Anyone with Japanese Styled Monkey Poles?

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Omono
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I just spent the last 45 mins searching google for japanese styled monkey poles. Like 4x4 post, but with angled cuts on top plate support?
 
I'm interested to see what people have done as well. I've got a lot of landscaping to do in my future.
 
I hear ya tmmason10! Do a search here and only 2 posts comes up. Surprising to say the least.
 
I just got the crappy Chinese ones !!!
:p:p:p

No angled cuts at all, just two 2 x 10's forming the top...
Learned along time ago, that wood here in Florida with all
the rain and sun that we get doesn't last to long, especially
with mitered joints.
:)
 
we get a little bit of rain up here in seattle :)

treated lumber seems to get us over that hurdle.

I studied two years with Kyoshi seike on japanese garden design and care. Around ponds or boggy places where wooden pilings were used to indicate soil retention. The posts were varied in height to create an interesting containment fence. I get the same sense when i see the monkey poles down the way in a garden display. Void space and distance seems to have a critical appeal in their placement as well as varying heights.
 
Dick, do you have any pics of a traditional monkey pole? Good idea to mix up the ht. of the poles for interest. I just have to keep them at least 34" to keep my dog from eating the soil lol
 
Started construction today. Decided on 4x4 post, 2x4 'feet', and top shelf, all out of cedar. I have no room in backyard to put in ground so this was a good alternative. I'll have two made.
Pics to follow if interested.
 
Ok, got the two bases and posts done. One is 32" high and 20" base, and the other is 36" and 24" base. I haven't decided though after seeing them last night that if 36" is too tall. Nothing is screwed together yet, just tight fitted so it'll be easy to cut shorter if I decide too.

Today I'll attach 2x6 to top of post, 45 degr. mitered ends too, and then 2x2 cedar top. Lastly, I think I'm just going to stain it as everytime I took the effort to put 3 coats of marine polyurethane/varnish, it just doesn't stand up to the weather...and it's alot of effort lol

Certainly nicer looking than my milk crates, or cinder block with cedar shelving. LOL
 

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Ok, got the two bases and posts done. One is 32" high and 20" base, and the other is 36" and 24" base. I haven't decided though after seeing them last night that if 36" is too tall. Nothing is screwed together yet, just tight fitted so it'll be easy to cut shorter if I decide too.

Today I'll attach 2x6 to top of post, 45 degr. mitered ends too, and then 2x2 cedar top. Lastly, I think I'm just going to stain it as everytime I took the effort to put 3 coats of marine polyurethane/varnish, it just doesn't stand up to the weather...and it's alot of effort lol

Certainly nicer looking than my milk crates, or cinder block with cedar shelving. LOL

Those are looking pretty nice. I don't think 36 inches is too high, that was the height of the table I made last year. I would venture a guess that to have your trees displayed at eye level they could be even higher.
 
Those are looking pretty nice. I don't think 36 inches is too high, that was the height of the table I made last year. I would venture a guess that to have your trees displayed at eye level they could be even higher.

Thanks Tom, I wasn't sure of the ht. I wanted. You're probably right though, to be eye level, they could've been a touch higher. I appreciate your feedback.

I think I'll have time today to work on the tops. I keep thinking though, with the 2x6 screwed into the 4x4s, that'll only be 7" of the supporting wood, while I plan on making my platforms 20"x20". So that means 13", or 6.5" per side is how far out the 2x2's will stick out. And I'm not sure how nice that'll look. Do you have any thoughts? ;)
 
Thought I post an update. I finished, kinda, the larger stand. I decided after all this work is to put spar urethane on it. So it needs finishing. The second one is almost finished; it needs the 2x2 lats put on it. I think I did a pretty decent job, not perfect, but it'll work :D
So here's a pic of the finished one:

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stand4.jpg

Edit: Oh, I forgot, that's a recovering rmj in a 14" round pot. The top is 18" square. I can always shorten the 4x4 if desired. And sorry about the pic orientation.
 
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Way to top heavy for me.

I like to keep mine low for watering, weeding and moving.

Just cinderblocks with large pavers on top.
 

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smoke,

watch out for that moss...(growing in the pot on the far right in your second photo.)...i hear its lethal! :p your trees look really awesome to say the least!
 
Way to top heavy for me.

I like to keep mine low for watering, weeding and moving.

Just cinderblocks with large pavers on top.

I too kind of think it maybe too tall. Though the purpose is not to ease watering/weeding, but to have it eye level to appreciate it. I have a worktable and turntable that works just find for those other purposes. Also, I have 2 German Shepherds who love to eat turface/pumice/lava/grit...so they have to be at least 30" off the ground.

Any other thoughts?
 
I too kind of think it maybe too tall. Though the purpose is not to ease watering/weeding, but to have it eye level to appreciate it. I have a worktable and turntable that works just find for those other purposes. Also, I have 2 German Shepherds who love to eat turface/pumice/lava/grit...so they have to be at least 30" off the ground.

Any other thoughts?

Tall stand, german shepherds...not a pretty picture in my mind...toppled stand, broken pots and plants. Sorry.

I'll stick treated lumber stand in the ground instead if possible.
 
Tall stand, german shepherds...not a pretty picture in my mind...toppled stand, broken pots and plants. Sorry.

I'll stick treated lumber stand in the ground instead if possible.

It's really stable Dario, and besides, the dogs haven't even knocked over 4' sections of ~10-12" W. sections of tree trunk from a tree I had trimmed this spring. Not cemented in ground, just resting on the cement. Not one problem from the animals. And the 'feet' are 24"W, so it is pretty stable. I guess I'll shorten it by 6"...

Even though I'm not getting very many positive reviews lol, I think these are the perfect solution for those who cannot/don't have the room to cement in posts/logs imo.
 
Do you have any thoughts? ;)

1. Nice looking elegant design. Good craftsmanship.
2. At least with 2 german shepards thieves aren't a problem.
3. Chicago being the windy city I would be fearful of toppling over. But you do have flat tops on the base so you can weigh them down with cinder blocks or sand bags if need be.
 
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