“Tree Gym” Made From Branches

“Tree Gym” Made From Branches FARM HOME Miscellaneous Cliff Johnson is a woodworker Master Gardener and back-yard builder with a passion for creative projects Over the years he’s used vines sticks and branches of every size and shape to build numerous arbors trellises and pergolas His latest effort is a combination jungle gym/treehouse that he built in his back yard “My grandsons sort of inspired me because of their tireless efforts to climb trees and build forts ” Johnson says “I really would’ve liked to build a big tree house high up in one of my 200-year-old burr oaks but I decided something closer to the ground probably makes more sense At least it makes more sense to my wife ” Johnson’s most recent project involved harvesting more than a half dozen 4 and 5- in ash trees from his wooded acreage and using the sturdy stems as poles that reach up onto the large lower limbs of a giant burr oak The poles were bolted to brace branches and then 2 and 3-in dia branches were used as ladder steps and horizontal frame pieces Step rungs were secured to the poles using 5/16-in lag screws The triangular platform was built using discarded cedar deck boards Johnson had laying around In total Johnson invested less than $20 in bolts and lag screws for the project “My grandkids were delighted when they saw it and they immediately started climbing and hanging from it in countless different ways ” Johnson says Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Cliff Johnson 12820 Laurie Lane Chaska Minn 55318 ph 952 466-2288

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