Trre OnIGINAL HONAE WOOOWORKING RruN ... - Wood Tools

Use the 345 rule to establish a square
corner. With two sides fixed at 3-ft. and
&ft., move the string line until the dis
tance betrveen points B & G is 5-ft.
ESTABLISHING THE FENCE.TINE
With all the Gnce sections built, I
was anxious to get thern installed so
I could show off all my hard work
(and be able to once again park the
car in the garage). But installing a
fence that's both straight and level
isn't a job you want to rush.
Start laying out the fence-line at a
corner location or another fixed
point. In my case this was the side of
the garage. After establishing the
location for the first post next to the
garage wall, I laid out a string line at
90o to the building, then drove stakes
at each post location (FIG. 13).
I'd always thought my yard was
fairly flat, but to check it out, I used
a straight-edged board and a level to
establish a level line between the
Place one end of a stniglrt edgpd boad
atop the first stake, then drive a second
stake until the boad is level. The difrerence
in the stake heietts is the drup.
Position each fence section between
pairs of posts and shim the section so
the rails arc level. Clamp the plates to
the posts while you drive the screws.
stakes (RG. 14). My yard was level INSTAII IIIE PANETS
from the garage to the side of the Up to this point, I easily managed
lot, but it dropped 24" frorn that the sections by myself, but to jockey
point to the back lot line (32 ft.), and install them between the posts,
requiring me to step the fence I needed a helper. Beginning at the
down the slope. Since it took four posts nearest the garage, I positioned
sections to span this distance, I had a section with the top of one
to drop the top of each successive mounting plate flush with the top
panel roughly 6" below the previous of the first post. After clamping this
one. This also required the posts for plate to the post, I adjusted the
the staggered sections on the slope other end of the section until the
to be 6" longer than those on level rails were level, then drove screws
ground. (I set mine extra long, then through both mounting plates to
cut then to the proper height.) fasten the fence section to the posts
Wirh the posr alignnrenr, posirion, (Erc. 15).
and height determined, I dug the Where the fence steps down a
holes and set the posts (see Selllng slope, you'll need to adjust the posi-
Fence Posts on page 34). After the tion of the "downhill" mounting
concrete had cured for several days, I plate before you install it on the panel
was ready to install the fence sections. (MOUNTING PLATE STEPS).
BUILDING A "LEI/EL'' FENGE ON UNWEN TERRAIN
Lengthen posts to
compensate for a change in grade.
Inflll boards can be extended
to close off gaps below rail.
You want to step down a slope so
that each fence section rcmains
level and the drup fiom one section
to the next is unifiorm. To do this,
extend a level line fiom the grcund
at the top of the slope to the end of
the run and measurc the amount of
drcp. Divide the drcp by the number
of sections to determine how much
you should lorver each oonsecutiye
section. On steep gnrund, you may
need sections that arc half as long
as a standad section, or use infill
boads that extend below the lower
rail to close off gaps.
30 woF.KBENCH tr MAY I JUNE 1999