Construct a Japanese Torii Gate for Your Garden

Step 2 Hashiras - The Posts

I wanted to build a decent-sized torii so I hunted around for some large posts to use for the Hashiras. I was hoping to use hardwood but found that they are scarce and expensive. I settled for treated pine posts, or Coppers logs as they are known as in Australia, and used 150mm x 3.6m lengths. Although the logs are relatively cheap, about $AU40 each from memory, you have to be selective when choosing them as many are shaped like bananas and others are badly knotted and split. I cut the logs to 3 metre lengths and used a hammer and chisel to start the mortise slots in either side of the posts and then used a large drill to drill through the posts and remove the bulk of the timber from the slots. I spent a bit of time hand-finishing the mortises with hammer and chisel and made sure that the Nuki would slide freely through the slots.