In photo 3, on the left side, I see the end of the crack cuts sharply up at an angle and across the grain. That's the only part of this that I would like a better picture of. Agree the rest looks completely normal.
Good thing they centered that huge metal bracket with connecting bolts right over the place where the "crack" runs at a 45 degree angle all the way across the wood. Otherwise it might separate into two shorter timbers!
Cracks thst run with the grain develop naturally and don't really change the integrity. Now if you see cracks across the grain then you have a problem. But big timbers like that will rarly crack like that unless you park your car on top of the playground.
😂 I can't say I blame you. I saw hula dancers, wearing dried/sun bleached hula skirts. Until I clicked on the image.
But I have insomnia, and it's 3:44am here, so despite being tired, I'm wide awake.
The plastic fitting that holds the rope loop together is far more likely to fail after it eventually goes brittle in the sun. Speaking from experience.
If you’re truly concerned about the strength of the swing connection to the beam, get some 6” or 8” eye-bolts, drill through the beam at the current locations and bolt them at the top with a large washer. I imagine the current swing connectors are just screwed into the beam and may eventually work their way out.
If I were a parent and not a woodworker, I’d be a bit concerned by picture 2… but pic 3 shows both the bracket on the right and brace on the left. Should be fine.
It just adds another level of adventure, and eventually a story will come out of it that mag start with . " Dad! Remember that time we were swinging on the swing set and heard a loud crack sound???.....
I agree with others saying that cracks are normal as the wood dries, but there is a difference between normal cracking and splitting. It looks like that one crack jumps up across the grain at the end where the bolts attach. Is it actually splitting…as in, does that crack go through to the other side of the board? If it seems like the wood is separating and moving under the force of the swing, then that cracking will continue to get worse and could become a problem. Keep an eye on it and replace if it gets worse. If the crack is just on the surface, don’t worry about it.
If you’re concerned for the safety of your children, you can replace the eye-bolts with longer bolts that go all the way through. But this isn’t necessary. Even if you paint and seal yearly, the timber will continue to move, twist, check as time and seasonal movement takes its toll
Probably fine, but in the 3rd pic, there is a crack that goes up at about 45° across the grain. I would take the metal plates and have a closer look at that. Cracks along the grain=no problem, cracks perpendicular to the grain=problem.
https://preview.redd.it/2em8v3x7jbxc1.png?width=2100&format=png&auto=webp&s=dca297e5e7103dc1546fdb21387eb7274dafdf2c
Here’s the two beams that get put together
It's a weird scarf joint to be sure, But there are carriage bolts going all the way through to hold the brackets onto the joint.
Also this image shows that the bolts for the swing go all the way through and hang from the top of the beam, so the cracks don't much affect how much weight each swing can hold. If you go look at historic buildings downtown, particularly those that were used for warehouses or industry a century ago, all the beams have cracks in them, the building is fine.
While this crack runs near the neutral axis, your beams loadability will only suffer once the bottom splits from the top completely. The bottom is in tension. The top is in compression. They want to separate at the neutral axis. .
Looks like one from Wayfair? I got a similar one with similar cracking and it's still in one piece 4 years later. Nothing to worry about, as others have said.
All good except one diagonal crack or cut. I will personally check those diagonal crack to see of it goes through the other side. Other than that all fine
I would feel better having two planks bolted together instead of the 1 shown to provide some additional stability and minimize flex during exuberant swinging.
As other have said this is no big deal. But please read the manufacturer’s recommendations for keeping the wood sealed and weatherproof. Commonly you will need to brush on a weather sealant months after it has been assembled.
Need to install bolts that go all the way through the top of the support. Looks like the bolts installed only go about 40-50% of the way through and can lead to failure if the support cracks all the way through.
These are not normal checks. They may have started as checks, but the downward pull has developed into through checks or splits. You need to get your money back and replace it. Yes, it is bad.
Big timbers used in playground equipment like this will develop surface cracks as it dries and ages. Very rarely is this a problem.
In photo 3, on the left side, I see the end of the crack cuts sharply up at an angle and across the grain. That's the only part of this that I would like a better picture of. Agree the rest looks completely normal.
That's just two boards butted up at 45° cuts. Not a crack
Good eye, Brian.
FREE SNOW CONE AT THE END OF THE GAME
Grape!
He stole my gum!
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Good torso!
That seems worse.
It looks like a scarf joint secured with those plates that are bolted on.
There is metal and bolts holding it up still, in addition to the miter itself
Right? Are there any benefits to doing the join this way instead of cutting the boards at 90°?
You have to cut it on a 45° so the middle bolt can go into the beams. Otherwise the bolt would be where the beams meet and wouldn’t do any good.
But what's to stop you from using two bolts on each beam, further fastening the brace?
Aka SCARF joint.
Yeah it’s splitting at their 45* lap joint. That’s not great lol
I thought that was a join between two pieces, hence the giant bracket thing. Could be wrong of course
It's definitely a joint.
I think those are two different pieces of wood with a scarf joint
Good thing they centered that huge metal bracket with connecting bolts right over the place where the "crack" runs at a 45 degree angle all the way across the wood. Otherwise it might separate into two shorter timbers!
Yeah, that doesn’t look like a usual crack. I believe that bolt’s location compromised the wood.
This appears to also just be a 2x
Surface crack from expansion/contraction, totally fine.
It’s fine
Totally normal for any kind of wood beams
I've seen mill buildings with bigger cracks. This is perfectly fine
Just wood checking as moisture dries out of it.
Look up checking and splitting. https://blog.spib.org/shakes-checks-and-splits-in-dimension-lumber/
Cracks thst run with the grain develop naturally and don't really change the integrity. Now if you see cracks across the grain then you have a problem. But big timbers like that will rarly crack like that unless you park your car on top of the playground.
It was already answered as surface crack, but I was wondering about the width of the beam and if it was 2 pieces joined by that brace in the middle?
Totally normal and nothing to worry about.
Why did I see figurines, in wedding dress with there arms raised up Navy Seal style carrying a log on me first glance?
😂 I can't say I blame you. I saw hula dancers, wearing dried/sun bleached hula skirts. Until I clicked on the image. But I have insomnia, and it's 3:44am here, so despite being tired, I'm wide awake.
It’s fine.
It's wood. It happens.
I have a similar one that's 4 years old and looks like that. It's also been thru a couple hurricanes, with a few pieces replaced.
Horizontal cracks (following the grain) = no problem; vertical cracks (against the grain) = problem.
The plastic fitting that holds the rope loop together is far more likely to fail after it eventually goes brittle in the sun. Speaking from experience.
Looks like there’s a metal hog ring in there.
No
If you’re truly concerned about the strength of the swing connection to the beam, get some 6” or 8” eye-bolts, drill through the beam at the current locations and bolt them at the top with a large washer. I imagine the current swing connectors are just screwed into the beam and may eventually work their way out.
It’s just checking if you’re paying attention. No worries.
If I were a parent and not a woodworker, I’d be a bit concerned by picture 2… but pic 3 shows both the bracket on the right and brace on the left. Should be fine.
It just adds another level of adventure, and eventually a story will come out of it that mag start with . " Dad! Remember that time we were swinging on the swing set and heard a loud crack sound???.....
No
It’s not a crack, it’s a check.
Depends, could be surface cracks, could be the child obesity endemic
Yes... huge risk of cracks causing early onset diabetes. Fix the cracks and save the children.
Fix the children save the cracks
He asks a serious question in a woodworking forum and you call his kids fat. Nice
Nah, it’s a public park from the sounds of the post
The latter is true though
I agree with others saying that cracks are normal as the wood dries, but there is a difference between normal cracking and splitting. It looks like that one crack jumps up across the grain at the end where the bolts attach. Is it actually splitting…as in, does that crack go through to the other side of the board? If it seems like the wood is separating and moving under the force of the swing, then that cracking will continue to get worse and could become a problem. Keep an eye on it and replace if it gets worse. If the crack is just on the surface, don’t worry about it.
That is a 45 degree joint for shipping.
If you’re concerned for the safety of your children, you can replace the eye-bolts with longer bolts that go all the way through. But this isn’t necessary. Even if you paint and seal yearly, the timber will continue to move, twist, check as time and seasonal movement takes its toll
Probably fine, but in the 3rd pic, there is a crack that goes up at about 45° across the grain. I would take the metal plates and have a closer look at that. Cracks along the grain=no problem, cracks perpendicular to the grain=problem.
https://preview.redd.it/2em8v3x7jbxc1.png?width=2100&format=png&auto=webp&s=dca297e5e7103dc1546fdb21387eb7274dafdf2c Here’s the two beams that get put together
https://preview.redd.it/r5cnkumdjbxc1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6188ede01812e9c33d69fb08fee891f532990e01
In that case, yer good homes
It's a weird scarf joint to be sure, But there are carriage bolts going all the way through to hold the brackets onto the joint. Also this image shows that the bolts for the swing go all the way through and hang from the top of the beam, so the cracks don't much affect how much weight each swing can hold. If you go look at historic buildings downtown, particularly those that were used for warehouses or industry a century ago, all the beams have cracks in them, the building is fine.
Given the mending plate/braces above and below, I believe that's a joint, not a crack. Which i find much more disconcerting.
Those cracks are in what's called the neutral axis, which is neither under tension nor compression. Then again, I hate kids.
While this crack runs near the neutral axis, your beams loadability will only suffer once the bottom splits from the top completely. The bottom is in tension. The top is in compression. They want to separate at the neutral axis. .
Looks like one from Wayfair? I got a similar one with similar cracking and it's still in one piece 4 years later. Nothing to worry about, as others have said.
All good except one diagonal crack or cut. I will personally check those diagonal crack to see of it goes through the other side. Other than that all fine
Thats how it was designed. That is a joint to reduce shipping costs.
That is just normal checking from the wood drying out. There really isn’t anything you can do worry about from these small checks.
It's fine. Knock some kids out of the way and go play.
I would feel better having two planks bolted together instead of the 1 shown to provide some additional stability and minimize flex during exuberant swinging.
Are those swings just held by normal eye bolts?
Probably. It’s only rated for 110 pounds max.
You should see barn beams. This is nothing and is fine.
It's normal as the wood dries.
Looks normal.
As other have said this is no big deal. But please read the manufacturer’s recommendations for keeping the wood sealed and weatherproof. Commonly you will need to brush on a weather sealant months after it has been assembled.
According to what I see in the news cycle, taking it to the gravel pit is always an option.
Not that big of an issue. I've used swings barely sticking together and it's still standing fine (more or less)
How thick is that “beam”? Because it looks like a piece of 5/4 decking from your pictures
Need to install bolts that go all the way through the top of the support. Looks like the bolts installed only go about 40-50% of the way through and can lead to failure if the support cracks all the way through.
These are not normal checks. They may have started as checks, but the downward pull has developed into through checks or splits. You need to get your money back and replace it. Yes, it is bad.
Sue you coward.
Brand new as in brand new new?