How to Make a Wooden Pylon

Pylons can be both functional and decorative.

Wooden pylons can be useful for entertainment or decorative purposes as well as for marking out construction zones or blocking off a freshly paved driveway, for example. Although these are available in rubber or plastic form, they are easy to make out of wood. If numerous pylons are required, it is simply a matter of setting up a small production line to get them made efficiently. With the right tools and safety gear, you can make a lot of pylons in a day.

Things You'll Need

• Chain saw
• Safety equipment (pants, gloves, mask, glasses)
• Wood logs (width of desired pylons)
• Workbench
• Clamps
• Marker
• Angle grinder with various wood removal and sanding disks
• Paint

Instructions

1. Set up and secure a log on your workbench using clamps so that it is secured horizontally at waist height. Cut the end off with a chainsaw to create a straight cut at the end. Mark the length of the pylon from the end of the log using a marker. Mark the center of the log on the end, which will be the tip of the pylon.

2. Start the chain saw and begin to shape the pylon. Keep a firm grip on the chain saw and carve in from the bottom of the pylon (where marked) toward the tip, going in further toward the center of the log at the end. Keep cutting until the top half of the log is rounded.

3. Cut in around the bottom to create the flange at the base in a typical pylon shape. Reposition the log so that you can cut the rest of the cone shape around the end. Repositioning to cut from the top is much safer than trying to cut from the bottom as the saw might kick back.

4. Continue shaping the pylon with the angle grinder once you have finished forming the basic cone shape with the chain saw. Use removal and sanding disks to refine the shape and to create the smooth surface of the pylon until you are satisfied.

5. Mark the cut-off point just below the top of the flange. Mark a straight line and cut off the first pylon from the end of the log. Repeat this process as many times as necessary, until you have enough pylons.

6. Paint the pylons with oil or latex paint in the color of your choice to complete them.

References

• Chainsaw Chick: About Chainsaw Carving