Build your own obelisk
Mark Rayner shows how to make this classical support for your favourite climber.
You will need: four 1.85m lengths of 50mm x 25mm timber, four 1.85m lengths of 25mm x 25mm timber, 20mm x 20mm timber cut to the following dimensions: four 1.85m, four 430mm, four 300mm, four 200mm and four 60mm long. 40mm galvanised flat head nails, 40mm zinc or bronze plated screws, 30mm zinc or bronze plated screws, 40mm zinc plated panel pins, hammer, tape measure, saw, set square, screwdriver, drill with drill bits, paintbrush, exterior PVA glue, exterior construction glue, exterior filler and a fence post finial.
Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat, Resene Lumbersider tinted to Resene Colonial White.
Top tip: Position the obelisk so that it’s upright and for maximum stability, drive four garden stakes into the ground and fix one at each foot with two or three screws.
Handy hint: To make construction easier, you can prime and paint the obelisk before assembling (between steps 2 and 3) and then simply spot prime and paint the screw heads.
To get the look: Mark planted a Pandorea jasminoides ‘Rosea Superba’ against the obelisk.
Step one
Cut timber to the dimensions listed. To form a corner support, attach a 25mm x 25mm length of timber at a right angle to a 50mm x 25mm length with PVA glue and flat head nails, as shown. Repeat to form the three other corner supports.
Step two
Take the four 430mm lengths of timber and join at right angles to form a square, as shown, fixing each corner with a panel pin and PVA glue. Repeat to form three more squares using the 300mm, 200mm, and 60mm lengths of timber.
Step three
Attach the end of each corner support to a corner of the smallest square with PVA glue and 40mm screws – drill pilot holes first to prevent splitting. Fix the largest square about 100mm up from the bottom of the obelisk in the same way, as shown.
Step four
Attach the four 1.74m lengths of timber halfway between each corner support to form central upright supports, fixing at the top and bottom with 30mm screws and PVA glue – again, be sure to drill pilot holes first.
Step five
Slide the next smallest square up the inside of the obelisk and fix at each corner with 40mm screws and PVA glue, drilling pilot holes first. Fix to the central upright support with PVA glue.
Step six
Slide the last remaining square up inside the obelisk. Fix it at each corner with 40mm screws (drill pilot holes) and PVA glue and glue it to each central upright support. Stand the obelisk up. Attach the base of the finial to the top with plenty of the construction glue.
Step seven
Leave overnight for glue to dry. Then fill any slight gaps between the obelisk and the finial with exterior filler. When the filler is dry, apply one coat of Resene Quick Dry to the entire structure, allowing two hours for it to dry.
Step eight
Apply two coats of Resene Colonial White to the entire structure, allowing two hours for each coat to dry, unless you have pre-painted the parts between steps two and three, then simply spot prime and paint the screw heads now.