Wooden Peace Poles
Cedar
At right is a photo of a 10 foot long cedar 6 by 6 (15 cm) next to an 8 foot cedar 4 by 4.
Two feet of each are buried so you can see what they look like when planted. For perspective, compare their sizes to the door behind them. You can see what a big difference 2 inches of width makes.
The plaques seen on these pages are 4 inches wide. If you buy a 4 by 4 wooden post and put a measuring tape on it, it really is only 3.5 inches wide (9 cm). Plaques made for them can be only 3 inches wide. The post itself speaks as loudly as the text on it. Stature matters.
In a building supply like HomeDepot, if you ask for a cedar 6 by 6 that is 10 feet long, they might point you to treated pine. It's not real cedar. Stores like HomeDepot usually have real cedar only in a clean-cut 4 by 4, which can cost . To find real cedar larger than a 4 by 4 you might have to call around. Some lumber yard will be able to order it for you. Special ordering does not drive the price sky-high. It it is the standard way some kinds of lumber are distributed. A local wholesaler stocks it and runs it out to retailers only when it is ordered.
To save money get rough-cut cedar. Rough-cut costs about a fifth as much as clear cedar. It also is wider and provides nice texture around the plaques. Right now (spring 2010) a rough cut, ten-foot, cedar 6 by 6 costs $60 when ordered through my lumber yard. A treated pine 6 by 6 is $30 at HomeDepot. The treated one works too if you'd rather use that. For either I recommend 10 feet of length with 2 feet underground.
Background Photo
The background photo is the view out my kitchen window. Two feet in front of the window is this 6 by 6 cedar peace pole with copper plaques. With its cap it is almost 9 feet tall when planted, but the kitchen is a bit above ground level. So we get to see the top of the peace pole up close everyday. That turns out to be something we like more than we would have predicted.
