Laundry line fastener
December 29, 2024 7:11 AM Subscribe
I want a fastener that I can use with clothesline, where I can pull the line through the fastener and it pulls through tight, but can't slip back (unless one releases a clutch), sort of like pulling a zip tie tight. I'm sure this exists, but I'm not sure what to call it or where to find it, and hardware store employees look at me with a blank stare.
I'm talking about, like, 5/32" PVC coated wire clothesline.
I'm talking about, like, 5/32" PVC coated wire clothesline.
Cam cleats will do this
posted by paulash at 8:58 AM on December 29 [4 favorites]
posted by paulash at 8:58 AM on December 29 [4 favorites]
I’ve used a “figure 9 carabiner” for this task in the past, though learning to tie a taut line hitch turns out to be much more useful in general.
posted by jimfl at 9:48 AM on December 29 [1 favorite]
posted by jimfl at 9:48 AM on December 29 [1 favorite]
Not sure what it's called either, but I've got one right here I took off a sleeping bag. It was from a mummy bag, originally used for tightening around your face. Two small concentric plastic tubes with a spring inside and a hole drilled through both. Press the spring so the holes line up, feed the line through both, pull taught, then release the spring so the holes separate, holding the line in place.
posted by Rash at 1:46 PM on December 29
posted by Rash at 1:46 PM on December 29
How about a "jam cleat" like they use on boats? The Nite-Ize company makes the Cam-Jam but that's a little different.
posted by wenestvedt at 8:08 PM on December 29
posted by wenestvedt at 8:08 PM on December 29
Devices meant for sailboats will not be designed for plastic-coated line. Some things might work, others certainly wouldn't.
Searching on "clothesline tightener" brings two kinds: one as mentioned be mskyle, and others that look like flat plastc boxes which have some sort of teeth etc to hold the line. Some may have a spring arrangement They would be designed for lines of a certain diameter.
An apparent difference between the two types is that for the one you pull the line toward you to tighten, and the the other you pull the line away (which seems awarkward). I didn't see any mention of a clutch with either type.
The saving grace is they all seem very cheap, so buying on spec is not so costly.
posted by SemiSalt at 5:59 AM on December 30
Searching on "clothesline tightener" brings two kinds: one as mentioned be mskyle, and others that look like flat plastc boxes which have some sort of teeth etc to hold the line. Some may have a spring arrangement They would be designed for lines of a certain diameter.
An apparent difference between the two types is that for the one you pull the line toward you to tighten, and the the other you pull the line away (which seems awarkward). I didn't see any mention of a clutch with either type.
The saving grace is they all seem very cheap, so buying on spec is not so costly.
posted by SemiSalt at 5:59 AM on December 30
I can pull the line through the fastener and it pulls through tight, but can't slip back (unless one releases a clutch), sort of like pulling a zip tie tight
Yeah, that's a cam cleat's entire reason to exist.
The Nite Ize CamJam mentioned above is a line-mounted version of such a cleat, probably as close as you'll get to your big zip tie, though it's designed to have the cord make a sharpish U turn to reach the cam that you'll probably struggle to persuade a coated 4mm steel cable to cooperate with.
If what you're after is something that lets you quickly put up and take down a run of clothes line in the way you describe, you'd probably be better off with a conventional cam cleat fixed to its far-end mounting point despite having to pay marine prices for it.
To release the line from the cleat, just haul on the free end enough to make the cams unclench, then lift it straight up and out from between them.
posted by flabdablet at 7:12 AM on December 30 [1 favorite]
Yeah, that's a cam cleat's entire reason to exist.
The Nite Ize CamJam mentioned above is a line-mounted version of such a cleat, probably as close as you'll get to your big zip tie, though it's designed to have the cord make a sharpish U turn to reach the cam that you'll probably struggle to persuade a coated 4mm steel cable to cooperate with.
If what you're after is something that lets you quickly put up and take down a run of clothes line in the way you describe, you'd probably be better off with a conventional cam cleat fixed to its far-end mounting point despite having to pay marine prices for it.
To release the line from the cleat, just haul on the free end enough to make the cams unclench, then lift it straight up and out from between them.
posted by flabdablet at 7:12 AM on December 30 [1 favorite]
The Nite Ize Cam looks like a reasonable thing to to try. Your wire rope is 4mm so the size is right. You won't know if it clamps tight enough or is too hard to release without trying it.
By the way, I think a sailor's solution would be for the line to go through a pulley to change direction to vertical, leading to a clamp of some kind fastened to the wall or window frame. It might be possible to fit in a little block & tackle to make the pulling easier.
If you should want to try a solution requiring shortening the line and putting a permanent loop on the end, you'll be wanting a "wire rope clamp".
posted by SemiSalt at 10:21 AM on December 30
By the way, I think a sailor's solution would be for the line to go through a pulley to change direction to vertical, leading to a clamp of some kind fastened to the wall or window frame. It might be possible to fit in a little block & tackle to make the pulling easier.
If you should want to try a solution requiring shortening the line and putting a permanent loop on the end, you'll be wanting a "wire rope clamp".
posted by SemiSalt at 10:21 AM on December 30
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posted by onebyone at 7:16 AM on December 29