How to Carve Wood Into a Ground Post
- 1). Measure out the desired length along the wood piece using the soft tape measure. Mark this point on one of the faces of the wood piece with a black marker.
- 2). Align the straight gouge with the mark you made in Step 1, and then tap the top of the gouge firmly with the mallet until it goes through the width of the wood piece. Dispose of the piece that you carved off, leaving the main wood piece on the table.
- 3). Put the edge of the 1-inch spoon gouge at the top of the top face of the main wood piece. Then adjust the gouge diagonally so that one edge of the gouge is touching the top center point of that top face, and the other point is touching one side edge of the top face.
- 4). Tap the top of the spoon gouge as you set it in Step 3 to chisel through the wood piece. Then repeat Steps 3 and 4 on the opposite side edge of the top face of the wood piece so that it is symmetrical.
- 5). Transport the wood piece to the ground where you will be installing the post. Then stand the wood piece up so that the end you carved in Step 4 is pointing up.
- 6). Dig out a hole in the ground equal to the diameter of the uncarved end of the wood piece, and about 1/4 inch deep. Then place the uncarved end of the wood piece in the hole.
- 7). Hit the top of the carved end of the wood piece gently with the mallet to tap the post more firmly into the hole. Once the post is snugly in the hole, pack in dirt around its base firmly to hold it in place.
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