Archive for the ‘handy hints’ Category

A Swing Set for any Season

February 12th, 2009

snow-set-2I love snow. My wife loves snow. Our kids, like all kids, love snow. Even our dog loves snow. Good thing, too – we live in Maine! And what we’ve found over the years is that a swing set in Winter is just as much fun as a swing set in Summer. In some ways, even more fun. Here’s how:

  • The swings still swing the same, but jumping in a pile of snow sure beats landing in a bunch of woodchips.
  • Cold plastic + snowsuit + a dusting of snow = a really, really, really fast slide. When you add a big pile of snow at the end, it makes the ride even more exciting.
  • You can’t have a snowball fight in the Summer. And, the forts, bridges, ladders, ramps and walls make for epic battles.
  • And, nothing beats a steaming cup of hot chocolate after a romp in the snow.

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Skating the Summer Away

February 9th, 2009

Skateboard SwingWe’re always looking for ways to extend the useful life of our swing sets. I’m not talking about stains or chemical treatments or new species of wood – we’re in love with the northern white cedar we use in our swing sets. I really mean finding ways to help a swing set evolve with the changing interests and abilities of kids over the years.

So, we asked ourselves, “what do kids like to do when they are 8, 9, 10-years-old or older?” And, like it or not as parents, we answered, “skateboard!” Heather, our lead product designer, quickly got on the phone and discovered that we have a manufacturer of wooden skateboard decks right here in Maine. We had a sample a few days later, and after adding some holes, ropes, hardware and a dowel or two, we had our first Skateboard Swing prototype.
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“Why doesn’t CedarWorks have a blog?”

February 1st, 2009

I used to deflect this question by mumbling something about “not enough time” or “gee, that’s a great idea” or “because most small company blogs are boring and out of date”. That was until a friend recently told me that he and his wife are just as interested in the “who” and the “how” of a company as they are the “what”.

I was a bit stumped at first. But as he explained that most companies give an overabundance of details about their products and services (the “what”), they often share precious little about the people, the projects, and all of the day to day happenings that really tell you what a company is all about.
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Good time for a tune-up

October 29th, 2008

CedarWorks Swing Set Care and Maintenance Checklist: Even if the weather in your back yard has been relatively calm the past few months, it’s a good idea to make sure everything related to your swing set is still the way it’s supposed to be. Please make sure all the structural parts and connecting hardware are tight and secure. (more…)