The Convenient, Sturdy Outdoor Clothesline

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Start Building the Outdoor Clothesline

Measure and mark the location for the joint where the crosspiece will join the main post. A notch in the post supports the crosspiece (see photo below), and determining its height depends partly on the soil conditions in your yard. Ideally, the base of a clothesline extends at least 4 to 5 feet into the soil. In my case, bedrock was only 2 feet below the surface, so I added extra support around the post with a stone-filled wooden crib. Figure out how much of your post will sit below ground, and then add 5 to 7 feet to this figure to determine the location of the half lap joint for the crosspiece. (A half lap joint consists of a notch about halfway through each of the pieces being joined so they fit together sort of like Lincoln Logs.)

Regardless of how you’ll support the bottom end of your clothesline, measure and mark the location of a half lap joint on the main post that supports the crosspiece. Instead of measuring the width of the crosspiece with a tape measure, lay this part on top of the main post (make sure it’s square) and mark its width and location directly with a pencil.

Now it’s time to use your circular saw. Start by making two careful cuts, one on each waste side of the half lap zone at the full depth your saw will cut. Next, complete more cuts between these first two, spaced about a quarter of an inch apart. Remove the remaining waste with your chisel and mallet.

As the name suggests, the half lap notch needs to be half the thickness of the main post, and this presents a challenge. Most circular saws can’t cut deep enough to get to the center of an 8-by-8. You can use a handsaw or carefully wielded chain saw to continue the necessary cuts before chiseling the half laps to their full depth. Test fit the crosspiece and main post and adjust the joints as necessary for a good fit. Repeat the procedure to cut a notch in the crosspiece.

How to Make Your Clothesline Sturdy

Now it’s time to cut and fit the two knee braces (see the diagonal supports in the photo in the Image Gallery). While you could notch these parts into pockets cut in the crosspiece and main post, using half-inch carriage bolts (8 inches long) at each end does a great job, and they’re much easier to install. Temporarily assemble the main post and crosspiece now, nudging these parts one way or the other so they’re perfectly square with each other. To create greater strength, I cut the top ends of the knee braces to 50 degrees and the bottom ends to 40 degrees, though these numbers are just starting points. Big timbers are usually twisted, so you’ll probably need to fine-tune the angles on the knee braces for a good fit. Now cut one angled end on each knee brace, hold the parts in position, then mark and cut the other ends. An electric chop saw makes it easier to do this work accurately.

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