After creating the metal art piece featured in the August/September 2010 issue of HANDY (see “Symbols in Steel” ), I built a Chinese-inspired dimensional-cedar structure from which to hang it in my garden.
If you’d like to build a similar display, start by digging two 8-in.-dia. holes for the main 6x6 uprights. (The depth will be determined by your local frost line.) Temporarily brace the uprights in the holes, check that they are plumb (Photo 1), and then use a level to mark their overall height and the location of the through-mortises for the 1x6 crosspiece. The tops of the uprights are 70" from the ground, and the tops of the mortises are 5-1/2" from the tops of the uprights.
Remove the uprights from the holes and drill a series of 1-in.-dia. holes to create the rough through-mortises (Photo 2); then use a 1-in. chisel to clean and square the holes (Photo 3).
Return the uprights to the holes, check again that they are plumb and then either fill the holes with fast-setting concrete or backfill with firmly tamped gravel. Insert the 1x6 crosspiece through one of the uprights and gently guide it through the mortise in the other upright, using a rubber mallet to slowly tap the crosspiece until it’s in the correct position (Photo 4).
Cut the ends of a 6-ft-long cedar 1x6 at 45 degrees; then fasten it to the tops of the uprights using 2-1/2-in.-long stainless steel screws and outdoor-rated construction adhesive (Photo 5). Similarly, cut the ends of a 7-ft.-long cedar 6x6 (which will serve as the top beam) at 45 degrees. Center it on the structure and fasten it by driving 3-in.-long stainless steel screws from underneath through the 1x6 and into the 6x6 top beam (Photo 6).
Lightly sand the structure and apply your choice of finish. I used teak oil to bring out the natural beauty of the cedar. I suspended the gong with natural fiber rope, but heavyweight twine is also an option.
