270 pounds of sandbags or something hanging on it, and send it back and forth a few times. If there is no damage whatsoever, you are good. Repeat once a year, maybe at the beginning of summer. I've been researching backyard roller coasters, using simplified engineering methods.

[@jamalone66]

I've watched this video about a hundred times now. My 4 yr old twin boys have requested it multiple times so we watch it a lot. Pretty sure we will have a zip line or 2 in the near future. One of my boys has been making zip lines in the house for about 3 weeks now. He tells my wife that Bob taught him how to make a zip line. Just tonight he asked when he could talk to Bob.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

HA, that's so awesome! I'd love to talk to him anytime. :) Maybe when you guys get them built, we can do a Google Hangout so he can show it to me.. that'd be rad! Let me know!

[@ogmont]

My son asked me to help make him one today. Thank you for the video!

[@pickle8714]

6 years ago and the video quality is amazing!

[@amainobi]

Ah, the nostalgia. My dad made one for me when I was younger. We had a tall tree by our pond. The main issue it was hard to climb up to the starting point so it wasn't used very much and eventually my dad dismantled it. When I did get to use it, it was a lot of fun though!

[@maritzareneau2673]

Exactly what I was looking for. My daughter in law wants to make a zip líne for my granddaughter's birthday party. I will share your great ideas and projects with her. Thank you!

[@benosullivan9195]

You have the coolest garage ever

[@SteveFrenchWoodNStuff]

Cool stuff. Be careful and have fun.

[@ethanoppold1225]

Just bought some land and my dad made this over our lake! Best thing ever with friends

[@MRrwmac]

Those are fun for young and old. Glad you showed the tube around the cable at the tree. I didn't and mine almost grew into the tree (oops). Bob your videography is excellent, Hollywood quality! Thanks for sharing.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

MRrwmac Thanks!! It was so much fun meeting you at WIA! You're such an encourager!

[@richardfinch2296]

i love your channel so much! i loove making random things and your videos give me inspiration for things to build!

[@starboy71]

Dude! Your video production is top notch!

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Mike Price Thank you!! I really appreciate that!

[@teresaryanmoncrieff9019]

awesome video Bob, I came home from work one day not long ago to find out my 9 year old son had built himself a zip line out of a length of rope and a old cloths line pulley. It was a darn good first try, it worked but needs a bit of TLC. He watched the video with me just now and thought it was really cool. Now we have ideas to implement. Ryan and Holden M

[@jodycarlosborrageiro9588]

you missed a golden opportunity to run that zip-line over the pool man... :P

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+Jody Carlos Borrageiro Too much concrete surrounding the pool, considering how young my kids are. I definitely thought about it though :)

[@AndreaArzensek]

I think I'll make one from lumber mill to my garden! Great video Bob!

[@LazySkeptic23]

Pool and zipline?!? Whats next, a roller coaster??

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+Tisbis Hmmmmmm... let me get my drawing pad... ;)

[@LazySkeptic23]

:D

[@shatterednova5308]

+I Like To Make Stuff I'm still waiting for that roller coaster

[@yuqiteoh9056]

After roller coaster, then an airport

[@XFusioNX5222]

Him: Actually...

[@aa999xyz]

nice, we used 2 pulleys welded to angle iron and the handle was half-inch galvanize waterpipe with padding in a T-shaped. We put it directly over the swimming pool you also need a way to get the cable extremely tight we just use a come along

[@bunnyjihan828]

This persons kids must be so lucky with all this stuff

[@k2thah286]

Thanks Bob, this is for smiles only!

[@DoublEdgeSpirit]

Wow Can’t Wait to build for my sons!!!

[@terrilord7102]

Love yer vids. I like to make stuff too! Hey, I thought I'd pass along something told to me by a very knowledgeable arborist. I'd made a dog runner, attaching the "ridgeline" cable between my garage roof (via a heavy-duty screw eye under the overhang) and a large tree. The method I used to attach the cable to the tree was pretty much exactly how you attached your zip-line (looped around the tree through a length of hose to protect the tree, etc etc). The arborist--who I'd hired for a whole different reason--happened to see the arrangement and told me that it would actually be way less harmful to the tree if I'd simply put a screw eye on that end as well. I was very surprised by this but apparently looping a cable around a tree in that fashion will have an effect similar to a noose around a person's neck, severely constricting circulation and ultimately contributing to a shortened life span for the tree. Just thought I'd pass that along as you obviously seem to care about your tree :-)

[@rallen7660]

We've made one for I our kids to zip across the play area in our yard. The only problem is that we had it set up in two large trees, and the only places secure enough to hold an adult were too high for the kids, and the trees would flex with the wind, changing the speed we'd slide down. Very fun, except when we'd smack into the anchor tree!

[@ShavingsandAwl]

Awesome. Such a cool idea. It's surprisingly much simpler than I thought it would be. Great video.

[@thepistachio6227]

I think ur the best building channel I've seen, no joke. This stuff is so cool!

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Thanks Chloe!

[@eitherOFthem]

drooling over those tools. i would have made one myself already.

[@huffler9988]

best dad ever!

[@VarnishSpar]

You are a cool Dad! Nice project.

[@fiddlermikey]

Adding a turnbuckle to one or both ends helps make adjusting easier.

[@MaiBui-zl9mb]

I love your house, you are the most litt dad I seen. Love your videos.

[@linamatthews512]

It's nice to see that you and your wife encourage your kids to be active instead of being couch potatoes.

[@melissalily462]

Even though I'm never gonna make this stuff I still enjoy watching these videos great job btw I love your hidden bookcase door thing

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Melissa Lily Thanks!! I hope they at least inspire you to make some stuff that YOU want :)

[@jaredhoffman3244]

Just an awesome video. Nicely done Bob. Wish I had some trees in my yard.

[@offgridDAVID]

Never saddle a dead horse 🐎 in relation to the cable clamps. Nice video❤

[@tennicktenstyl]

So you said common angle is 4° but I wanted go fast and made it 40°. It works fine but you didn't mention how to scrape my cousin from that second tree.

[@lydiasoto9579]

Bartosz Olszewski it's not his fault you wanted to make the zip line fast by making it longer or something like that and the zip line was close to the 2nd tree so

[@derekbond9521]

Look up the word "joke" in the dictionary, its a word you should know

[@zounilogic7216]

I tried to make this when I was 6 but in stead i used a coat hanger and string... Yeh that didn't work!

[@lukash.361]

+Zuni Logic These where the good old times!!

[@marshallreneemunroe3237]

m

[@huntingandfishingarelife6080]

I tried that when I was in third grade with one of my friends

[@superpinkmix7131]

I used a coat hanger and some fishing line. My sister was 2 at the time and she did it but I didnt

[@shxlyio]

I made it one with string and hangers too. obviously it did not work

[@mesineymarcrisarnoraldomes3216]

Cool video that's really clear. Have started buying the individual components and looking forward to putting zip wire together

[@Camisbam]

Where can I get these supplies? Home-Depot? Lowes? The ever expanding galaxy?

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Links to everything in the description.

[@thepistachio6227]

Cameron B omg

[@philipp4607]

hallo

[@jjg_sisters5388]

I made one when I was 8 and my brother was 11 we got creative and we needed no ones help all we had was a metal line and a metal pole and two big trees first we used ripe for both but we I got stuck in the middle with metal there are so things you have to do like you would be right at the end 3 ft off the ground you have to let go of the metal pole and run chase it will shoot up in the air and that thing hurt glad to share my story ✌🏼️😂

[@jqcvloggers5373]

Your daugther is so lucky to have a dad like you

[@sanahtatla3698]

Your kids probably never get bored. Lucky them!

[@alanrodriguez3172]

that's is so awesome, I was thinking the same thing as jay right over the pool, maybe this weekend!

[@bushcraftkid-sl9km]

This is cool. A friend of mine has a zip line and it has a tire on the cable at the end to slow it down. I just feel like that would work better.

[@kesrithbalistreri654]

I made a zip line with a climbing pulley, climbing rope and a harness, i use knots to keep the rope tight

[@owdeguy]

We need this for ORD Camp next year!!!! :P

[@xanokothe]

Cool Cool Cool! I wouldn't think about the break mechanism and I would search for pulleys instead of that plastic, but I think it would be super danger LOL

[@SterlingsWoodcrafts]

Very Cool, I am Sure it will get a lot of use, Thanks for sharing Bob

[@CMRWoodworks]

Totally rad.

[@jimmassey5763]

Great project!. Would consider, if you have enough cable, to wrap it twice around the tree prior to placing through the clamps. Would minimize the "slip factor" in the cable.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Jim Massey Good call!

[@JC3GATOR]

I think that would eventually girdle the tree and kill it even with the padding. For my zipline I nailed evenly spaced 1x1 standoffs to the tree to prevent that. This was 25 years ago and there is no damage to the tree

[@lordsauron6167]

This is my official design of mine. Build a square base it’s a circlular or square hole in the middle. With a very strong g pole. Let’s just say a pole that is strong enough to hold your weight and the cable length. You also might want to consider mathematical formulas such as leveidge and force = ma. So mine will have a maximum weight of 180 then the gravitational exelerration is 9.81 so t will equal at least 1000 N. So it needs to be strong. Mine will have a slotting mechanism for a trolley to go through. Then I will have one short one and two big ones with one big one going halfway down my Paddock. Then the next long one going into the trees and across the creek. Now my trolley goes very fast on hardly steep slopes. That means my flying fox will need its cable to have very little slope and more sag to make it go the right speed. Lucky for me my backyard is perfectly made for this I’ve got a steep slope and the rest being not so steep. So I can build up height then use up the height. And past the creek is a hill that can takeaway most of the height.

[@doglover123456654321]

I just like the rope and old bike handdle I use

[@maverickjackman8658]

Fabulous video. great use of time and great explanation. Will be back for more! Thank you.

[@channie3022]

You got som hella lucky kids goddamn

[@lillybee2951]

I know this is so irrelevant but I just joined robotics I'm 12 and I've already used a ban saw and a drill press 😂😂😂 it's really cute cool hopefully I learn to make stuff like this with my new skills

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+lilly bee Awesome! Keep it up!

[@chilla9641]

+lilly bee your actual rebel asf

[@lillybee2951]

+Kyle Shady 😂😂😂😂

[@steviecraven6254]

I've been in robotics for quite a few years and I can assure you that you definitely will use the skill from robotics

[@tristincoghill8819]

you should defiantly build a tree house next

[@jewellyanagomez7337]

You should do a vidio on making a raised platform for an above ground pool

[@KevinDC5]

I will use my discretion to use lock washers instead of four well placed gobs of loctite. All in all very nice and that sub is smashed! 👍🏼👍🏼

[@michaelott310]

I have one observation. The holes in the PVC pipe should have some sort of bushing to keep the sharp edge of the hole from cutting into the rope. You;ll never know when its going to break..But it will..

[@chucksheppard7414]

I love the new update

[@StrangeLittleGarden]

we had a zip line at my old school when i was in grade 1-2 it was the best!!

[@user-ev5bs5fk8g]

I like this DIY Zipline video. Imagine how many hours his kid has spent on this thing?

[@Iliketomakestuff]

TONS! They still use it to this day!

[@shxlyio]

this is epic I wish I had the money and supplies to do this

[@Shopbuilt]

Looks like fun!

[@MysticalTMae]

Dude teach us how to make a batcave I would like my brother to stop winning in hide and seek 😶 😐 *does the epic face*

[@Iliketomakestuff]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jGSxeHWlZ7JkhtU

[@squidinc.8042]

I Like To Make Stuff senpai...

[@razmin0311]

I Like To Make Stuff

[@sleebyy]

I Like To Make Stuff dude you've literally made everything!

[@howdyimheather]

Mystical.T Mae just make a Secret room

[@simonstucki]

Hi Bob, I recently stumbled over your channel (I watched the Brainpick episode with Matthias Wandel) I must say I really like your style and projects just awesome. But for this video I have some tips and improvements that you could make. Get a hockey puck, drill a hole in it and put it in front of the brakething (you would have to take the cable down, but that way your brakething will never wear out). I'm sure for your zipline it is okay to just get some cable and clamp sets and tighten them down "really really hard", but if someone plans to make a longer, higher or higher tension zipline these things are far more important. Also a cable that is rated at 1500 pounds, obviously doesn't mean that you can use it for a zipline and put 1500 pounds on that zipline since, depending on the resulting angle (tension of the zipline) the force gets much greater. I guess if you had a 170° angle (ok that is pretty tight, but since you didn't mention anything about that somebody else might make his or her zipline tigher) and 150 pounds on the zipline the cable might break already.

[@simonstucki]

+simon stucki also if you burn the rope a little all around where you want to cut it before you cut it, it doesn't get all fussy which makes it a lot easier to finish it.

[@simonstucki]

+simon stucki and also if you cut the steel cable put tape around it before you cut it, that way it stays nice and together.

[@simonstucki]

+simon stucki and sorry me again, the younger the tree (gets thicker faster) and the more tension is on the cable when it is not used (longer, thicker (heavier) or just tighter) the faster will the cable dig in to the tree. I guess with your setup it won't be a problem, but I think that it is good to keep in mind, that the hose won't stop the digging under all circumstances.

[@kingdomoverlanding]

Awesome 👏 doing this

[@ByersLeafguard]

Looks great! Awesome job.

[@jessematthijsse4588]

we did this in the summer break and just split the ends of the steel rope and put it on Two different trees and as a stop we just putted a big rubber Block ad the end of the steel rope

[@KF-qj2rn]

I was going to try this with a spool of cable from harborfreight - my yard's even better with plush spongy moss infested grass, but lacks an attachment point at the "house end" of it...

[@slime9706]

I'm Bob and I like to make things. I was dead!!!!

[@stevecytfme]

Good vid, however, didn't get how to use the "brake". Maybe you should have shown how that is done. You may completely understand how it works etc., but you can't assume everyone gets it. Did you just forget to include some content on that specifically maybe? Thanks.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

You can see it in action when the zip line is in action, but yes I probably should have explained it more. When you hit the brake, it stretches the bungee, which slows you to a stop.

[@flowerpt]

look @4:50 - it appears the brake is attached to a fixed post to the side of the run with a bungie. This wouldn't work if you only had a ' two trees in a field' scenario. Maybe a long compressible spring ... I'm thinking a series of storm door springs inside a piece of pipe with a smaller 'piston' pipe with a flat cap inline with a brake block like this one). Just off the top of my head ... still planning.

[@thingyee1118]

Thanks for Sharing. Nice Break System ! Great Videos,

[@lilkimchim]

Is there a way to attach this to my house? (PS it would be a cool idea to make the zip line go over the pool so you can drop in 😆)

[@fed]

Yes there is but might be a lil dangrous for young kids

[@jonathanbrackett9460]

I was thinking about that!!! it would be soo fun

[@Thing5O0]

lilkimchim I'm sure you can you'd need a eye hook to feed the wire around instead of a tree, also you'd have to make sure that the eye hook is in a double stud or some other thick support beam, so it doesn't rip out of the wall (one eye hook might not hold all the weight anyhow so you might need two)

[@noahanddiinnoo_469]

Ik I was thinking the same! I would put it on my roof then make it land by one of our palmtrees

[@stevensharrow490]

Love it, just discovered you., awesome. Great fire escape for the daughter's room (she'll demand fire drills)

[@aidanwansbrough7495]

That's awesome!!

[@user-cw9co7jm1o]

such a cool project i made it !!! thanks man

[@thomasarnoldcoe6527]

Great work

[@chancearmstrong8173]

If you want to tighten the cable use a turnbuckle

[@carolbob72]

If you wanted to make a higher starting point, then how could you move the brake and handle back to where it was after u make it to the end?

[@1tylerfontenot]

I made one myself when I was 11 from a dog chain like the ones that alow the dog to move across the yard and it was a quarter mile long

[@milomac9858]

His house is so cool

[@suewootton2566]

Awesome video

[@jgwin214]

That's awesome. Thanks for the tips

[@jessebittermann5530]

I would use foam that they use at playgrounds so that if you fall, its not the ground.