I'm looking to create three DIY lamp posts for my driveway, and I already have the lamps. However, I'm struggling to find quality 4x4 wood that's pre-drilled down the center. My backup plan is to buy a 4-foot long drill bit and set up a jig to drill 8-foot holes from both ends, including side holes for wiring. I'm wondering if pressure-treated 4x4 is the best route to go, or if there's a more premium wood I should consider that can be securely anchored in the ground and painted. While I'm thinking long-term about decorative vinyl, for now, I just plan to paint them the same color as my house. I might even get fancy and use my router for a design later on.
3 Answers
Honestly, think about how you're planning to drill those holes. Drilling two 4’ holes and having them meet in the middle sounds pretty tricky—you might want to rip the post in half, route out a channel for the wiring, and then glue it back together. Just a heads up, pressure-treated wood can be pretty wet, so regular wood glue won’t cut it. Try using something like Gorilla Glue instead!
You might have a better time using 1x stock to build a hollow box for the lamp posts instead of dealing with the 4x4 challenge. It can be a lot easier to run your wiring that way too!
Have you tried checking with local demolition companies? They often have great reclaimed wood pieces that could work for this project. Also, don’t forget to check out lumber saw places for slabs—they might have just what you need!
That makes sense! I thought about just drilling, but routing seems more reliable with PT wood.