A Simple Yet Durable Trellis

how to build simple trellis

There are cheap metal trellises, there are wooden trellises, though at the “big box” store I could not find one to meet our particular needs, especially with respect to height.  We desired a height of about 10 feet; there was nothing on offer much more than 6 feet.  I’ve also found that standard plumbing componentry, be that copper, black iron, or PVC is everywhere, and usefull for all manner of small projects.  This trellis is but one example.

Building the Simple Trellis

For a trellis approximately 10 ft tall and 2.5 ft wide:

Materials

  • 1/2 inch x 5 ft copper pipe, 11
  • 1/2 inch 90° copper elbow, 16
  • 1/2 inch copper Tee, 16
  • 1/2 inch copper cap, 2

Tools and Supplies

  • tape measure
  • Sharpie
  • tubing cutter or hacksaw
  • propane torch
  • Bic lighter or reasonable facsimile
  • flux
  • solder
  • tin foil
  • wire brush, brass
  • steel wool

Process Steps:

  1. Assemble materials, tools and supplies
  2. Cut pipe to length (18 x 1 ft, 9 x 2.5 ft)
  3. Layout pipe sections, T’s and 90’s on a flat surface
  4. Assemble trellis, apply flux to joints
  5. Measure diagonally across corners for square
  6. Solder joints
  7. Clean up joints with wire brush and steel wool
  8. Install