I used 1/2" cotton clothesline for an outdoor project, but even with no
special molds or anything, since it's under stress, I think it will
break in 2 or 3 years.

So I want to get some better rope. What do I need?. 1/8" nylon rope
will break. And I think 1/4" will also.?? Is it hard to tie a good
knot in 1/2" nylon? They have 15 feet for 16$ (at home depot it's
in store only, for some reason) , so what about the knot. Is it a good
idea to keep the knot from coming apart by heating it with a match
until it forms one blob?

They also have Everbiltt 3/8 in. x 50 ft Twisted Nylon and Polyester
Rope. $16 Easier to make a knot? Strong enough?

Other materials?



Details.
I have an arbor vitae tree that got bogged down by snow a couple years
ago. It had several sub-trunks. IIRC one got bent down so bad I had to
cut it off, , one got bent down so much it broke this year, one bent 10
or 20^ from vertical and remains there, and one was about 30^ from
vertical, until a couple months ago. Actually I had tied 3 of the
trunks back together a couple in the spring after this happened, using
green wire covered in vinyl, some of which broke.

2 or 3 weeks ago the one leaning 30^ drooped some more, over the
sidewalk, so that it brushed my head as I walked in. Then a few days
later, it drooped more so that I had to duck. I left a sign on the
front door for the mailman to object if he wanted to.

I've been stalling around about doing something, but yesterday it
drooped so much I couldn't bend down enough to get underneath. Had to
walk around. So today I tied some clothes line, 1/2" cotten clothes line
to the drooping trunk, went around the main trunk and pulled up the
drooping one. I couldn't get it all the way up on my own, and even if I
get my neighbor to push while I pull the rope, since it's been drooping
for a couple years, I'm dubious. The straighter it is, the less strain
is put on the rope. But since I can't get it straight, I think the
cotton rope will break in about 2 years.