How to restring a clothesline?

[TessOne]

As a very inexperienced DIYer is it hard to restring a clothesline?  TIA

[Jewelleryrescue]

Hi @TessOne 

No it is not hard to restring a clothes line feel free to fix it.

First look at what clothesline you already have and buy a roll of that same material rope or wire.

Next draw a picture or take pictures of how the old line is strung up as a guide. Note how it goes through to loops and take a pict of how it ties onto the clothesline at the ends.

Take the old line off and begin at one end threading the line at one end it would help to have someone feed the line out to you as you draw the line through the loops. Pull it through in stages pull some extra  slack through each section so it is easier to pull for the next section.

Sometimes it is best to unravel the new wire etc down out the side gate so its flat and straight to start with.

A clothesline doesn't have to be super tight like a guitar string, sometimes if you pull it too tight the arms will bend out of shape so just relax the line until it is level again. 

Before you tie the ends look over your work and make sure things look even and not to slack. Just feed any slack towards the end and tie it off.

Hope this helps

[EricL]

Hello @TessOne 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your clothesline.   

It's great that you've received excellent advice from @Jewelleryrescue. I totally agree with the steps suggested. Just to add to the suggestions made I recommend looking carefully at the sections that have knots in them or are using plastic locks that could be holding the line in place. Make sure to take great care when removing plastic stoppers or holders as these often become brittle in the sun.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[Jason]

Let me also welcome you to the Bunnings Workshop community @TessOne.

Just thought I'd add that if you could identify the manufacturer and model of your clothesline, we might be able to chase up the instructions for you.

Jason

[Yabbie]

I have the same question.  Mine is an old Hills Hoist (not sure of exact model).  It's been restrung before, so I don't know the "correct" way.  Mine is a rotary.

My main question, is what is the best way to tie off/secure the ends of the line?

[MitchellMc]

Hi @Yabbie 

Once you've reached the end, pass the line through the eyelet. At this point, depending on how you strung it, there should already be a cord occupying the eyelet, but it will fit through. I like to do a clinch-style knot as it holds the slippery nylon line well. I've taken my knot apart, which has been holding well for the past 8 years, to show you. Hopefully, the images below show this well. Sinch it down, and the tension from the line will hold it in position, and the multiple wraps stop it from slipping apart.

Please let me know how you go and if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[DIY-Dilatante]

I've had to re-thread our clothesline several times, as the line has not lasted anywhere near as long as I'd hoped.

The first thing is to get the right cable type.

A stainless steel cable is the ultimate in durability, but it's by far the most expensive option. (I'm not even sure that Bunnings stocks this; it's more commonly purchased from a chandler.)

Galvanised steel cable is cheaper, but it will slowly discolour and leave gray marks on clothes. (And eventually the zinc will be gone and it will start to rust, leaving brown marks on clothes.)

Both cable types take a lot of effort to tension and bend, and are somewhat rough on clothing.

By comparison, plastic coated cables are cheap and smooth, which results in less wear on clothing.

However the core is usually regular (non-stainless) steel, which means if the coating is disrupted, water will get in and the core will start to rust. After a few months the core will rust enough that the tension will cause it to snap.

It is very easy to damage the coating: longitudinal movement around any obstacle will cause abrasion.

There are two ways to protect against this:

• Avoid continuous threading. Knot every joint, so that slack on one segment doesn't get pulled into the next segment when the latter is weighted.
• Avoid sharp bends - tie the line around the bar, rather than thread through it.

A nylon line avoids most of these problems, but its elasticity means it will always droop, and for the same strength it should be significantly thicker.

Be aware that coated cables tend to "stick", so you need to pull the tension on each segment as you go; you won't be able to pull it up tight at the end. Metal cables don't stick as such, but they resist bending, so the same limitation applies. This will limit the kinds of knots you can use, especially if you have a rotary hoist with lines running diagonally between the arms.

[EricL]

Hello @DIY-Dilatante 

Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge and experience in regards to restringing clotheslines. I'm sure our members will the information helpful.

Eric