Rigging the Drop Line

Checking the drop from this oak crossbeam back down to the mudroom floorboards meant taking the descent slow and steady. Tucked against a bracket bolt, I found a clean steel safety pin and a discarded wooden ice cream paddle with a notched tip. I pressed the safety pin's clasp firmly into a gap in the oak grain, looping the waxed floss tackle around its steel spine. Then I jammed the wooden paddle flat against the edge to act as an outrigger skid, guiding my caster cart clear of the rough wood fibers. With a two-handed grip on the line and an easy chuckle, I began easing the rig downward. Controlled descent beats a tumbled load every time.