My wife wants a nice looking garden fence to keep the deer out. The fence companies sell upscale ones (all clear cedar), but they're really expensive (8'X6' high panel = $500) Here's a sample of the style:
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fabrication just doesn't look that complicated, but 200' of fence is a lot of work for me. But if I did make the panels, I would probably just buy the posts ready to go.
1) Would you guys just make the panels yourself?
2) Would you make the panels out of cedar, or mix in some other stuff for the above grade detail (#1 pine, or something else) ?
3) Where would you buy that quantity of lumber?
On Sun, 27 Mar 2005 07:11:19 -0700, snipped-for-privacy@garden.net wrote (in article ):
Ugh! Just thinking of painting that makes my arm spasm 8^)
I think for 200' fabrication would justify making jigs to align all the slats, etc. If you are not set on using wood, have you looked at synthetics? (i.e. plastic). Companies make a wide range of styles and quality plus you should be able to forgo the maintenance ;^)
If you use wood, cedar _might_ cause splitting problems for such narrow slats, it really depends on your climate.
If the main purpose is to keep the deer out (we had this problem with deer along with groundhogs), then make it easy on yourself. I installed a fence around the vegetable garden 12 years ago and it is still working great. Used steel 5' T posts spaced 6 feet apart and attached chicken wire to the posts. The bottom was stapled to the ground using cedar logs. Then three insulators were attached to the posts and the fence electrified with a solar-powered fence charger with battery ($100). The fence still works today. I take the charger in after the harvest and mount it back on a (wooden) post in spring. I used a 6' rebar for the ground. One year I saw a squirrel do a back flip after touching the fence. Another time a dog touched the fence then yelped and ran. Oh yeah, you will touch the fence only one time and from then on you'll remember to turn it off before entering the garden.
There is nothing in this world that will grab your attention quicker than a single strand of bailing wire, stretched about knee high on insulators across a field that you just know is connected to a fence charger sitting on a shelf some where.
You only need to touch it once to learn that lesson.
DAMHIKT.
Still remember the neighbor's young bull who had been put out in a temporary pasture surrounded by an electrified fence who was being bothered by the flies when they started biting on a hot summer afternoon.
Suddenly, 1100 pounds of romping stomping bull had had enough and took off for the barn.
That electrified fence didn't even make him blink as he broke thru at full speed.
After that, I had a hell of a lot of respect for that bull.
yes I would . Get the dimensions,figure out the material needed to make similair panel,plan out how you would fabricate it. The satisfaction of doing it yourself and money saved (which you can than spend on the new "tool"you have wanted) is well worth it.
Are you going to paint it? Than do not waste the money on #1/clear material since knots will not be visable. Make a few calls to see what cedar costs are in your area. Have you thought about using cypress ? It will paint well and last for many years. For the posts depending on what you are willing to spend. I have found that cedar doesn't last that well in my area of WesternMass.but pressure treated have out lasted the cedar post that were installed at about the same time. You could also use hemlock as the post,treat the below grade ends with paint or tar them if you are going to install in concrete.Another option is put concrete footings with metal brackets for the posts to be bolted to.Since this is going to be in the garden some plants around the post will hide the metal brackets.
Cowls Lumber Amherst,Ma. Kicza Lumber Hadley,Ma. for the hemlock posts (they will also custom size them if you so desire) Forest Products Assoc. Greenfield,Ma. for the cypress.
Is your deer problem so bad you must get the entire fence done at once? If it isn't I would built a section this year of wood and put in an electirc fence for the rest.Than finish it off next year.You can always sell the electic fence material pretty easily.
Take the time to decide if it is a project you want to do and have the time to do it.If you have youngsters have them help you out. It will be a project that they will remember for years to come having built a fence with Dad.:)
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