How to make a portable rotary clothesline base

[chriskeipert]

We have recently had an Ekodeck deck installed at the back of our house. This is wonderful but has created a bit of challenge for us in being able to continue using our Hills rotary clothesline. The deck now covers the in-ground socket for our Hills rotary clothesline. When we originally discussed the clothesline options with our landscaper, we realised that if we wanted to use the existing in-ground socket the extra height of the deck above the ground would mean that it would not be a practical or safe height for using the clothesline. It would also mean cutting holes in the Ekodeck which he suggested was not ideal for their longevity. We have a big family and so the wall-based clotheslines don’t cut it, and so we wanted to be able to use our rotary clothesline again.

My wife and I were wanting to create a portable but stable base for our clothesline that wouldn't require damaging our new deck or cutting holes. I had considered adapting an existing outdoor umbrella base, but the tube for the clothesline is approximately 58 mm in diameter, which is too large for these.

We found this item from Flaming Anvil (https://www.flaminganvil.co.uk/heavy-duty-rotary-clothes-line-base-fully-mobile), but they are UK-based and do not ship to Australia. There are also no other stores in Australia that make anything like this. I would like to create a DIY version along these lines.

Here are some of the things I am considering:

• I need it to be heavy enough to be stable but not so heavy as to damage the decking boards, so weight distribution is a factor - without making it a gigantic obstacle to work around.
• It also needs to be able to drain, as we live in Coffs Harbour in NSW and we have significant rainfall. I was thinking I would fill it with aggregate or something similar (rather than sand) to maximise drainage. I was also wondering if I could make the top and bottom out of formply to avoid water going into it in the first place.
• Being mobile would be beneficial but is not a necessity, as the positioning of the clothesline is satisfactory all year round. I imagine that having castors would also concentrate the mass on four points rather than distributing it more evenly, but it also would allow airflow underneath.

Two options I can see:

1. Try and recreate this as closely as possible, using a metal socket/tube component at the top which allows for a lower base. Does Bunnings sell something like this? I have been browsing in-store but have never been sure where to look. I imagine that a PVC equivalent would not be robust enough to support the clothesline and so it would need to be metal.

2. If there is no metal socket, then I was thinking about getting another in-ground socket and then build the box around this. This would likely mean that the box would need to be taller (about 600 mm) so I am concerned about how much of an obstacle it would be. I could also just get a PVC pipe or similar instead if it just needs to be able to fit the diameter, but I was leaning this way because they are designed to fit the clothesline exactly.

So, here are some questions I have. I have built things before but I’m not a very experienced DIY builder, so all advice appreciated!

1. What timber should I use to build it?
2. Does Bunnings have a metal socket/tube that I can use as part of the design, or do I build around an in-ground socket?
3. How do I allow drainage while still maintaining stability?

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @chriskeipert. It's terrific to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about clotheslines.

I can see exactly what you’re thinking with the portable base idea, and it’s clever to try and avoid cutting into your new Ekodeck. But in practice, there are a few big challenges that make this approach tricky. The main issue is stability: a loaded rotary clothesline isn’t just carrying its own weight, it’s holding a spread of wet clothes, which acts like a cantilever. Even a “heavy” umbrella base can’t come close to resisting that sideways load safely. You’d probably need a base weighing 40 kilograms or more, likely filled with concrete, and that’s a lot of weight concentrated on a deck surface that might not handle it well long term. Wheels or castors make it worse, as they focus the weight onto four small points and risk denting or damaging the decking.

The clothesline sockets you’ve looked at, are 600mm long for a reason: the pole needs to be deeply anchored to stay upright under load. A portable base of a practical size simply can’t replicate the stability of a proper in-ground socket. The 600 mm depth is there to give strength. Shorter, mobile solutions just won’t perform the same way.

Honestly, the safest, most functional solution would be to retrofit the socket into the deck. It wouldn’t compromise the Ekodeck if done correctly. Framing can be adjusted to allow the socket to sit below the decking boards, supported properly underneath. This would give you the stability you need for everyday use and even in windy conditions, without risking damage to your deck or the clothesline tipping over.

A portable base is creative, but realistically, it will be either unstable or far too heavy to be practical on your deck. Retrofitting the deck with a socket is the way to get the long-term, safe solution.

Let me tag @Dave-1 and @Noyade for their thoughts.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell
 

[Dave-1]

Good Afternoon @chriskeipert 

I have the same missgivings as @MitchellMc with any portable base for a clothesline for exactly the same reasons.

Mounting it in the deck is an option I think would work. Just needs to be next to a support post to maximise the strength.

As an alternative, You could create an old school "T" clothesline. Two posts either side of your decking set in 600mm deep at least hoels plus concreted. the top of the T posts have an horizontal arm with a bolt through the arm to the post. then you have 3 or 4 smaller holes in the arm so as to string the clothesline through. 

If you installed ring bolts for the clothesline at either end, then used carbiners plus cord between them then you could remove the clothesline wholly whenever you have a party or want a clear deck.

Any wheeled movable base will tip like crazy with the weight of a wet sheet plus a bit of a breeze is my fear.

Dave

[Noyade]

I have much the same thoughts as the two wise men above @chriskeipert 

I made a 40kg mobile steel base for an umbrella - but in a strong wind, over she goes.

I thought of a larger base - but it all becomes counter productive - you want it to move, but now it's too heavy.