Having all your materials and tools ready, saw 4 feet off your battens (A A), which will leave 10 feet for the uprights, and as 2 feet 6 inches have to be let into the ground, you will then have 7 feet 6 inches for the height of the bar, which is sufficient for all exercises. You will next fit the 4 feet-pieces (B B) into one end of the uprights by halving them in; this will form the sole-piece to which the struts (C C C C) are nailed. All this part, which goes underground, is left in its rough state; the 7 feet 6 inches above the ground will have to be planed over and the edges rounded off. The uprights can be either left plain or an ornamental turned top may be added. This is a matter of fancy.
Our bar is made of the best straight-grained ash, 6 feet long and 1-7/8 in. in diameter.
Before fixing, cover the knots with a little patent knotting, then paint the uprights all over with a coat of priming, another coat of lead colour and one of any finishing colour you prefer. Green will soon fade, blue will stand for years.
_Tools._ Saw. | Inch chisel. Jack plane. | Three-eighths-of-an-inch spike | gimlet.
4 Lengths of Yellow deal 8 ft. long, 4-1/2 in. by 1-1/2 in. 5 0 2 Stakes 2 ft. 6 in. long, 3 in. square 0 6 1 Bar, with iron core and screw-eyes, 6 ft. long 10 0 2 Stay-ropes and toggles 2 0 2 Stretcher irons 1 0 Size and Varnish 1 0 ------- 19 6 =======
This bar (Fig. 2), for its simplicity, portability, and strength, has a reputation for being one of the most useful kinds of apparatus made. Not only is it used for a bar, but children’s swings, hand-rings, and trapeze can be attached to it, as the supports can be spread out to allow the bar to stand at various heights by shifting the stretcher irons (A A) up and down. These irons, three-eighths of a inch in diameter, are cranked at each end--_i.e._, bent at right-angles--and fit into holes in the uprights about 3 inches apart.
There will be very little for you to make in this, viz., the four uprights. After you have planed these over and rounded the edges, mortice 1-1/4-in. square holes through two of the uprights (D), six inches from the top, and bore 3/4-in. round holes through the other two. This is to take the end of the bar (B). The square part is to prevent the bar turning round when you swing on it. You will have to purchase the bar with iron core, as it would be impossible to make it without proper machinery.