How to Make Nautical Pilings from a 6 X 6 Wooden Post

 

 This how-to guide will show you how to take a standard 6 x 6 pressure treated post and turn it into a nautical display that looks like real wooden pilings you’d see at a dock or marina. A table saw makes the cuts easy, but a circular saw could be used if you take your time and are careful. You can buy a 6 x 6 post in  the lumber section of your local home improvement store like Ace, Lowes, or Home Depot. They’re usually wet and heavy when you get them, so let them dry for a week or two and they’ll be much easier to work with.

You can use the pilings as attractive nautical displays. Add a solar light, wrap them with rope, or add some ornaments like crabs or seashells.

STEP 1:

Cut the 6 x 6 into four (4) lengths. These are the sizes I used, but you can make them taller or shorter if you’d like.

Set your table saw fence at 3 3/4” and cut the corners off at 45 degrees:

STEP 2:

The pilings will be fastened together using 3 1/2” decking screws, but you’ll need to recess a hole for them first using a 3/8” spade bit.

Lay the screw on top of a piling so half of it overhangs. Lay the drill bit behind it so the tip touches the head of the screw.

Wrap tape on the drill bit so you know where to stop when you drill the hole.

STEP 3:

Measure and mark 8” from the bottom of two pilings. Drill a hole using the 3/8” spade bit in each of the pilings. Stop when you reach the tape - you don’t want to go all the way through.

        

STEP 4:

Insert a 3 ½ x #10 deck screw into the hole and using a long driver fasten the piling to one of the other pilings that doesn’t have a hole.

Do the same thing for the other two pilings. You'll then have 2 (two) sections, each with two pilings joined together.

        

STEP 5:

Mark one of the piling sets at 8 1/2” from the bottom (both pieces).

Drill out both holes like you did earlier, using the tape as a stop.

Stand both sets of pilings up against each other and fasten using 2 (two) 3 1/2” screws.

    

STEP 6:

About an inch back on the top face, drill an angled 5/32” hole at the top of the two larger pilings. Only go through the first piling. Fasten the pilings here using two 3 1/2” deck screws as shown below.

        

STEP 7: ROPE

You can use any style or size of rope you think looks best. I used 3/4” hemp rope.

You’ll want your rope to cover the screw holes when you wrap it. Fasten one end to a piling in an area that won’t be as visible. You can use fencing staples and a hammer. A pneumatic stapler made things easy for me.

Wrap the rope 3 or 4 times around the pilings, keeping it tight. Cut and fasten the rope near where you started.

Add a few more staples around the sides.

            

Your pilings are complete! Allow some time for the wood to dry and you can apply some stain or weather sealer if you’d like. You can also let it weather to a gray color just like real pilings.