[TheForge] building a fence

[Mike Linn]

$8500 seems rather steep for only 500 ft of fence. I surrounded my back 
yard (120 x 92 x 120 x 110)  with 4 ft chain link, 2 double drive 
through gates and 2 single gates. Total cost in materials was about 
$600. You only need to concrete the corner and hinge posts.. all the 
others can be pounded in. Use a come-along to stretch the fencing. Its 
not rocket science..  I built a spreader bar for the stretching but a 
piece of solid bar would probably work.

Id get several bids before deciding. on something else..

mike



terry l. ridder wrote:
> hello;
>
> sorry for the intrusion of blacksmithing content.
>
> lord willing, in july i may have some money from the
> settlement of legal nightmare number 2, the head-on-collision.
>
> i am looking into building a fence to keep my dog, harley,
> and harley's buddy, davidson, in the yard. i have received
> estimates for chain link and red cedar fence. the chainlink
> fence comes in at around $8500.00 usd and the red cedar fence
> comes in at around $14,500.00 usd. the fence is nothing fancy.
> i have seen some very nice ironwork fences out in the country
> around dekalb county illinois. some have brickwork posts, some
> have stone/masonary posts, and others have iron/steel posts.
> most have the posts spaced at 8 feet between posts. each fence
> panel is approximately 8 feet by 4 feet. there are several
> different styles that i have found in the rural areas of dekalb
> county illinois. there are those which i call concave. the
> individual pickets of the iron fence gradually decrease in length
> till the half way point in the panel. there are those which i call
> convex. the individual pickets of the iron fence gradually increase
> in length till the half way point in the panel. the individual
> pickets are square tubing, round tubing, solid square bars, solid
> round bars, textured square/round solid bars.
>
> using solid bars for the individual pickets does make the fence
> panels heavy. the panels would last for a long time.
>
> using tubing for the individual pickets does make the fence
> panels lighter. depending on how well the tubing is sealed at
> the ends would determine the lifespan of the fence panel.
>
> textured solid bars would be a nice touch even if they were only
> used in the fence which faces the country road. perhaps even some
> scrollwork in the fence panels.
>
> the east end of the fence would have an 10 feet wide double gate.
> the west end of the fence would have an 10 feet wide double gate.
>
> the end post and corner post need to be stouter posts than
> the line posts.
>
> i am currently attempting to model various styles of fence
> so i have a rough visual idea of what they would look like
> in the yard.
>
> the finish of the fence is totally unknown at this time.
>
> the dimensions on the fence are as follows.
>
> the longest east-west straight run is 248 feet.
> the west end turns north for 50 feet than back
> east for 67 feet to one of the double gates.
> then east another 53 feet after the gate.
> the east end turns north for 63 feet than back
> west for 7 feet to one of the double gates. then
> west another 6 feet after the gate.
>
> not counting the gates there is 494 feet of fence.
>
> would others here have additional suggestions, comments, share
> the gotchas that they have experienced?
>

-- 
Mike Linn
Artisan Blacksmith
McCalla, AL

Start a revolution...
www.fairtax.org