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I want to put my washing line in the tree stump. Don't want to dig up lawn and concrete in pole, and no base which you put into the earth has been capable of holding up the rotary washing line (obv knocked about by the wind, using clothes as sails).

This means cutting a vertical hole in the stump.

Using a holesaw for the above won't work well, because it won't go deep enough - the barrel of the drill will get in the way before I even get close. Making an even bigger hole to fit the barrel of the drill in would obv defeat purpose, as the pole needs to be snug to prevent it being lifted out, or moving around and cracking the wood.

As far as I can see, even if there is a holesaw long enough, there would be no way to remove the cylinder of wood that would be cut out - the 'face' of the cylinder t would still be attached, with no way I can get at it.

Is there a way I can make this hole?

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    There are big diameter drill bits, but you are forgetting that wood rots. It might work for a few years, but then you need a new stump. A post in the ground ground three or four feet should hold up. You will have the post there anyway to hide the hole.
    – crip659
    Commented Jul 3 at 12:15
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    Do you actually have 60cm of stump? Because if it's been cut off close to the ground you'll go right through it and try to drill soil and rocks with a drill bit meant for wood. Not a good idea
    – Chris H
    Commented Jul 3 at 20:58
  • Nice idea re-using the stump! A side thought - this will be drilling into end-grain, and depending on how long since the tree was cut down it could be wet wood which will dry and shrink over time. I'd suggest that drilling an oversize hole is okay, and then use some mortar or grout to pack the gap. As such, an irregular hole carved with a chisel may be adequate.
    – Criggie
    Commented Jul 3 at 22:10
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    Do they sell a socket for mounting such a pole on masonry or concrete? If so you could screw it onto the tree stump.
    – nigel222
    Commented Jul 4 at 9:02
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    as a frame-change kind of comment: did you think to attach the clothesline pole to the side or the top of the stump, using screws and clamps?
    – Vladimir Cravero
    Commented Jul 4 at 11:56

3 Answers 3

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Ship Augur Bit

Image source, no endorsement implied

Ship augur bit. This one is 44.45mm diameter, with 30cm of flutes, so you'll need an extension (and lots of pulling it out to clear chips) to drill your 60 cm hole. If you are in a metric-primary area perhaps you can find one that's exactly 44mm.

Digging a hole and pouring a plug of concrete with a wide base footing below ground around a steel pipe would probably cost less and definitely last longer than a hole in a stump, but that's your choice.

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    Yeah, actually a ship auger would work better than a forstner bit in this case.
    – Ken Carlson
    Commented Jul 3 at 12:43
  • If the pole going in is 44mm, you don't want a 44mm hole but a bit bigger. The clearance you need will be less with an auger than with a bit that's not as constrained to run straight, but you'll still need some.
    – Chris H
    Commented Jul 3 at 20:56
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    This is way beyond most home-user battery drill drivers, and risks stalling their motors or damaging gear teeth. Consider hiring a drill and a suitable bit for this one-off hole.
    – Criggie
    Commented Jul 3 at 22:12
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    0.45mm accuracy in woogworking is neither trivial nor really useful
    – fraxinus
    Commented Jul 4 at 5:29
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    @Criggie or go old-school with a brace and bit, and get a good workout (I'd try it with my main-powered drill that has a side handle, very useful for high-torque jobs, but gently and not in one go)
    – Chris H
    Commented Jul 4 at 8:51
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Update: @ecnerwal's answer to use a ship auger is a better choice. Trying to drill a hole that deep that needs to be very straight to accept a post, a forstner bit will wander, while a ship auger will make a much straighter hole.

Original answer:

You need a forstner bit of the correct diameter like this (I have no interest in this brand, it's just the first one that popped up in a search for an image): forstner bit

and drill extensions like this with a total length that adds up to the depth you need (You may need more than one): enter image description here

and since these are large diameter bits, they have shanks and torque requirements that require a drill with a 1/2" chuck, which is bigger than the average homeowner owns.

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    And probably a vacuum to suck up the sawdust in the bottom of the bore, as you go.
    – Huesmann
    Commented Jul 3 at 12:28
  • to get exactly 4.4 cm you'll need an adjustable bit. Maybe try this from Grainger: IRWIN Adjustable Spade Drill Bit: 3 in Drill Bit Size, 11/32 in Shank Dia, 6 1/2 in Overall Lg .
    – Tiger Guy
    Commented Jul 3 at 14:44
  • +1 Forstner will work. These bits are sometimes used to drill circular recesses for hinge mechanisms or large cam fastners in flatpack furniture. They are reasonably cheap and don't pull a huge amount of torque (they are designed to go slow and tidy so don't bind as much as some other types in my experience.) Progress will be slow (especially with all the material removal) but OP shouldn't mind for a single hole. It may be necessary to improvise a vacuum extension of an appropriate diameter to fit into the hole (I've done this with a bit of pipe and some duct tape.
    – Level River St
    Commented Jul 4 at 1:41
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    @TigerGuy If you use a bit like this that is exactly 44mm it is going to "wander" around too much. Even 45mm, which should be easy to find, is likely to be too tight. An auger bit will wander much less, but you are still going to need 45mm plus, if the pole is actually 44mm - I would want to double-check that measurement too.
    – MikeB
    Commented Jul 4 at 10:38
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    That's a really weird Forstner. The reason to pick one is for the flat-bottomed holes they make, but this bit has a thingy in the middle to hold it steady. Probably makes it much easier to use, but then why use it in the first place?
    – fectin
    Commented Jul 4 at 14:04
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Grind the end of the pole to be sharp like a chisel and then pound it into the stump.

Else cut teeth into the pole and use it as a hole saw.

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    Interesting idea - but the clothesline poles I've installed have never had the thickness or mass to be sharpened. They're normally hollow with perhaps a plastic end cap, intended to bayonet into a "socket" which is concreted into the ground. Pounding would destroy any modern clothesline.
    – Criggie
    Commented Jul 4 at 10:49
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    might have to use water pipe or scaffold pole for the lower tube.
    – Jasen
    Commented Jul 5 at 0:48
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    @Jasen scaffold tube is aluminium and won't hold an edge. It's also thick which would mean compressing a lot of wood to make room for the tube wall. I've sharpened angle iron and bashed it into wood. It bent
    – Chris H
    Commented Jul 5 at 15:31
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    These ideas seem very much in the category of "hold my beer...." I would very much enjoy watching you sharpen a clothesline pole and use it as a giant hole saw, but I hope you have good medical!
    – Aldus Bumblebore
    Commented Jul 5 at 22:08
  • I mean the steel scaffold tube,
    – Jasen
    Commented 4 hours ago

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