• Please be sure to read the rules and adhere to them. Some banned members have complained that they are not spammers. But they spammed us. Some even tried to redirect our members to other forums. Duh. Be smart. Read the rules and adhere to them and we will all get along just fine. Cheers. :beer: Link to the rules: https://www.forumsforums.com/threads/forum-rules-info.2974/

Zip line slide/trolley

bczoom

Super Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Bob's catapult thread got me thinking of something I want to build for the kids (and myself) this summer.

I would like to put up a zip line slide/trolley.
I haven't selected the exact location (I have lots to choose from) but I'm going to guess it'll be approx 250' long.

Does anyone have any info on them?

In particular, I'm wondering about:
Angle of slide
Stopping
How you set it up for kids/adults (speed/angle and such due to weight and inertia).
Anything special about the cable or trolley
 

Dargo

Like a bad penny...
GOLD Site Supporter
Since a catapult to throw kids into the lake would be a bit dangerous, maybe, I thought that having a trolley going over the lake would be cool. I already have I beams and cable to make it. Again, I'm just afraid of the "what if" somebody forgot to let go, or let go too soon (still over land). I'm still wanting to make something like that. I will admit that not letting go and ramming into a 12" I beam may ruin you day though. I even have a rope to use to pull the trolley back for the next rider. What to do...

And to think, my wife says that I'm still just a kid. :confused:
 

Spiffy1

Huh?
SUPER Site Supporter
Dargo said:
I even have a rope to use to pull the trolley back for the next rider. What to do... :confused:

I see two options:
1. Let the return rope also act as a stop [an extra pulley at the starting end, and maybe something to keep a little friction on it.

2. Make it long enought that you can use the slack to approximate the angle, the extra uphill would serve as a "speed reduction zone" before the beam [also padded just to make sure], but this would take a little more trial and error; could also vary by weight depending upon the cable specs.

Sounds like too much fun!:coolshade
 

bczoom

Super Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Padding the low end beam or tree is a good idea.
I was trying to think of something that could be put on the cable itself to stop the trolley but I think it needs to be something that has some give and increases resistance. Kind of like a reverse spring. Without it, if the person is going too fast, they could flip up and over the cable.

Other options (depending on height of cable to ground) may include things like a fixed rope for those who want to get a running start and just grab a rope (hanging from the cable) and swing themselves. Tire swings and such are also options.
 

messickfarmequ

Charter Member
When i was about 15 years old I worked at a Summer camp and helped build a platform to upload people from the zip line. The designer forgot to account for the rather huge amount of drop that occures when you put weight on 400 feet of cable. The first person who came down hit their butt right on a 2x10 set into the ground with 6x6 posts. I was standing about 3 feet away when it happened.

Even so, I built my own zip line not too long ago. It was only about 50-60 feet long and had a rope with counter weight setup to auto-return the pulley.
 

bczoom

Super Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Dargo,
What if you made the end where you're afraid they may hit into an A-frame or similar setup? If they reach the end, they would go between the posts.
 

California

Charter Member
Site Supporter
When I was a kid we went to visit a friend's cousins who had a huge hay barn. We spent a lot of time riding down one of those things.

It was rigged from a rafter above the gable door of the hay barn, maybe 30 ft above the ground, down to an an anchor at ground level. We simply got a grip on a pulley (run upside down on the cable) and jumped out the door. Abrasion with the ground provided braking long before we reached the anchor. We got a little scratched up, no big deal. Great fun!
 

bczoom

Super Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Bump.

Lots of new members so maybe someone has more info.

Thoughts?
 

bczoom

Super Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Thanks Pixie.

I may end up contacting some commercial places. They may have a policy where they have to install new trolleys and such at certain intervals. If so, they may part with their old stuff.
 

Sundance

New member
Had some thoughts on building a zip line myself. Did a web search and found quite a few sources for info and materials. One idea for a stop was to take old tires and punch holes 180 degrees apart through the center fo the tread area. Two or three of these tires are threaded onto the cable at the end of the intended travel to absorb the forward motion of the trolley without contact with a solid object.
 

bczoom

Super Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Welcome to the forum Sundance.

I did build a zipline and the details are in this thread. There's some videos in there with the kids running it as well.

I had considered several braking options but found the bungie option the best (for me).
 
Top