DIY Wood Arbor Entry

Measure a square with 36-inch sides over the place where you intend to position your arbor at the entrance to your home or garden. Pound a stake into each corner, and mark its perimeter with mason's string strung between them. Use a post-hole digger to dig a 24-inch deep, 14-inch wide hole at each corner.

Mix a batch of quick-dry cement in the wheelbarrow, per the mixing instructions provided by the manufacturer. Put 2 inches of the cement into one hole, then have your helper place one of the 4-by-4 planks, which are the arbor support posts, into the hole. Ensure they are centered. Use the level to check that the post is vertical. Fill the hole the rest of the way with cement. Have the helper hold the post at true vertical for 10 minutes while the cement sets. Repeat for each of the other three holes and leave for 24 hours to cure.

Climb the ladder and check that they are level at the top. Trim any posts needing to be leveled with the hand saw. Measure down from the top of each post 8 inches and mark a line across on the outside face of the posts--the side closest to the entrance for the front posts and the side farthest away from the entrance for the back posts.

Measure 3 inches down from the top of these same sides of each post, and use the hand saw to cut down from this line to the 8-inch line, then cut across at the 8-inch line to make a notched housing 1 inch deep for the arbor's beams, which are the 4-by-8 planks. Repeat on the other three posts.

Lay the arbor beams flat on a work table. Mark a line across the 8-inch face of the beams, 12 inches in from either end. Measure 4 inches farther in from this line and mark a second line. Adjust the setting on your table saw to cut at 1 inch deep and make cuts every 1/8 inch between the 12-inch and 4-inch lines. Use a chisel to clean out the waste wood from between the lines to create a clean housing on each end of the arbor beams that will notch into the housing on the arbor's vertical support posts.

Climb the ladder once more and position an arbor beam over two of the arbor posts, so that the housings on the beams match with those on the posts. Bolt the beams in place, using two bolts per housing. Repeat with the remaining beam and the other two posts.

Line up all the 2-by-4 planks, which become the arbor's rafters, on your work surface. Ensure the ends are all flush, then clamp them all together. Measure in from the ends 12 inches and mark a line across all the rafters, then mark another 4 inches farther in. These are measurements for housings. Cut and clean out the housings in the same way you did for the beams.

Scale the ladder and position the rafters evenly over the beams, so that the housings on the rafters fit snugly over the top of the beams. Secure the rafters in place with the 5-inch nails, two through each housing, into the beam underneath.

Stain the cedar arbor per the stain manufacturer's instructions. Cedar is very durable in outdoor conditions, but can turn slightly gray without a stain or other finish.