Making Road Stakes for the Farm
Recycling and repurposing as many natural resources as possible is always a big priority here at my Bedford, New York farm.
Whenever we complete a project, we always save whatever materials are left over in case they can be used at a later time - especially scrap wood. Any wood that is not put through a sawmill to make usable lumber, or thrown in a big tub grinder to make mulch, is used to create dozens of stakes for use on all the carriage roads. These road stakes are so important in winter when everything is covered in snow. I am always glad we have them to mark where the roads meet the grassy lawns and garden beds. And, every single one is made right here at my farm.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Right now, the farm is under more than a foot of snow – with more expected over the next few days. Thankfully, we are always well-prepared. These road stakes are placed along the carriage roads to outline the edges, so cars and plows know exactly where to go.
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- I have four miles of carriage road on the property. I am glad these stakes are up to mark them, especially near garden beds and other valuable outdoor objects.
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- These stakes are tipped in black to indicate where the catch basin ends are, so they can be unblocked of snow if necessary.
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- The stakes are put up in the fall when the ground is still warm and then most are removed in spring when all the snow is gone.
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- All the stakes are made right here in our shop – from unused scraps of wood. I try not to waste anything.
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- This is our Powermatic table saw. It is a rugged cabinet saw that only requires 115V of power.
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- This is the blade, which can be adjusted to various heights.
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- Here is the space between the blade and the straight edge that guides the wood through the cutter.
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- Pete and Fernando work together to pass each piece of wood through the machine, so it cuts safely and evenly.
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- They cut the stakes down to 1.5-inches by 1.5 inches, so each piece is passed through a couple of times each.
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- Each stake is also about 2.5 feet tall. Many stakes are made within a few minutes.
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- Once a batch of stakes is made, Pete moves them to a nearby table. Both Pete and Fernando wear masks, gloves and protective eyewear.
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- These stakes were cut within a half-hour. They are the perfect size and can be saved and reused year after year.
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- The next step is to paint them my signature “Bedford Gray.”
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- Fernando places one layer of stakes across two saw horses and begins to paint.
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- Once one side is done, he turns them and paints the another side. Left over paint from other projects is also good to save and use for these smaller tasks.
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- Fernando has enough paint to cover all the stakes thoroughly and evenly.
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- Using another piece of wood, Fernando straightens out the ends, so they can also be painted.
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- Here he is painting the tips of the stakes. Making road stakes is a good project for the dead of winter, when temperatures are below freezing, there is a lot of snow on the ground, and outdoor jobs are limited.
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- Once a layer is done, Fernando places two pieces of wood on the first layer and then starts another layer on top. These stakes dry pretty quickly in the heated shop.
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- Meanwhile, Pete safely puts the guard over the blade and the machine is cleaned off until it is used again.
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- Road stakes to mark the carriage roads… they’re a “Good Thing.” Please see lots of Good Things on my new Instagram page @MarthaStewartGoodThings and on our new web site, MarthaStewartGoodThings.
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