How to Make Clothes Line Props
Clotheslines to dry laundry are fast becoming popular a means to conserve energy and simplify lifestyles but without adequate props, lines will sag and threaten to soil your fresh-washed laundry. Some long tree limbs and a bow saw will provide you with a steady supply of sturdy laundry props. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Determine Proper Size
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1
Make sure your clothesline is pulled taut.
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2
Test tautness by pulling the line down with one finger. The line should spring back to its original spot.
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3
Measure the approximate distance between the ground and the clothesline.
Prepare the Wood
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4
Secure thick and sturdy tree limbs, long branches or pieces of lumber from which you'll create a clothesline prop or pole. Lengths of wood should be about two inches in diameter.
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5
Because you'll often need to angle your pole away from the horizontal line, the wood should measure about 6 to 12 inches longer than the distance between the ground and your clothesline.
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6
Remove all foliage and other limbs as needed in order to create a relatively smooth, straight pole.
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7
Use a bow saw to trim the top end of the pole until it is a flat surface.
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8
Cut a vertical notch about one-quarter inch wide and 1.5 inches deep across the flat top of the pole.
Test and Secure Props
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9
Slip the clothesline into the top notch and lift the line to the desired height. The distance between the ground and the line should be sufficient to accommodate one full-size bedsheet folded in half.
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10
Conduct a final test of appropriate length by simulating hanging laundry.
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11
If you cannot comfortably extend your arms to the top height of the line with the prop in place, trim length if necessary from the end of the prop closest to the ground.
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