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How I Made It | |
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Materials: 1 4x4x8 treated post 1/2 bag of tile grout (left over from the first tree) 26 galvanized rain gutter nails (about 7" long) 26 Bottles of Whistler Canadian sparkling water (good stuff!) Since this tree was planned for the front yard, I wanted it be more sculptural and striking than the first tree. To begin, I made a few rough sketches to get an idea how it might look and to determine what materials to use. I decided to use a treated wood post and galvanized rain gutter nails since my local hardware store always has them in stock. After purchasing the materials, I dug about an 18" deep and 10" wide hole. I then anchored the post in the ground with the left over tile grout, some rocks, a few pieces of scrap-galvanized fencing and some soil. In this case, I made sure the post was plumb in order to get the effect I was hoping for. Also, I turned the post so that as visitor walk up the path to our front door, they would see a 3/4 view of the tree. I let my homemade "cement" cure for a few days. This also gave my daughter and I opportunity to drink some sparkling water in order to have enough bottles. By the way, if your store carries this water, give it a try. It's the best tasting sparkling water I've ever had! Ready For the Nails I did a few dry runs on some scrap lumber to get an idea as to what angle and how far apart each nail should be placed. In order to support the weight the weight and allow enough space between the bottles, I chose an angle of 55 degrees and a spacing of about 12" apart. Each nail would be placed in exactly the same spot on opposite sides. Two sides would begin about 6" down from the top and the other two sides about 12" down from the top, and placed exactly in the middle of nails of the adjacent sides. All nails would be placed in the exact center of the post, measured from the sides. (I hope I explained this well enough. Take a look at the pictures and I think it will be clearer.) I used a small bit to drill a pilot hole for each nail. Using a framing triangle, I nailed each nail at a 55-degree angle. Watch your thumbs! You have to hold the nail and the triangle with one hand and the hammer with the other. And, yes I hit mine more than once! Thats basically it. Oh, after the nails were in place, I put the bottles on them. Total cost of the tree was around $40. To complete the tree, I want to place a solar powered light on the top. It may take me a while to find the perfect one. Jump to the "My Pictures" page using the link below to view some images of this tree. |
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