A trellis/obelisk thread! Show me yours?

Garden retreat: a stunning focal point for the well-dressed backyard. (Shop Project). (building a wooden trellis) Neal Barrett.

Full Text: COPYRIGHT 2002 © Hearst Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved

* What makes your backyard special? If you're lucky, you already have a luscious lawn and a few well-placed shrubs and trees--and the garden gets better every year. However, if you really want to add a touch of luxury and distinction to your backyard landscape, accent your grounds with an elegant wooden trellis.

Our version is built of clear red cedar and features lattice side panels that are perfect for supporting vines or flowers. Unlike a deck, our structure is free-standing--you can reposition it as inspiration dictates, or easily remove it if your backyard plans change. We've equipped our trellis with a bench, making it a great place to relax and enjoy a warm summer afternoon. If you decide to do without the bench, the trellis becomes an elegant arched gateway to your garden.

For good glue joints, it's important that you start with lumber that's not too wet. To avoid problems, buy your wood at least a few weeks before starting the project. Stack the lumber in your garage or basement, with spacers between layers, and aim a fan at the pile. Be sure to use water-resistant exterior glue, such as Titebond II, for assembly.

Posts And Top Frame

Reduce the 4 x 4 cedar posts to 3 in. square with either a thickness planer or by ripping with a band saw. Crosscut them to length and use a dado blade in your table saw to cut the tenon at the end of each post (Photo 1). Mark the ends of the stopped chamfers on the posts and rout the chamfers (Photo 2).

Make each of the two top beams by gluing up three layers of 1 1/2 x 5-in. stock. To avoid cutting traditional mortises for the post tenons, make each center layer from three separate pieces as shown in the drawing on page 124. Cut a notch in each inner end-beam segment to form the mortises in the assembled beams. Apply glue to the mating faces for one beam, then place the center layer on one of the outer boards. Use screws to keep the pieces from shifting (Photo 3). Place the third layer into position and clamp (Photo 4). Then assemble the second beam in the same way.

Make a template for the end shape of the top beams and trace the shape onto the beams. Use a band saw to cut the beam ends. Follow the same procedure for the stretcher ends.

Lay out the notches along the bottom edges of the stretchers and use a dado blade to make the cuts. Bore screw pilot holes and plug counterbores in one operation with a combination bit. Then, fasten the stretchers to the beams with screws (Photo 5). Use a plug cutter in the drill press to make plugs and install them over the screws. When the glue dries on the plugs, cut them off and pare them flush with a sharp chisel.

Lattice Construction

Rip and crosscut the lattice frame parts to finished size. Clamp together like-size pieces for each frame and lay out the half-lap joints. Use a dado blade in the table saw to make the cuts (Photo 6). Bore and countersink the screwholes on the outside vertical pieces.

Lay out all parts for one of the lattices and spread glue on the joints. Assemble the frame and apply spring clamps to each half-lap joint (Photo 7). When you're done, compare opposite diagonal measurements on this grid to make sure the assembly is square.

With both frames built, cut the caps to size and chamfer the top edges. Spread glue on the top end of each lattice and on its cap, then clamp the parts together (Photo 8).

Place a post on the worktable and position one of the frames on it. Mark and bore screw pilot holes into the post. Fasten the lattice to the post with brass screws. Screw the opposite post to the frame and repeat the procedure for the other side of the trellis.

Building The Arches

Each arch is constructed of two overlapping layers of mitered segments. The joints of each layer fall on the centerlines of the segments on the adjacent layer. Begin by cutting 1 x 6 stock to length with 22 1/2 [degrees]-angled ends. Note that the end segments of one layer are half the length of the regular segments, and these have one square end. Mark the centerline on one segment, and then place two segments over it, allowing the spacing indicated in the drawing. Mark the outline of the top pieces on the segment below. Then, spread glue on the mating surfaces, reposition the parts and clamp them together (Photo 9). When the glue has set, add the next two segments, and continue in this manner until the arch is complete.

With both arches assembled, create a template for the arch shape. First make a beam compass from a roughly 32-in.-long board and a dowel. Bore a hole for the dowel at one end of the board and a matching hole in the template panel that defines the center of the arch. Next, measure the inner and outer arch radii from the dowel hole on the board and bore holes for a pencil at those marks. Use the beam compass to scribe the arch on the template stock (Photo 10) and then cut to the lines to finish the template.

Clamp the template to one of the arch blanks and trace the outline (Photo 11). Lay out the straight cuts where the arches join the posts. Cut out each arch with a sabre saw (Photo 12), and sand the sawn surfaces.

Cut the arch supports to size. Lay out the screwholes for both the arches and the supports, then bore and countersink the holes.

Assembly And Finishing

Preassemble the trellis in the shop. Begin by laying the top assembly upside down. Slide the post-and-lattice assemblies into place and check their fit. Next, position the arches and bore pilot holes into the posts. Fasten the arches with screws (Photo 13) and then attach the vertical supports.

Cut the bench parts to size. Use your table saw and dado blade to cut the notches in the ends of the aprons and rails, and readjust the blade to cut the notches on the bench-support cleats. Lay out the stopped dadoes in the cleats and aprons and use a Forstner bit to bore out most of the waste. Finish the joints with a sharp chisel.

Turn the trellis upright, screw the bench cleats to the lattice assemblies (Photo 14) and test fit the bench frame. Cut the seat slats to size and rout the chamfer on the top edges of the slats.

With the dry run complete, disassemble the trellis and take the parts to the site. Reassemble the trellis using glue at the top mortise-and-tenon joints. Make sure that the posts are square to the beams while the glue sets.

Reattach the bench cleats with screws. Then, glue the bench frame to the cleats. Lay out the bench slats and bore the holes for screws and plugs. Screw the slats to the frame and plug the holes. Cut the keystone blocks then glue and clamp them to the arches. Finally, apply one coat of Cabot Clear Decking Stain.

1 Use a dado blade to cut the post tenons. Clamp a stopblock to the saw table to ensure consistent shoulder cuts.

2 Mark the stopped-chamfer end points on the cedar posts and rout the corners with a chamfer bit.

3 Cut a notch from the end inner pieces to form the mortises. Apply glue and use screws to hold the parts in place.

4 Glue the remaining outer beam layer to the center pieces. Leave the clamps in place for at least 1 hour.

5 After cutting the notches in the stretchers, bore the screwholes. Then secure the stretchers to the beams.

6 Cut the lattice parts to size and clamp like-size pieces together. Then, cut the notches with a dado blade.

7 Apply exterior glue to lattice joints and assemble. Spring clamps are ideal for holding the joints until the glue sets.

8 Spread glue on both the cap and top end of the lattice and clamp the cap in place. The cap overhang is 1/4 in.

9 Glue together the staggered layers that make up each arch blank. Assemble each blank in stages.

10 Make a beam compass to lay out the arch shape on panel stock. Then, cut to the line with a sabre saw.

11 Clamp the arch pattern to a glued-up blank and trace the shape. Next, mark the straight cuts on the arch ends.

12 Use a sabre saw to cut out the arch. Cut on the waste side of the line and smooth with 100-grit sandpaper.

13 Dry assemble the trellis upside down. After inserting posts in the top frame, bore screwholes and attach the arches.

14 Turn the trellis upright to install the seat frame parts. Then, disassemble the trellis and take it to the site.

MATERIALS LIST--TRELLIS

Key No. Size and description (use)

A 4 3 x 3 x 88" cedar (post)
B1 4 1 1/2 x 5 x 85 1/2" cedar (outer beam)
B2 2 1 1/2 x 5 x 51 1/4" cedar (inner beam)
B3 4 1 1/2 x 5 x 17 1/8" cedar (inner end beam)
C 5 1 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 52 1/2" cedar (stretcher)
D1 10 1 x 1 1/2 x 71" cedar (vertical lattice)
D2 16 1 x 1 1/2 x 29" cedar (horizontal lattice)
D3 2 1/2 x 2 x 29" cedar (lattice cap)
E1 4 3/4 x 5 1/2 x 11 1/8" cedar (arch segment)
E2 14 3/4 x 5 1/2 x 22 1/4" cedar (arch segment)
F 4 1 1/2 x 2 1/8 x 57 1/4" cedar (arch support)
G1 2 1 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 30 1/2" cedar (bench cleat)
G2 2 1 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 50 1/2" cedar (bench apron)
G3 2 1 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 12 3/4" cedar (bench rail)
H 4 3/4 x 4 x 52 3/4" cedar (slat)
I 2 3/4 x 4 1/4 x 5" cedar (keystone)
J 36 1 1/2" No. 8 fh deck screw and plug
K 16 2 1/2" No. 10 fh deck screw
L 20 3" No. 10 fh deck screw and plug
M 16 2" No. 10 fh brass screw
N 16 3 1/2" No. 10 fh brass screw
O 8 4" No. 10 fh brass screw

Misc.: Exterior glue; Cabot No. 1400 Decking Stain,
Clear (Samuel Cabot Inc., 100 Hale St., Newburyport,
MA 01950; www.cabotstains.com).

Mag.Coll.: 111D2657

Gardening Life, Fall 1996 v1 i2 p70-1,81-3

Build an obelisk planter. Barbara Carey; Judith Adam.

Full Text: COPYRIGHT 1996 Canadian Home Publishers

Use ready-made lattice and our simplified design to create your own version of this elegant garden structure.

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS

Garden Obelisks

Modelled on the tapered stone pillars of ancient Egypt and Rome, garden obelisks were the invention of 17th-century Dutch gardeners. The guiding principle of Dutch design at the time was restraint rather than the extravagance typical of contemporary French style. With their clean lines and historic inspiration, obelisks were regarded as the ideal ornamental element to provide vertical focus in the flat terrain of Holland and were used to flank or emphasize settings.

The popularity of obelisks and other trelliswork structures soon spread to other parts of Europe, thanks in part to being featured in J. van der Groen's influential book Den Nederlandtsen Hovenier (The Dutch Gardener), published in 1669 and translated into French and German. Dutch innovations in garden architecture also found their way across the English Channel, where trellised structures became increasingly fashionable.

Though styles inevitably change, it's easy to see why obelisks have such enduring appeal and are still a mainstay of 20th-century landscape design: Even without monumental proportions they have great visual impact, and their stately, sculptural quality can bring a touch of elegance to any garden.

CLOSE-UP

Passionflower

AN EXOTIC CLIMBER

According to legend, Spanish missionaries who encountered the unusual blooms of the passionflower vine (Passiflora caerulea) in Central and South America were reminded of Christian motifs and named the plant accordingly. In fact, this vigorous vine could have been named for the tenacity of its tendrils, which climb with tremendous enthusiasm.

Passionflowers are most at home in warmer climates, but are also used as indoor/outdoor container plants in the north. Their attractive blooms and strong tendrils make them ideal vines for trellises, arbours and fences where they can climb to 20 feet. Blossoms are three to five inches wide and appear throughout the summer and early autumn. Depending upon the species, passionflowers can range from blue, lavender or pink to red, yellow, orange or white.

The plant requires three to four hours of direct sunlight daily to produce blossoms. It grows best in a soil-based potting mixture, kept evenly moist at all times. Good drainage is essential, and the pot should never be allowed to stand in water. Use a liquid fertilizer every two weeks with a higher middle number, such as 10-15-10, to keep the plant blooming through early autumn. Bring it indoors after the first light frost. Passionflower needs a winter rest period in a cool position, ideally at a temperature between 10[degrees]C and 16[degrees]C. During winter water the plant only enough to keep the soil from drying out and do not fertilize. In early spring prune the vine well, cutting each side branch back to two or three inches. Increase watering and fertilize after new growth starts. Put the plant outside when the temperature is over 13[degrees]C.

GETTING STARTED

Tools

* Drill with countersink drill bit

* Hammer

* Adjustable square

* Pencil

* Tape measure

* Circular saw

* Handsaw

* T-square

Materials

* 4' x 8' x 1/2" exterior plywood

* Three 8' pieces of 2" x 2" cedar

* Four 8' pieces of 1" x 2" cedar

* 8' of 1" x 3" cedar

* 16' of 3/8" x 3" tongue and groove cedar

* 4' x 4' standard cedar lattice

* 1 fence post cap

* 1-1/4" galvanized nails

* 1" galvanized finishing nails

* 1-1/2" coated deck screws

* Stain (used here, General Paint Woodcraft Solid Colour Acrylic Stain for Walls in Forest Green)

* Wood glue (used here, Titebond II)

Directions

Step 1. Cut and assemble box

Cut two pieces plywood @ 12-3/4" x 15" and two pieces @ 12-3/4" x 14".

Nail the 14" pieces inside the 15" pieces with 1-1/4" galvanized nails. Fit the 12-3/4" side edge of a 14" piece of plywood up against the 12-3/4" side of one face of a 15" piece of plywood. Nail through the outside face of the 15" piece into the narrow edge of the 14" piece. Repeat for three other corners.

Step 2. Cut and attach interior grate

Cut eight pieces 1" x 2" @ 14" (two slats and six braces).

To attach grate braces, position a brace flush with the bottom of one interior wall of the box. Using 1-1/4" galvanized nails, nail through the brace into the plywood box.

Repeat for the second brace on the opposite interior wall of the box. Space out the slats about 1" apart across the top of the braces. Nail the slats to the braces using 1-1/4" galvanized nails.

Step 3. Cut and attach legs

Cut eight pieces 2" x 2" @ 15-1/4".

The legs will fit flush with the top of the planter box and flush with the outside edge of each outside corner of the box side. Drill countersink pilot holes through the interior of the planter box into the legs at two points along the leg. Using the pilot holes, screw through the box interior and into the legs with 1-1/2" screws.

Step 4. Cut and attach panelling and crosspieces

Cut eight pieces 1" x 2" @ 12" (crosspieces).

Cut sixteen pieces 3/8" x 3" tongue-and-groove cedar @ 9-3/4" (panelling). Using 1-1/4" galvanized nails, nail a crosspiece to the top of one side of the box, flush with the top edge of the box, between two legs. Position the first piece of panelling on the box with its top edge tight up against the bottom of the crosspiece and its groove edge tight against the leg. Nail the groove edge of the panelling piece to the plywood with 1" finishing nails. Nail the tongue edge of the panelling to the plywood, angling the 1" finishing nails away from the tongue edge. The nails must be angled as they are driven in so that they do not stick out on the inside of the box. This will also allow them to hold better. Fit the groove of the second piece of panelling onto the tongue of the first piece. Ensuring that the top of the second piece of panelling is right up against the crosspiece, nail the second panel to the plywood, angling the nails toward the first piece of panel to make the second panel fit tight up against the first. Repeat for the last two pieces. Fit the bottom crosspiece up tight to the bottom of the four panels and nail to the plywood with 1-1/4" galvanized nails. Repeat for the other three sides of the planter box.

Step 5. Cut and attach planter box cap

Cut four pieces 1" x 3" cedar @ 19". Measure and cut with a handsaw each end of one piece of the cap across the 3" side at 45[degrees] so that one side of the piece is 19" long and the other side is 14". Repeat for the three other cap pieces.

Position the 14" edge of the cap piece flush with the interior edge of the top of one side of the plywood box. Nail the cap to the plywood with 1-1/4" nails at three evenly spaced points along the cap. Repeat for the three other pieces of cap, ensuring that the angled edges fit tightly together.

Step 6. Cut planter top

Cut four pieces 1" x 2" @ 17" to the long side with a 45[degrees] mitre at each end, as in Step 5. Cut four pieces 2" x 2" @ 48".

A compound mitre has to be cut at each end of the four 48" posts. These will make the frame of the planter top. (A compound mitre is a cut that is angled on two faces of a piece of wood.) Place one 48" piece of 2" x 2" on the bench in front of you. Begin marking the top face of the 2" x 2". Measuring from the right end, mark the 2" x 2" across the face at 1" and 38". Set an adjustable square at 11[degrees]. Position the square on the top face at the 1" mark, so that it forms an 11[degrees] angle across the 2" x 2", angling to the left and away from you. Repeat this at the other end of the 2" x 2". Next, roll the 2" x 2" one quarter-turn toward you so that the face of the 2" x 2" that was toward you is now on the bottom. Starting from the point where the angled line hits this face, draw a straight line across this face. From that line, draw another 11[degrees] line, again away from you and to the left. Repeat at the other end. Once you have drawn the compound angle lines at each end of all the 2" x 2" pieces, clamp the first 2" x 2" to the table or bench so that you will have both hands free to use the handsaw. Position the 2" x 2" so that you have one of the lines on the top face and the other on the face toward you. Starting at the corner of the 2" x 2" closest to you, carefully cut, making sure that the saw stays aligned with both angled lines. Continue this angled cut through the 2" x 2". Repeat this cutting method for the other end of the 2" x 2".

Cut the three other 2" x 2" pieces the same way.

Step 7. Assemble planter top

The frame is initially assembled in two pieces. Take two of the 2" x 2" pieces and lay them on a work bench, forming a "V" with the point pointing away from you. The open ends should be approximately 17" apart. You will have to roll the 2" x 2" so that, at the open end of the "V", the long points of the 2" x 2" pieces are on the top and outside of the "V". The closed end of the "V" should form a flat surface where you will later fit the fencepost cap of the planter. At the closed end, with the ends of the 2" x 2" pieces flush, drill a countersink pilot hole through the side of one 2" x 2" then insert a 2-1/2" screw into this hole and screw into the other 2" x 2". Next, take one of the 17" mitred base pieces of 1" x 2" and place it across the open end of the "V" with its long end up. Align the points of the 2" x 2" with the points of the 1" x 2". Drill countersink holes through each end of the 1" x 2" into the ends of the 2" x 2". Repeat with other 2" x 2" pieces. Stand the two frames on their long edges and place a third piece of 1" x 2" between the two frames to join them together and attach as before, screwing the tops of the pieces together and the 1" x 2" to the bottoms of the pieces. Repeat with the fourth 1" x 2".

Step 8. Cut and attach lattice

Lay one side of the assembled frame on top of the sheet of lattice with the bottom or 17" end of the frame flush with the end of the sheet, close to one side, and trace a pencil line around the frame. Rotate the frame end to end and position it approximately 1/8" from the first outline you drew and outline the second lattice panel. Repeat outlining to ensure that you can get all four panels from the sheet of lattice. Then cut the four lattice pieces. Lay the frame for the planter top on its side. Place one panel of lattice on top of the frame and nail it to the frame with 1" nails. Turn the frame and repeat for the three other pieces of lattice. Nail or screw fencepost cap to the top of the lattice frame.

Step 9. Stain and plant planter

The planter can be left unfinished (in which case the cedar will age to a grey colour) or stained with a transparent or opaque stain. We chose an opaque forest green stain. Apply one coat of stain to entire planter, including the bottom and insides. Allow to dry. Apply a second coat of stain. Place a potted plant in the bottom of the planter box.

Step 10. Assemble planter

Place the trellis top on the cap of the box. From the underside of the cap drill four pilot holes through the cap into the top braces. Screw the box to the top with four 1-1/2" coated screws.

Article A30035838