How to Build a Pathway Lamppost
By , This Old House magazine
Photo: Kolin Smith
- Time: 2 days
- Cost: $150, not including the lantern.
- Difficulty: Easy
Shopping & Tool Lists
- Supplies You Will Need:
- 24 common cedar board. Get one 8-footer to make the center post and lantern arm.
16 clear cedar boards. Get two 8-foot lengths to clad the post.
210 clear cedar board. Get one 6-footer to wrap the base of the post.
construction adhesive
2- and 2½-inch-long finishing nails for a pneumatic nailer
⅜-inch hardwood dowel
⅜-inch-diameter spade bit
waterproof carpenter's glue to glue dowel rods in place
polyurethane glue for mitered joints on the decorative base
100-grit disks for the random-orbit sander
1-inch screw hook for hanging the lantern or light fixture
copper candle lantern
low-voltage land-scape light fixture (optional)
transformer (optional)
12-volt cable (optional)
cable staples (optional)
- Tools You Will Need:
-
1. sliding-compound miter saw
2. drill/driver
3. circular saw to cut wiring channel
4. ¾-inch chisel to clear waste wood from wiring channel
5. hammer
6. combination square
7. caulking gun
8. pneumatic finishing nailer
9. flush-cutting handsaw to trim dowel rods
10. 3-pound sledgehammer to set lamppost
11. 2-foot level
12. random-orbit sander
Introduction
If you're looking for a stylish and original way to spruce up your home's landscaping, well, look to the right. This outdoor lighting project is deceptively simple to build. Made of rot-resistant western red cedar, the fixture consists of a 2x4 center post to anchor it, a horizontal arm to hold the lantern, and 1x6 cladding that yokes the 2x4s together and creates attractive shadow lines. Fitted with a handsome copper-and-glass candle lantern, it exudes Zen-like beauty day and night.
This Old House senior technical editor Mark Powers installed our lamppost along a garden path but says its proportions would complement virtually any outdoor space, from a patio to a water feature. Turn the page to see how it comes together. And if you'd prefer to wire the lamppost for low-voltage lighting, he shows how to do that, too.
SHOWN: H. Potter Craftsman Lantern, 9¾ by 10½ inches, $80; H.Potter
Watco Teak Oil Finish, $11 per quart; Rust-Oleum
Download and print the lamppost cut list
Steps
- Introduction
- Overview
- 1. Crosscut the 2x4 to Length
- 2. Miter the Post End
- 3. Cut the Wiring Channel
- 4. Remove the Waste Wood
- 5. Set the Cable in the Groove
- 6. Mark the 1x6 Arms
- 7. Cut the Pieces
- 8. Lay out the Cladding
- 9. Position the 2x4 Parts
- 10. Join the Post Parts
- 11. Bore the Dowel Holes
- 12. Trim the Dowels
- 13. Bevel-Rip the Base
- 14. Miter-Cut the Base
- 15. Attach the Base to the Post
- 16. Sink the Post
- 17. Hang the Lantern