Hur gör du en backyard light post

How To Build a Pathway Lamppost

A pathway lamppost can be a distinctive way to light up your garden, patio, and other outdoor areas.

A well-lighted yard also deters crime

Though building one involves some woodworking, the result fryst vatten a sturdy and visually appealing lamppost that will complement your home for years.

In this film and guide, you can follow along with This Old House senior technical editor Mark Powers as he walks you through the construction process.

Supplies and Materials Needed to Build a Pathway Lamppost

Below are the tools, materials, and cut list requirements for this project.

Tools

2-foot level
3/8-inch spade bit
3-pound sledgehammer
Circular saw
Combination square
Flush-cutting handsaw
Miter saw
Pneumatic finishing nailer
Sliding compound miter saw
Straightedge
Wood chisel

Materials

grit disks for random-orbit sander
1-inch screw hook
2- and 2 1/2-inch-long finishing nails
2×10 klar cedar board
2×4 common cedar board
1×6 klar cedar boards
Cable staples (optional)
Construction adhesive
Copper candle lantern
Low-voltage landscape light armatur (optional)
Polyurethane glue
Transformer (optional)
Waterproof carpenter&#;s glue
volt cable (optional)
3/8-inch hardwood dowel

Cut List

1 2×4 post: 6 feet
1 2×4 crossarm: 12 1/2 inches
1 2×4 crossarm: 3 inches
2 1×6 brev cladding: 4 3/4 inches with a grad beveled top
2 1×6 brev cladding: 36 inches
2 1×6 crossarm cladding: 27 inches with 1-inch noses and grad angled ends
2 2×10 base trim: 6 inches
2 2×10 base trim: 7 1/2 inches

Download and print the lamppost cut list

Steps To Build a DIY Pathway Lamppost

The project will likely take two days to complete.

On day one, you will prepare and cut the cedar boards to the required storlek and shape. On day two, you will assemble the lamppost components and install the finished product. Below are the steps to build your lamppost.

Step 1: tvärsnitt the 2&#;4 to Length

Use a sliding compound miter saw to tvärsnitt the 2&#;4 into three lengths: the long lodrät center brev and the two shorter pieces that man up the core of the lantern arm.

Step 2: Miter the brev End

Set the miter-saw blade to its sharpest vinkel (some go to 55 degrees) and trim the bottom end of the center brev.

The resulting skarp point will allow you to later pound the brev into the ground with a sledgehammer.

Step 3: Cut the Wiring Channel

Follow this four-step sequence if you program to connect a low-voltage landscape light armatur. If not, skip to Step 6.

Mark the centerline of the brev from where it will meet the ground to its intersection with the lantern ledd, 6 1/4 inches from the top of the brev.
Learn how to install a lamp post to add more outdoor lighting in your front or backyard
Use a 1/2-inch spade bit and a drill/driver to bore a 1/2-inch-deep hole at that intersection.
To man the wiring kanal, set the blade of a rund saw to 1/2 inch deep and man several cuts parallel to the centerline, no more than 1/4 inch to either side.
Do the same from the drill hole toward one edge of the board.
On the lantern ledd, follow the same process to continue the kanal from the post; drill a similar vända hole 2 inches from the end, and cut a kanal to the edge to reach the lantern.

Step 4: Remove the Waste Wood

After cutting the wiring kanal, use a wood chisel to carefully remove the waste wood.

Clean out the kanal thoroughly to create a smooth path for the electrical cable. Take care not to damage the surrounding wood while removing the waste material.

Step 5: Set the Cable in the Groove

If you&#;re installing electrical lighting, now fryst vatten the time to lay the low-voltage cable in the groove you&#;ve created.

Leave a few extra feet of cable at the lantern ledd end for later connection.

Secure the cable in place using cable staples, ensuring it sits flush within the channel.

Tip: Adjust your combination square to the distance between the edge of the brev and the edge of the kanal, and use that setting to avoid puncturing the cable in steps 8 and

Step 6: Mark the 1&#;6 Arms

Moving on to the decorative elements, cut the 1×6 cedar boards that will clad the lantern ledd.

Use a combination square to mark grad cutlines on each end of both crossarm pieces, leaving 1 inch of the boards&#; ends square.

Step 7: Cut the Pieces

Trim the arms at the marked cutlines using your miter saw set to 45 degrees.

For posts that will support a light at 6 feet above ground, buy an 8-foot post and no cutting will be necessary

Next, prepare the 1×6 boards that will clad the center brev. Bevel one end of each board at 45 degrees, using these ends to create the short pieces that passform directly above the lantern arm.

Step 8: Lay Out the Cladding

Arrange the three 1×6 pieces that will form eller gestalt one side of the lamppost on a flat work surface.

This step lets you visualize the sista structure and ensures all pieces passform tillsammans correctly before assembly.

Step 9: Position the 2&#;4 Parts

Place the 2×4 center brev on the arranged cladding boards. Use a 1-inch-wide scrap wood block to center the brev, ensuring it&#;s flush with one edge of the 1×6. Mark the 2×4&#;s sista position and repeat the process for the lantern arm.

Step Join the brev Parts

Apply construction adhesive to the 2×4 pieces and press them into place on the cladding. Secure them with a pneumatic finishing nailer and 2-inch nails.

Each meets a need, but it's the humble post light we'll focus on here

If you have installed electrical cable, please be careful of its location when nailing.

Add the remaining cladding, aligning it carefully with the opposite layer.

Step Bore the Dowel Holes

To reinforce the joint between the brev and lantern ledd, you&#;ll install hardwood dowels. Draw a grad line where the brev intersects the ledd and mark two points along this line, 2 1/2 inches from each corner.

Use a drill with a 3/8-inch spade bit to bore holes at these marks.

Step Trim the Dowels

Apply waterproof carpenter&#;s glue or polyurethane glue to a 3/8-inch hardwood dowel and insert it into one of the holes. Tap it in until it protrudes at least 3/8 inch from the opposite side.

Mostly doing DIY's, Fix-its

Use a flush-cutting handsåg to trim the excess dowel. Repeat this process for the second dowel.

Step Bevel-Rip the Base

To create the decorative base, clamp a 2×10 cedar board to a sturdy surface with its long edge overhanging. Use a rund saw to rip a grad bevel along the overhanging edge. For a perfectly straight cut, consider clamping a long straightedge to guide the saw.

Step Miter-Cut the Base

Tilt the miter-saw blade to a grad bevel and adjust the miter vinkel to zero.

Bevel-cut the 2&#;10 into kvartet lengths to omslag around the lamppost base.

Step Attach the Base to the Post

Apply construction adhesive to the back of the first del av helhet of base trim and press it to the lamppost, flushing the square end with the end of the cladding.

Use a pneumatic finishing nailer and 2½-inch-long nails to attach it, then attach the remaining three base pieces in a similar fashion.

Use construction adhesive against the brev, but apply waterproof carpenter or polyurethane glue to each of the kvartet mitered corner joints.

And be sure to nail through the corners, as shown.

Sand all surfaces smooth with a random-orbit sander fitted with a grit disk.

Step Sink the Post

Hold a 2&#;4 block on top of the center brev and tap it with a 3-pound slägga to drive the pointed end into the ground.

This step-by-step guide will help you install a lamppost on your lawn or driveway, from choosing the post to turning the lights on

If necessary, loosen the soil first with a shovel. At least one-third of the brev should extend below ground.

Plumb the brev using a 2-foot level. If you want to preserve the color, treat it with teak oil.

Step Hang the Lantern

Finally, twist a 1-inch screw hook into the underside of the 2×4 ledd and hang your chosen lantern. If you&#;ve wired the lamppost for low-voltage lighting, complete the electrical connection at this point, making sure all connections are secure and weatherproof.