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Ironbark vertical batten fence

DIY4Knuckleheds
Making a Splash
DIY4Knuckleheds
DIY4Knuckleheds
Making a Splash

 

A front fence built with vertical Ironbark battens.

 

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The project

 

The front of our house needed a new fence as the old one, which was probably built in the Jurassic Period, was looking a little tired and unappealing. After some thought in regard to adding some street appeal to our property, and since we live in a beachside village, we decided on a fence built out of Ironbark in the style of 40 x 40mm vertical battens which lends itself to the beachside vibe.

 

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Three packs of beautiful Australian Ironbark arrive on my front lawn.

 

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Putting a pencil round on all the fencing material using my router table.

 

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One of the vertical battens with the pencil round applied.

 

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Samples of the Ironbark posts and vertical battens.

 

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Bitumen waterproofing paint that l applied to the part of the post that goes in the ground.

 

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Applying the waterproofing bitumen paint to the post.

 

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Setting out the posts using timber profiles.

 

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Tying off the string line to a nail attached to the timber profile.

 

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Adding gravel to the bottom of the hole to encourage drainage away from the bottom of the post.

 

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Using braces to hold the post straight and plumb.

 

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Adding concrete to the posts.

 

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Crowning the base of the post so the water runs away from the post.

 

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Chiselling out the checkouts for the rails.

 

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Applying some oil-based decking oil to all the checkouts and the freshly cut ends.

 

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Applying an oil-based decking oil to the fence frame prior to installing the vertical battens.

 

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Cutting all the vertical battens to length prior to installing.

 

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Using a template to drill the holes for the vertical battens.

 

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Using the Macsim 10 gauge clever tool to countersink the screw holes.

 

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10 gauge stainless steel decking screws for the vertical battens.

 

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Do not use an impact driver as you will snap the soft stainless-steel screws when driving into hardwood. Use your regular drill and set the clutch so that it kicks in once the screw comes to a stop.

 

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Pre-drill the screw holes in the fence rails.

 

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Applying some oil-based decking oil to the screws to add some lubrication prior to driving the screws in.

 

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Using a level to plumb the vertical battens.

 

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Driving in those stainless-steel screws.

 

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Getting the job done. The reason for the right angles is just to add some interest to an otherwise fairly run-of-the-mill front fence.

 

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The finished product.

 

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Future landscaping ideas.

 

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