A Copper Trellis Project
How About A Copper Trellis For Your Garden?
Need a nifty idea on how to make an attractive looking trellis for your tomato or viney-type plants? Use copper tubing that you can find at any “big box” store or plumbing supply store.
The neat thing about copper is that if you don’t coat it with a clear sealant, it’ll get a wonderful greenish patina over time. It’ll blend in beautifully with your garden, whether you have a traditional type or contemporary type of setting.
There are many different configurations that are possible for a trellis – you just need to familiarize yourself with what parts are available, such as the different angles, elbows or T-joints that will allow you join the tubing together. Then you can get down to designing your own configuration, if you don’t want to follow the trellis design I’m showing you here.
The fact that you can buy curved and angled pipe fittings opens up all sorts of options for your trellis design. It doesn’t have to be totally square or rectangular in shape. You’ll have to sit down with pencil and paper and sketch it out, and of course drawing in the exact angle of whatever pieces you’ll be using to make sure your “on paper” trellis will go together properly.
After you’ve finalized your design and cut the pipes into the lengths you’ll need, I HIGHLY suggest to first do a dry run – lay out all the pieces and fittings as per your sketch. Make sure everything will fit together correctly before you begin to solder or glue!
Now, typically copper tubing needs to be soldered so that everything stays attached together, so this project isn’t one that most all of us could tackle. I sure don’t have a butane torch in my tool kit! But perhaps you have a “handy” spouse or helpful neighbor who’ll solder everything together for you. Lucky for you if you do. BUT … BUT!! …
Don’t Have A Torch Or Know How To Solder The Pieces Together? No Problem – I Found A Glue For Copper!
There’s an easy alternative for us torch-less folks! 
The alternative is an epoxy glue that is specially formulated for copper and it’s made by the Super Glue people. Here’s a link to their website so you can read about it and so you’ll know what to ask for when you go to the store: Copper-Bond® (Yes I’ve been doing research for you garden art enthusiasts – I’m always interested in learning how we can do our projects as easily, but also as successfully, as possible!!)
There probably are a few other glue products that will also work on metal-to-metal appllications. So if you can’t find Copper-Bond® perhaps asking the sales associates in the paint department (where you will find most all the adhesives and glues at the big-box stores), or maybe the people in the plumbing dept. for glue alternatives they’ll point you to other products.
This project in it’s entirety is sitting on the Reader’s Digest website (links provided below). Since this trellis project really does a good job taking you through all the steps, I feel confident it will do a great job of getting you familiar with just how a project like this needs to be done – from strat to finish.
I’ve put a little of the project overview and the photo of what the project will end up looking like here on my blog. I’ve also included the link for all the assembly steps at the end of this article (in case you are curious and want to skip right to those).
OK, let’s get down to it.
By: Jeff Gorton – Reader’s Digest
We built this copper garden trellis [as per photo shown above] from standard 1/2-in. and 3/4-in. “type M” copper plumbing tubes. We’ll show you a unique joining method that allows you to solder the tubing together without fittings. To simplify the process, we’ll show you how to assemble a simple 2×4 jig to keep the tubes aligned while you solder them. Don’t worry if you’ve never soldered copper. This project is a great place to learn, since you don’t have to be concerned about critical plumbing joints leaking. If you goof up and one of the joints lets loose, just resolder it.
Even working at a casual pace, you’ll be able to complete this project in a weekend. You can pick up all the materials and tools at a home center. You’ll need a tubing cutter ($12 to $23), propane torch ($10 to $30), propane canister ($3), emery cloth, roll of solder, flux and flux brush for the soldering work, and a hammer and saw to build the jig. If you want to anchor the trellis in the ground, buy a 10-ft. length of 1/2-in. electrical conduit (EMT). You’ll find it in the electrical department. Including the jig and EMT, the materials will cost about $50.
Continue reading the entire article >>
Parts List For Pictured Trellis
To read the individual construction steps, click here: Copper Trellis Step-By-Step Instructions.
Trellis Project -Copyright © 2009, The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved.
) idea sent to me just yesterday from my longtime Texas friend Tom Vanderzyl. Tom and his dear wife Alice have themselves a wonderful new home and for the first time in many years are able to put in a garden. 
