Post and rail fence?

[logger]

I am going to make post and rail fence to keep my horses in because they bust through the wire fence, plus I think the post and rail fence looks better.  I am going to cut a Black locoust stand of trees for the posts and some cherry and locoust for the rails.  Do you think some cherry will work for rails or do I have to do something to them to keep them from rotting?????  I am going to use locoust for rails too but if I run out I am going to have to use some cherry or oak.  Any Ideas??? 8) ;D

[Ernie]

Get yourself a small electric fence unit and run a hot wire along the top .  You can get battery, solar or mains units.  Horses are smart, they will learn pretty quickly and save your post and rail fences. Or just run a hot wire on a outrigger inside you existing wire fences.

[Fraxinus]

Any chance you could put some electric on that fence to give them horses a little more respect for fences?
Oak was always our fence post of choice here.  There are, of course, better things to use but they don't grow around here.  We also used hemlock at times.  I believe it would be even better if it was peeled but maybe not since the tannin is in the bark more than the wood.
I don't think cherry would be as good a choice as oak.

[Buzz-sawyer]

logger
The rule is to let the locust dry for a year before putting it in the ground....or it rotd pretty quick..... ;)

[UNCLEBUCK]

Will white oak posts fresh off the sawmill last awhile in sandy soil . I tried white oak unpeeled but they rot within a couple years .

[Frank_Pender]

I would strongly sugest cottonwood for your horizontal boards , as horses ten to strongly object to cribbing on that species. ;D

[Buzz-sawyer]

Our Illinois cottonwood will rot before ya get the nails in it ;)

[Ron Wenrich]

Instead of cherry rails, I think I would go with locust or oak, if its available.  I have a white cedar rail fence, and it didn't last all that long.  The posts rotted in less than 10 yrs, so I went with pressure treated SYP.  The rails lasted longer, but wherever you have a crack, water will lay in it and cause it to rot.

I would debark the rails with a drawknife.  Stay away from the softwoods for horses.  They tend to chew on them, and they don't really have the strength to withstand a horse pushing on them. 

[redpowerd]

well, why would your white cedar rot so fast, when i find split ERC rails that have been buried for decades entact? does the white not have the oil ERC has?

anyways, all fencing around here is done with dry + debarked ERC.

[logger]

Sounds like I'll have to find some oak or some more locoust for rails.  I can probably find a stand of it.  Thanks!!!

[logger]

What would be the best thing to use to cut the holes for the rails out with?  Thanks! 8) ;D

[Furby]

Spade bit in a drill.
You then can cut the inside corners with a chisel if you want, but most just use an oversized spade bit overlapping the holes.

[logger]

Thanks, where could I find one at? 8)

[Buzz-sawyer]

Logger
JEFFB
the moderator of this forum has a neat tool that he made the joints for my rustic table with..it would work great....it cuts holes and matching tenons on the cross pieces

[Furby]

Spade bit ???
Any hardware store, some just have kits with different sizes.
Link



Hmmm........ not a bad idea Buzz, that would indeed look good!

[isawlogs]

  I did a fence like that at my dads a couple of tenyears ago ...  ;D   Used my chainsaw and plunge cut the slots into the post ...

[wiam]

My father-in-law borrowed my 2  1/8"  forsner bit and double drilled, then cleaned out with a chisel.  Worked very well.

Will

[Ron Wenrich]

I opened the top and bottom of the hole with a spade drill, then plunge cut with a chainsaw.  That worked pretty quick.

[Ironwood]

Cutting hole with spade = hassle for bigger posts. Commercial guys use BIG OLD drill press. Local caretakers plunge with a narrow (hieght) trim chainsaw and then plunge the vertical. Works well. I agree on the peeling and letting dry for a season. Here in Pa. stands for locust are "pioneer" species and grow in sour ground. Look around if you find a good area it will have loads of them. Reid

[Ernie]

Logger
JEFFB
the moderator of this forum has a neat tool that he made the joints for my rustic table with..it would work great....it cuts holes and matching tenons on the cross pieces

Got any pics?

[Buzz-sawyer]

here ya go

[Ernie]

Neat tenon

how was it made?  any special tool

[Buzz-sawyer]

Gonna hafta ask JeffB

[Furby]

Not if you know where to look, Buzz! ;) ;D

Here ya go Ernie: Link

[Ernie]

Thanks Furby, I'll see if they have a NZ agent