I am looging for an architectural colmun, for exterior use. It needs to be about 6″ in diameter and about 5 1/2 feet in total height. It also needs to be of the fluted type to match other trim work done on the house. The shortest the local suppliers sell are 6′ tall and they won’t look right if I try to cut them to length. Could someone point me to a source that would sell columns with heights less than 6′ as an standard off the shelf item?
Thanks in advance,
Dan_P
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Replies
Have you tried a Building salvage yard?
Otherwise I'm thinking you are talking special order
You might try Chadsworth Columns
good luck
Don't know about off the shelf but you might try A.F. Schwerd
http://www.schwerdcolumns.com/
Sorry I don't have the info you would prefer, but just in caseyou can't find a stock column...
If you can make the blank- hollow staved or solid 6x6 - then you can take it to a local wood turner and it shouldn't take more than an hour to turn. (Shop rate of say $40 to$60/hr.) If you lack shop capabilities you might find a real bad condition 7 or 8 inch solid column at a salvage yard and turn it down to the smaller size. Then set up a routing jig to use a corebox bit of the proper diameter to cut the flutes. If this is beyond your resources, then again, a local shop should be able to do it for four or five hours of labor time. (Someone used to the operation could probably do it in under four hours. I know because our stair shop did that kind of thing.) Good Luck Patrick--------
Dan,
Just wondering why it can't be cut 6"?
A tapered columns taper doesn't begin until about 2/3rds up the shaft. If you buy the kind that slips into the base, then a clean cut isn't even necessary.
Ditch
Well, at least in the case of the columns that my local supplier has in stock the capital is molded to the column itself, so is part of the base.So I can only trim about 3 1/2 " from the top without losing parts of the capital detail. For the diameter I can go up to 8" but I have no extra head room in the height. I am trying to use composite/resin type material rather than a wooden column. Potentially I can build a wooden one myself but that would cost a whole lot more timewise than buying one of these fibreglass types.
Thank you all for your responses.
Dan
Dan,
I purchased composite columns at my local supplier. The base and capital are seperate from the column. I had to cut about a ft. off the bottoms. I can't remember the brand...someone here might know.Ditch
That's one spiffy house there in those pictures! I like the way you weaseled your way out of mitering those crown moldings :-). I will remember that next time. The columns in these pictures have no flutes though. Are these load beaing columns or they are just decorative?
Dan,
These are decorative in application but are actually structural type columns. I wanted the fluted type but wife said no. Anyway, the bases for the fluted columns are molded on the inside to accept the fluted shaft. I thought that was cool because I knew I was gonna' have to cut them down.
My wife also wanted those crown corner blocks...which I protested... and lost again. They are simple to make and give you something to do with 3 ft. sections of leftover crown.Ditch
Columns sound like some I've seen in older 20s or 30s homes. Originally sat on foot or foot and a half boxes in natural hardwood. Maybe an old sears catalogue item. Give me the exact measurements and taper and Ill check the two I have.
Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.
Forget the primal scream, just Roar!
Edited 9/19/2002 12:33:18 AM ET by rez
Rez,
The TOTAL height is 5' 4". If the column is a few inches under that I can step it up on the base side or add to the top. But Max height is 5'-4". Also it is important that the column is of the fluted type, however the taper is not too important. It should not exceed 8" in diameter at the base though. I didn't know Sears sold architectural columns. Do they still sell them?
Dan.
Sorry Dan- what I have are non fluted smooth oak.
Years back (many) Sears use to sell houses that were delivered in bundles to be built. Someone even made a book dealing with researching old sears houses, trying to get a national registry I believe, that sort of thing. I had seen these same oak columns which I have, in photos of older housing. By saying they might be from sears, I was just surmising. No, sears doesn't sell items of that nature now, that I know off. Your situation sounds like a custom job but I would make some calls to architectural salvage places first. You might get lucky and they could ship it to you at 5'4".Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.
Forget the primal scream, just Roar!
If I were you, I would check with Spartan. They have a website, but I forgot the URL. Their phone is 800-949-5450. I am buying six columns for my porch and did extensive shopping around, I mean EXTENSIVE, and looked at all the options mentioned in earlier posts. As far as price and availability, I chose Spartan. They are located in the Northwest.
Dan,
This has been bugging me.
Dug up an old Sweet's catalog. Dixie Pacific it seems sells a non-tapered fluted column. There is stop fluting on the bottom of the column, which allows you to choose from among different base/plinth styles (which by the way are vented). However, there is no stop fluting on the top of the column. The flutes run right past the top edge of the column. The stop fluting occurs within the bottom few inches of the Doric capital. This allows you to cut the shaft to any length and still achieve the stop flute 'look' when you attach the capital.
Hope this helps. Couldn't find this detail at there web site but it does show it in my 1995 Sweet's book.
Ditch
Dan, don't know if you've had any luck, but heres a couple of leads. I have used a column from HB&G(http://www.hbgcolumns.com) called Permacast, they're a composite of concrete and fibreglass. They've got Smooth and Fluted with seperate Base and Capital, so you should be ablt to trim enough from the bottom of one to make it work. Diameter may be too big. The only drawback may be the appearance of the flutes where they meet the base, it may require too much filler to be attractive. Otherwise, you may try Colonial Pillars Inc. in Ontario, Canada. I've never personally used them, but my supplier gave me a brocheure and they look good. http://www.colonialpillars.com Hope something turns up.