metal poles for a screen

I'm planning on building a few screens in the garden to hide the clothesline etc. I was going to use treated pine (as they will be set in concrete in the ground), but I can only find 90x90, which is too chunky for the look I am after.

I'm now looking at 50x50x1.6mm gal steel posts. I will paint them too.

My question is this: how do I fix timber to these poles. I will be fixing lots of 40x40 hardwood (spotted gum) battens horizontally to the poles, so I need something that I can screw through the battens into the metal poles if possible. Ideally I wanted to avoid bolting through the whole lot as this would cost me a fortune for gal bolts.

Any thoughts?

Trav

Trav

An option would be to use self drilling Tek screws to fix the timber battens to the steel posts. See this link

http://www.buildex.com.au/products/p...at.asp?catID=1

It is always easier fixing to timber, so a better option might be to fit a timber batten to the front of each post (or the side with the faces flush, depending on the look you are after), using Tek screws as above, then using galv screws to fix the screen battens to the vertical battens. Far fewer holes into the steel so a lot easier and cheaper.

Regards

Larry

Another option is to Ramset them on whith a powder actuated Ramset gun. The only problem is that you need to have a licence to operate one. The only other problem is if you want to take them off that is a problem.

fixing straight to a round post is a bugger you gota be dead on square to have any hope of penetration.

I would use standard electrical or plumbing saddles & screw em on from behind.
If you are using ERW tube (exactly 50mm od) use double sided electrical saddles.
If you are using 40nb ( nominal bore)extra light gal (about 48mm od) the same

if its 50nb plumbing saddles are the go

cheers

Another way to fix timber to steel is to use Maxbond Adhesive.

If you put the Maxbond on to the steel and press the timber on then pull it off, let the maxbond skin of and then push it back on it will act like contact glue.

You could also use clamps on the timber until the Maxbond goes off.

Maxbond sticks like the proverbial S*#t to a blanket and is also waterproof.

This is also an ideal way of sticking foil to a steel frame for insulation purposes.

My 2 cents worth - you could do the same as with houses on concrete stumps that have the underneath area battened. That is fix a vertical strip of timber to the pole and attach your battens to that.