Swinger SPEED Question

[a matt]

I believe this might be the right place to ask my simple question.  Typical swinger, to increase the swing speed, is it as easy as moving the counter weight or is more weight needed?  I believe the total length/travel of the swing can be adjusted with moving the weight but I want a faster swinger. Thanks in advance.

[MemphisMechanic]

Move the weight upward, closer to the pivot point.

 

The lower the weight is, the slower it will oscillate.

[theWacoKid]

Move the weight up for higher frequency and down for lower frequency. 

 

Changing the weight will not do almost nothing as long as the current weight is many times greater than the weight of the paper target, target sticks, and shaft.  Gravity controls how the bobber accelerates and that behavior is independent of the size of the weight, but how it becomes angular motion is greatly affected by the distance of the weight from the pivot.  

 

[a matt]

I have a 1” SS shaft mounted with 2 bearing blocks and the blocks are mounted 4” from center each side. I have 7.5lb plate weights and the rod they are mounted too below the pivot point. I’ll add a 2.5lb  plate each time and see how it works out. Thanks

Edited October 21, 2019 by a matt

[shred]

Pendulum physics says the swing-time of a pendulum is not related to the weight at all, just the distance from center-mass to the pivot point.  That's in an ideal world of course, here in realityville we have friction and air resistance and whatnot, but the summary still holds-- shorter distance weight to pivot swings faster than far to pivot. 

 

But... usually the best bang-for-the-buck to get the paper moving faster is to move the starting position of the weight higher.

 

 

 

[a matt]

All things being equal I just move the target 5 to 6” higher on the sticks and saw a noticeable diff.  Thanks gang.

Edited October 22, 2019 by a matt