My Weekend accomplishment, 26 years latter.

[James Jackson]

Back in 1986 I bought a used book “Designs for Outdoor Living” printed in 1959, while all of the designs and projects were fashionable in 1960, time had not been kind to most of them.


There were exceptions, one of which was a pole trellis with an oddly oriental flavor, this page I dog-eared and looked at it may times over the intervening years . Being in the Marines, the longest we stayed in one place was four years, and knew we were going to move on. Having retired and bought a home, I have progressed down the Honey-Do list to the point I could start on this long standing project.

219915

Early last sumer, fragrant climbing roses were selected and ordered. Soil was amended & beds were built with provisions for mounting pole trellis. The “Sticks in a wet newspaper” showed up, planted, and eventually grew to point I need something to train them with, so 2x4's were nailed up in a training trellis.


So the summer went, the battle engaged, between me and the rose plants, they wanted to grow out, I needed them to grow up. Trim, tie, and sigh, as I looked at the Ghetto Trellis dead center of my front yard. I needed all the warm weather time for painting and window work on the exterior of the house. These chores done, and the thermometer hanging around in the 20's, retreating to the shop and its heat. It was time to act.


Under the critical eye of Maj Tom (the shop cat) I started on this massively delayed project, some changes from the 1960's plan were necessary, I substituted galvanized electrical conduit for the ¾ dowel, and used treated lumber for the remaining parts. The edges are rounded over with ¼ router bit, and all joints are glued as well as screwed. (Once these trellises are engulfed in rose thorns, I have no desire to any maintenance if it can be avoided.)
219916

My plan is to paint the trellis white, but the moisture content of the treated lumber today is 20%, I will pull them out prior to summer and paint after the moisture content has dropped. The galvanized electrical conduit has been prepped and primed white.


One of the interesting features of this design is the ability to remove the support pole as well as correct side to side angle to insure the pole is vertical, by the use of four wedges. (in spite of how you sunk the hole, or the ground shifted) I have used this design in other projects, and this concept is a keeper, and applicable to any pole that must be aligned vertical.
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I look forward to many years of having the floral fragrance coming through windows and sweeting our home.


Plan provided if you wish to build your own, I have finally built mine.



jrj

[Dave Zellers]

Awesome cat. :)

[Bruce Page]

And I thought I was slow! :)

Very nice!

[Larry Heflin]

I like it.

[Van Huskey]

I really like that! Major Tom looks like an excellent foreman.

[Rick Moyer]

Major Tom appears to be floating in a tin can.....

[Dave Zellers]

Intrigued enough to take a close second look at this, I have a question: Is there such a thing as pressure treated dowels?

[David Keller NC]

James - A thought based on your desire to not do any maintenance on these once it's covered with rose bushes and their thorns. Don't paint them. By its very nature, both latex and oil-based paints will form a surface film that will sooner or later harden up and crack and peel because of the moisture adsorption/desorption of the underlying wood. Instead (presuming that you want them white rather than weathered-gray), use Behr's deck preservation product. It's available in many colors, including white. But because it's a thin, penetrating product, it won't form a surface film, and won't crack, chip or peel. Instead, the degredation over time is a graceful thinning and fading, and you only have to re-coat if you want the color renewed.

Neat trellis - I may well have to make one.

[James Jackson]

Not that I could find, and the 3/4in popular that was available came with an outrageous price tag, keeping in mind that I needed 30+ feet of it. Used galvanized electrical conduit.

jrj

[J.R. Rutter]

Nice project! (though I though it would be a picture of your 26 yo son or daughter) ;-)

[James Jackson]

David:

Good thought, think I will do what you suggest.

"use Behr's deck preservation product. It's available in many colors, including white. But because it's a thin, penetrating product, it won't form a surface film, and won't crack, chip or peel. Instead, the degredation over time is a graceful thinning and fading, and you only have to re-coat if you want the color renewed."

I had fallen victim of the Marine mindset on yard care as ingrained in boot camp as police call.
If it moves, salute it; "if it doesn't move, pick it up put it in your pocket; if you can't pick it up, paint it. "

jrj

[Dave Mura]

Very cool!
http://chdsolutions.com/img/11d867796d85db8cad5280ac44cec7c1.jpghttp://chdsolutions.com/img/a57d48399922b03419153a9760c5ce53.jpghttp://chdsolutions.com/img/beda24c1e1b46055dff2c39c98fd6fc1.jpg

[Steve Smith Springfield]

I really like the design. but I'm wondering if 1/2" copper might be a more long term component than painted conduit.

in the drawing the conduit goes half way into the outside vertical boards. What keeps the boards from falling off? are they glued in?

[James Jackson]

"What keeps the boards from falling off? are they glued in?"

The outboard lumber sections are held on with friction fit of the conduit and a generous helping of liquid-nails.

jrj