Build a Pulley Style Clothes Drying Rack - PEP BB nest.straw.pulleydry

Is this the type of system this BB is referring https://www.practicallyfunctional.com/diy-pulley-clothesline/

I can't find a picture of the one in the Fisher Price home at Wheaton Labs.  But basically it's a wooden drying rack that hangs from the ceiling on pulleys.  So you can lower it down to put damp clothes on it and pull it up (out of the way) to dry in the warmer air near the ceiling.  Plus it stores up there when not in use.

These are quite common in the UK where it’s still normal to dry clothes without a machine. Here’s an example of what I think is required.



Here’s another example with wall brackets

Third example

They all use caste iron but I’m sure it would be possible to make something out of wood.

I have been mulling this one over for weeks. The designs I had seen online all used cast iron and wooden struts and to replicate is beyond my skills.

I decided on using a garage hoist, the kind used for hanging canoes. I liked the principle as it lifted smoothly and had a locking mechanism. When I came to build the hanger, I was going to use some dimensional lumber but instead I used a piece of wood I had found and used to make two spoons. There was enough left and it was the right diameter. The round wood tasks were making me think more like a permie. I could keep weight and cost down by using 6ft garden bamboo poles. When I lived in Asia it was common to use bamboo and it doesn't stain clothes.

I cut the branch to size and stripped the bark with a whittling knife and cleaned up the knots with a hand axe. Then I drilled four holes in each piece, six inches apart. The bamboo required a little persuasion and I used the wooden mallet I had made yesterday to knock the end pieces on. The bamboo was pretty snug but to avoid any horizontal movement, I used some cotton butchers string to secure the ends.

I fixed the pulleys to a beam in the garage and hung the rack. It worked really well. There's plenty of clearance when fully loaded.

Most of the time, I won't be using this for washing - I'll be using it to hang and dry herbs. I have four newly installed lines in my basement, an upgraded pulley line in the back garden and a free standing drying rack.

I'm so proud!!