Trellis Reaches New Heights

By Cliff Muehlenberg, Pewaukee, Wisconsin

Trellises are simple to make. The challenge is making them a little different. After scratching my head and putting pencil to paper, this is the result.

To Rip, or Not to Rip

Just because you don't have a table saw to rip the cedar board lengthwise into thin strips doesn't mean you can't build this handy trellis.

Your building center may have thin slats, which work just fine. They may be rough, but some heavy grit sandpaper (#60) on a sanding block will tame them in short order.

Another way to build it is with flat pine molding, which will cost more and needs staining, but you won't have to rip any wood.

And then there's Fred across the street. He's got more woodworking tools than most big-box stores and would be happy to do some sawing for you.

Easy Building from Here

• After ripping seven 1/4" x 1-1/2" x 6' cedar strips, round one end on five of them. This becomes the top of the trellis.

  Stack these five strips together (below) with the rounded ends together. Bolt them together with a 1-3/4" bold 7" from the bottom. Put a washer on both sides.

• From one of the remaining slats, rip three 1/4" x 1/4" strips. Cut them into 1-1/2"-long pieces (you'll need at least 48 of them) to make glue blocks. Make fast work of this by stacking the strips and cutting two or three glue blocks at a time using a pull saw, coping saw or band saw.
• From the other 1/4" strip, cut four 7"-long pieces for the top spacers. After gluing them in place (below), measure the distance between the verticals at the 22" mark. Be sure to measure all four sections. Cut another set of four spacers to the most common dimension (ours was 4-3/8"). Do the same for the bottom set at the 37" mark (ours was 2-1/8"). You may need to move the spacers slightly off the mark for a snug fit. Glue the rest of the spacers, allowing them to dry overnight.

• Place a scrap 2x4 on top of the trellis holder so you're not directly pounding on it. Tap it into the ground about 10 inches and fasten the trellis in the holder.

Shopping List

• One 2x6 x 6' red cedar (as knot-free as possible)
• One 2x4 x 2" treated lumber
• One 1-3/4" roundheaded bolt, nut and washers (2)
• Three 2" deck screws
• Waterproof glue

Tools List

• Table saw (if ripping)
• Handsaw or pull saw
• Power drill
• Jigsaw or coping saw