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A climbing vine on a trellis can create a stunning focal point by adding that desired height to your garden. It can work as an architectural structure for privacy and it can even cool down your house by shielding it from direct sunlight. Furniture maker Sylven Medyesy, shows us a trellis design that will complement and guide your vines into a thing of beauty. This particular trellis combines an arts and crafts design with a rustic look and is made with red cedar because it is rot resistant and needs no treatment.
Materials:
Two 2" x 4" x 8' red cedar boardsEight 60" willow twigs, 1/4" thick
Copper wire
Deck Screws 1 ¼"
Deck Screws 1"
Weatherproof glue
Tools:
PencilTable saw
Miter saw
Router and bit for ½ hole
Chisel
Clamps
Drill
Drill bit
Screw sinker
Wire cutters
Directions:
1. Rip and cut cedar. Remember you are cutting the wood to create two frames of different sizes.
Outside frame:
a. Two x 90" (vertical) x 2" w x 1 ½" d
b. Two x 32" (horizontal) x 1 ½" w x 1 ½" d
Inside frame:
c. Two x 65" (vertical) x 7/8" w x 1 ½" d
d. Two x 19" (horizontal) x 7/8" w x 1 ½" d
2. Lay down two 90" long pieces parallel (24" apart). To mark where half lap joints will go, lay the two horizontal 32" long pieces across the two verticals. Come down 5 1/2" from the top and lay your first piece and then down 35 ½" measured from the top for your next piece. Make sure you have equal spacing on either side by measuring the overhang.
3. With a pencil, mark both sides of where horizontals lay on verticals, at the same time, mark on horizontals where verticals cross.
4. Next make your half lap joints using these marks. This is a process of removing a section of wood from each piece so that the resulting joint is the thickness of the thickest member. Set table saw to 7/8" high and make about 5 passes between your marks on each joint (8 total). With a sharp chisel (with curve facing down) clean out waste.
5. Put outer frame aside for now and repeat the same process for the inner frame. Lay two vertical 65" pieces on the table 13" apart. Lay first horizontal 19" piece 6 ½" down from the top. Lay second one 6 ½" up from the bottom. Repeat step 4.
6. Before joining pieces permanently, lay outside frame down and place the inside frame pieces on top of it so you can mark the half lap joints that will join the outside and inside frames together. First lay down 32" horizontal pieces, and then put 90" verticals into horizontal lap joints. With that square, lay down 65" vertical and the 19" horizontal pieces across first horizontals. With pencil mark all 8 half-lap joints where outer meets inner frame. Complete all half lap joints following step 4.
7. Now all lap joints can be predrilled with a sunken head using a drill bit and a screw sinker. Choose back side of outer frame and drill from the back. The smaller inner frame will sit on top of the back but will need to be laid down first on the table in order to get screwed from the back. To pre-drill put hole centered into lap joint.
8. After predrilling, take trellis apart one more time so you can add glue at each joint. Use weatherproof glue and place a dollop on each half lap joint. To seed the glue, take a set of clamps and clamp at each joint using just enough pressure to make sure both sides have come completely together. Take off clamp and add a screw. (Use the 1" screw for the inside joints)
9. Next add the willow. Make sure your 8 pieces are still flexible. If they need to be moistened put them in a damp towel for half an hour. Add willow to the inside frame of trellis by making two ½" wide and ½" deep grooves 1/8" apart with a ½" router bit in each corner of the inside. That makes a total of eight grooves.
10. Each groove is going to get two pieces of willow, one thicker end of stock and one tip. Attach in a C shape and reversed C shape. The willow will naturally want to bend in the opposite direction. This will leave you with a pretty design and extra fine points for the vine to hang onto.
11. Where willow touches sides of the inner frame, add u-staples with a hammer. And where willow crosses, add some brass wire making the willow structure more stable.
Special Thanks:
Sylven Medyesy
http://sylvenwoodworks.com/