Building a 3 board horse fence

[C.J.]

I have around 600 feet of fencing board to use. I have an auger attachment for my tractor and a generator to plug the drill into.

I plan to run this fence down the driveway using 4x4 post without quikcrete. 3 boards 8ft long spaced even apart.

Does anyone have any advice before I dive into this? ways to make a spacer to make sure your boards are correct distance apart?

Drill holes, tamp post in. go down the line and screw boards on using spacer to make sure their even.

 

[660griz]

For spacing, use a 2x4 with 3 crossmembers the required distance apart. Set on ground by post, set board on crossmember, screw in place.
Impressed you are going to use screws. I did my deck that way. Drilled pilot holes, then screws, took a loooong time.
Then, I bought a framing nailer.

I would use quikcrete though. Not mix it or anything, just pour in hole.

 

[shakey gizzard]

Make a "story pole" to mark the height of each rail! If you can afford it ,use cedar over pt for posts! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storey_pole

 

[Miguel Cervantes]

#1, don't use 4x4's. Use 4x6's at the very least, but 6x6's are preferred. If you are doing a three rail kentucky fence that will have livestock in it, don't do like most idjits and put the side that looks best with the vertical cover board on the joints on the outside. Form follows function and all rails and vertical boards belong on the inside where the livestock will be.

 

[T-N-T]

We always used a piece of pvc pipe because it is light and strong to lay on ground and spray paint a dot for each hole. Move pipe down 10 ft or whatever and make another dot..

Then cut a piece the height the posts stick up so each one is the same height from the dirt.

But Miguel is right, 4x6 gives more to screw to iffen you have not bought up your posts yet.

 

[95g atl]

6x6 for the posts. I have a split rail fence with 4 boards. The 4x4 will look funny.....6x6 look much better. a lot heavier and costly, but worth it. Look at my avatar behind the tractor. That's my fence.

 

[burkecountydeer]

I put up fences for a living . We do commercial chain link . I have only done one or two wood fences but if u don't already have the material I would at least buy 16 foot boards and stager them for strength. That is key especially if cattle or any animal leaning on the fence. Tamping is good because it doesn't hold water on top of the post and rot the post . The water seaps in the ground . Idiely a bigger post , 16 ft boards and a facial board would be idiel for looks and stability. If you have any more questions you can pm me .

 

[Lilly001]

I have about 2000 feet of 3 board wood fence that holds in horses(most of the time). I used 4-5" pt round post. It's a little cheaper than 6x6 but takes a little more work to line them up due to irregularities in the post.
Boards on the inside as others noted. If you use nails make them 16d gal and blunt the tips to keep from splitting the boards. Screws are better IMHO but need pilot holes and use coated screws. Treat the tops of the post when you are done.
Keep extra repair materials on hand. You will need it.

 

[Jim Baker]

Start by setting and plumbing the first two post. Set the first post to height, set the second post 94.75" (IF you use 4x4)from leading edge to leading edge. Then cut two 2x4 to 9". Use this to measure inside to inside of subsequent posts. This will put all posts on 8 ft. centers.

Set the last post in the line to height and plumb. Set temporary post at any point the line of the fence changes ( need to set to hieght but needs to be plumb)as close to multiples of 8 as possible. Then pull two string lines on the outside of the posts. One 6" from top, second 2' from bottom. This will keep your fence line straight. Then with the 92.5 inch 2x4 and 1 short peice of 4x4 post lay a 2x4 butting it up to second post. Spray the spot at the of the 2x4. Then lay the short piece of 4x4 over the spot and but the other 2x4 against it. Go to the end of the 2x4 keeping it on a line with the string and spray a spot. Repeat to end of line.

Remove bottom string and auger holes. Remove temp posts and replace string snapping hard. You can now use the two string lines to plumb back and forth of posts and level for left to right. Use the 92" 2x4 to set spacing at bottom from the previous post. Augered holes should give plenty of wriggle room.

I usually use a string line to set height if the ground is rolling. If it is flat a story pole will do. That is a whole nuther set of situations.

Use 4x6 or 6x 6 as said above. Sun is going to work on 4x4. They are going to twist the nails or srcews out and look bad. Use 16' Rails and stagger the joints.

 

[skiff23]

4x6 minimum for post. An 8 ' post with 36 " in ground. 4-6" of gravel in bottom of a tamped post hole will do a hundred times better than concrete that will rot your post prematurely .16 ' boards on inside with screws are best. Stager joint and start by setting the first post then mark and drill 4 post at a time. If you set ahead and get off you will regret it . You can set 4 post at a time and break up the work of packing and heavy work and allow yourself a small break while setting boards. This also will keep your measurements true . Remember "Aim small Miss Small"
Fencing is not hard but you must act as it was the same as any structure, keep it plumb and true !
It is also amazing packing the bottom half of the hole is so important. Save your money on the sakcrete and us gravel in the hole . It will give you a stronger post and make it last longer !

 

[C.J.]

Start by setting and plumbing the first two post. Set the first post to height, set the second post 94.75" (IF you use 4x4)from leading edge to leading edge. Then cut two 2x4 to 9". Use this to measure inside to inside of subsequent posts. This will put all posts on 8 ft. centers.

Set the last post in the line to height and plumb. Set temporary post at any point the line of the fence changes ( need to set to hieght but needs to be plumb)as close to multiples of 8 as possible. Then pull two string lines on the outside of the posts. One 6" from top, second 2' from bottom. This will keep your fence line straight. Then with the 92.5 inch 2x4 and 1 short peice of 4x4 post lay a 2x4 butting it up to second post. Spray the spot at the of the 2x4. Then lay the short piece of 4x4 over the spot and but the other 2x4 against it. Go to the end of the 2x4 keeping it on a line with the string and spray a spot. Repeat to end of line.

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QUOTE]

can you explain this better Jimbo?

 

[Jim Baker]

Start by setting and plumbing the first two post. Set the first post to height, set the second post 94.75" (IF you use 4x4)from leading edge to leading edge. Then cut two 2x4 to 9". Use this to measure inside to inside of subsequent posts. This will put all posts on 8 ft. centers.

Set the last post in the line to height and plumb. Set temporary post at any point the line of the fence changes ( need to set to hieght but needs to be plumb)as close to multiples of 8 as possible. Then pull two string lines on the outside of the posts. One 6" from top, second 2' from bottom. This will keep your fence line straight. Then with the 92.5 inch 2x4 and 1 short peice of 4x4 post lay a 2x4 butting it up to second post. Spray the spot at the of the 2x4. Then lay the short piece of 4x4 over the spot and but the other 2x4 against it. Go to the end of the 2x4 keeping it on a line with the string and spray a spot. Repeat to end of line.

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QUOTE]

can you explain this better Jimbo?

It is hard to lay out in words. It is really simple once you see it done. Another thing that has to be considered is the topography. Being will your fence height follow the contour of the ground or will it allow you to have the rails run on a constant plane.

PM me

 

[Nitram4891]

So the consensus is tamped crusher run over concrete?

 

[jiminbogart]

Use 6x6's.

Don't use concrete. You will start replacing posts in 10 years or so with concrete.

I would use a CCA treated 6x6 rather than an AQC treated 6x6 for posts.

If you must use concrete buy posts that are treated for use as dock pilings(CCA). Heck, buy posts treat for use as dock pilings even if you don't use concrete.

I'm planning on tamping my posts in with an electric jack hammer. The power company uses a pneumatic tamper on utility poles.

If you don't need the fence to last more than 10 years disregard this post.

 

[jiminbogart]

I would recommend driving around and looking at various fences to see the scale you like.

I'm going to go with a 4 board fence. I found one I like(Bell Lake on Colham Ferry Road) and, IIRC, the posts were on 6' centers. I'll go back and check before I go to funky town on the new fence.

Scale is important. If you start looking at fences you'll notice some folks got the post spacing, fence board size, post size or fence board spacing wrong.

 

[jiminbogart]

Make sure you crown all the fence boards up. If a board has no crown don't us it. You have a 50-50 chance of putting it in upside down.

I would nail the fence boards and screw the board that covers the fence board joints over the post. It will be easy to remove and replace when you need to replace any bad boards or flip any boards that you missed the crown on.

 

[Nitram4891]

Thanks for the reply @jiminbogart and great advice. I was thinking crusher run would tamp down the best, is that what you would recommend?

 

[Keebs]

May I add my 2 cents worth?
Wooden fencing is pretty, but to be on the safe side, I personally would run at least one, if not two, strands of electric fence on the inside. Horses tend to get bored and they love to chew on wood or they tend to "crib", make their selves burp, so to say, by hooking their top teeth on the fence and pulling back, most of the time that is in stalls, but I have seen them do it on fencing too.