Clamp for washing-line post

[PeterC]

The houses here have concrete posts for the clothes line. They're about 2m to the cross-rods for the line (and about 75 years old and in good condition). The line is too high for most people (I'm begining to find it a bit of a stretch), so I'd like to lower the line next door to make more of it useable. I don't want to drill the post; might hit the rebar and almost certainly accelerate degradation. I've tried looking for some sort of clamp but found only those for fence posts. Trouble is, I don't know what to dearch for. It can't be slid on from the top and it needs to fit about 105mm at the new height. Preferably stainless steel.

[charles]

How about a large jubilee clip?

[Roger Mills]

How about something like this?

[alan_m]

On a concrete fence post they to fit into the recesses that a wooden fence panel fits into. They come in different sizes for different fence posts but wouldn't fit a square post.

[alan_m]

Possibly something like this may fit the bill

Use the selection boxes for different designs/sizes including a complete square bracket of 102 x102mm

[Jeff Layman]

If you want to DIY, get a 1m length of 25 x 2mm or 30 x 2mm aluminium such as at

, and a packet of stainless steel screws such as at

Bend it round the back and sides to make an elongated "|_|". Cut the arms equally to a length of about 180mm from the bottom of the "|_|". If the sides of the concrete are 105mm, bend the ends about 70mm from the open ends to make an overlapping square round the post. Open it to get it off the post (it doesn't matter if you get a crease at the back). Bend the front ends back on themselves so they are parallel with the sides, and have a 30 - 50mm gap between them. Drill a 6mm hole through each of these, replace on the post, and put the bolt through the holes and tighten up. It should look something like this (the <-------> is the bolt):

| | <------->

___| |___ | | | | |________ |

[Robin]

I wondered about using the cross-posts to take the vertical load from the line so you don't need a clamp that can that? E.g. wire rope from the cross-posts down to square u-bolts like

[The Natural Philosopher]

The solution I would go for is this

Hook them over the cross trees and thread the line through

Epoxy a large washer to the cross trees to stop them falling off

Adjust to agility quotient :-)

[Roger Mills]

Yes, you're right - sorry! The picture is misleading, and looks as if they clamp to the sides of the post - you can't see the bit that goes into the recess.

[Animal]

Or keep the current fixing point, run the line down to where you want it, loop round post & knot. Job done.

[Fredxx]

I was thinking the same, using a line from the cross-rods to stop it slipping down in use.

[PeterC]

Thanks - that looks a possibility as it might have enough wiggle room to fit low enough to be useful.

[PeterC]

Thanks, that's another possibility. So long as the Al isn't more than half-hard it shouldn't crack. With a bit of cunning, 2 nuts and machine bolts for a plain section the bolts could be used to anchor the line - or I might make a separate bracket to go over the bolts so that there isn't off-centre strain on the Al.

[PeterC]

Yes, a good stout one would do it possibly. Cheers.

[PeterC]

Well, I'd possibly do that but would need to find something suitable as padding - line on rough concrete, clothes blown around.. I'd give it a day or two!

[Animal]

Tied well enough to not move it's fine.

[Brian Gaff]

Kind of makes you wonder why its so high, unless it was very saggy and they used a clothes prop as we used to in them old days. There used to be a fixing for chain link fences that was basically a thick flat bit with a hole in the middle and an eye on either end. These came in various lengthen to avoided making more holes in the posts for fences, but more recently these have been superseded by just running a vertical strip between the top middle and bottom holes into which you made holes where you wanted them to attach the wires for the fence, I guess one of those could be drilled at the right height, but its not going to look very nice, and could get caught on the garments near that end. Brian

[alan_m]

Originally they probably used a pulley at the top of the post, then just lowered the line to hang the washing and raised it up to catch more of the wind.

People still use cloths props if they have a long line.