DIY Network

Concrete Lamp Posts, Part 1 Light up the night with a concrete lamp post you cast yourself. From "B. Original" episode DBOR-135

This custom concrete lamp post will make your home shine!

Concrete is a perfect material for large outdoor projects: It's durable, it's easy to work with and it's cheap.

Michele Beschen takes this humble building material and turns it into a stunning lamp post for your home's exterior in this B. Original how-to. In this part, she shows how to build the forms for an octagonal lamp post and base, and how to fill the forms with concrete. In Part 2, she'll show how to finish off the project in style.

Get started today on your home's swanky new outdoor lighting; scroll down for the how-to.

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D
	Figure E
	Figure F

Concrete Lamp Post, Part 1—Build a Form

Materials:

(2) 2'x8' pieces of melamine shelving
3 band straps
band saw or jigsaw
drill
½" drill bit
26-3/4" conduit
80 lb. bag sand and gravel concrete
wheelbarrow
hoe for mixing concrete
water
spade or shovel for transferring concrete to the form
flat scrap board

• The base is an octagon shape that will require 8 melamine strips, each of which is 2' long and 2-3/4" wide. Cut the strips from one of the shelves on a table saw at a 22-degree angle (figure A). Make sure you turn the strips as you cut, so the strips are beveled in on both edges (figure B). (The longer side of the melamine measures 2-3/4".)

• Strap the pieces together using three band strips—top, middle and bottom. You will need a helper for this.

• Tighten the straps down securely (figure C).

• Cut two 11" square pieces from the other melamine shelf. These will be the base for the form.

• Center the octagon form on top of one of the 11" squares and trace it. Drill a starter hole through the shelf and cut the octagon shape out with a band saw or jigsaw (figure D).

• Glue the two melamine pieces together to form a double-thick piece of material with an octagon-shaped inset. Let the glue dry fully.

• Use a ruler and pencil to find the center of the octagon inset. Drill a 1/2" wide hole at the center (figure E).

• Insert a 26-3/4" piece of conduit in the hole. Replace the octagon form and make sure it sits securely in place.

• Cut an 11" square piece of melamine. This will be the bottom of the form for the lamp post's base.

• Cut four strips of melamine to serve as the sides for the lamp post base form. The strips should be trapezoids, 11" on one side; the length of the other side and the width of the strips depend on how tall you want your final base to be. Bevel the side edges of these strips at a 22-degree angle and screw them together to create the form. Drill a 1/2" hole in the middle of the form's base and insert a piece of conduit (figure F).

• Mix an 80 lb. bag of sand and gravel concrete in a wheelbarrow, according to the package instructions. Add the water a little at a time so the mix doesn't become too watery.

• Gradually fill the forms with concrete (figure G). Tap the forms to release bubbles and work the concrete into the sides to make sure it fills all the corners evenly (figure H).
  

  Figure G

  Figure H

  
  

  Figure I

• When the forms are full, drag a straight scrap board over the top to smooth the concrete (figure I).

• When the concrete is partially dry, use your finger to dig a furrow from the conduit to the edge of the base form to accommodate the electrical cord.

Let the concrete cure, then head to Part 2 to finish your lamp post.