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Building a Playground, Part One

Bob goes to Columbus, Ohio to visit a volunteer built playground. The site is designed for children of all ages. It came in a series of kits that will be put together by a team of volunteers from local businesses. Everything on site is put together with specially designed carriage bolts.

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Building a Playground, Part One

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Building a Playground, Part One

computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" Well if you've ever put together any kind of a kit project whether it's a dog house or a backyard gazebo you know it takes a lot of patience and there's a lot of parts what we have here is a major playground construction. And it's gonna take us a week to put it all together we have lots of helpers let's say hi first to Brett had a way about children's playgrounds is really the company that's. Put the kit together for us. But we don't really understand what the layout will be yet -- one chip explain that to us that."

" There's a site plan -- We have basically an area that's 94 feet by 41 thing so it's a big area pretty -- fits right in this space very nicely written. We have two main structures. One for the younger children this is the end where we're standing right here. We have wheelchair accessibility. A large stage stage area where it children put on his. Puppet shows and things like -- and this is an octagon yep an octagon stage yeah. Something that we've never done before we're doing it specially for this project -- that what's what's this area here here we since we have a castle theme we have us a symbolized moat. Right in the center with a bridge that crosses from one area over today."

" And then this is all decking is that now that's going to be holiday resilient wood mulch or it's OK and then you go over the bridge and in this area what do you -- that's a climbing structure for older children. OK so what are some of these components like this thing that looks like -- he'd be right here and it looks like a -- Bob it's actually a turret roof up to give us this castle effect I see so that we'll get hoisted into place and that green up. Molded. Affair here this is a slide for our older children's area. Comes in one piece. You can just bolt it right on there you just slip slide through the to turn right it's going to be complicated now you've got a ground crew already in place how far along are the we're just in the very early stated right now. And you've got what volunteered here to do some of the problem preliminary. Yes mainly -- that heavy work that cannot be done by volunteers OK we excavated the the site about that grade down eight inches so you removed the tops all that was in here yes and what have you done with -- we redistributed it over here. To bring up the grade and and I love playing dress because it was a gravel base so we're improving the playground in that respect yeah well yeah. And then all these folks are installing it off. Though what is that what what are all these big timbers for. Business supports for it. Beyond the platform. And then what about the perimeter of the area noticed you got timbers in place OK I guess we needed to installer and retaining wall. To separate the playground from -- the rest of -- so this is one spot for the younger kids and then this is where the moat will be. Yes the moat will be right in this area and then these holes are for the bridge it's going to end. We have another structure over here. Well let me -- man over here and we got some -- younger volunteers from. And they're wearing the stair assembly watch the -- us. Go. Big step. Right on top. Good yet. Now what's all the gravel at this and for. Well Bob you can't really tell but this is the lowest spot on the site so we put in the dry wealth. Which is an area that's five by five by five filled with gravel -- pit full of of this gravel so that the water will naturally dissipate from the area for drainage and that takes care of that then we've got the rest of our. Holes in here and you've got your strings in place what's happening yeah."

" Strings I used by an estimated to be original layout and holes and then I keep the nails in the boards and that I can retrace those original locations and we can. We establishment and are supposed to go to the holes were dug with a power auger that's right sometimes we'll go a little bit off here Nationalists gets an average aware of centers of holes yeah. Now they are putting together all the different component is everything comes receive pre assembled right didn't -- that we have the first deck in place now. It's braced off leveled plumbed and from now we're able to go on to the next day and the next thing we have a series of about six decks on this structure we're going to try to get up today. Well there aren't any nails actually driven out on the job -- a -- they're all done in the shop. We on -- we have a special system -- happens carriage full. Flat washer yep lock washer and a special nut that we developed so it's tamper proof needs to be installed. The special tool that way once it's in place it can't be taken."

" So the most important feature here I assume is to make sure that you've got these things perfectly -- and that makes the rest the assembly -- yeah. And from here we're going up to what a third another deck portion of the go to played apparently come up one foot two foot three foot up to fight for right across here it. How much time and I mean real time. To complete the whole project. We actually would be about three days three -- job great."

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