This was our 2013 Jayco Flight Swift 198 RD

THIS WAS OUR 2013 JAYCO FLIGHT SWIFT 198RD, PARKED AT THE TOMBSTONE TERRITORIES RV PARK IN ARIZONA



Saturday 26 October 2019

The making of a wooden fence not your everyday kind of task or cup of tea

This latest job we tackled had been on our minds for quite some time. It took some planning and of course Benno doing research by watching a pile of YouTube movies (truly recommended) of how to approach the work involved. There are a few contractors in our area to do this kind of work, but after getting the estimate for the 100ft fence with materials and labor we were a little shell-shocked and decided to do the fence ourselves. After all how hard could it be, right?


Having a wooden fence on the west side of our property sure helped with the planning. A professional contractor and his assistant built that fence three years ago, but this fellow is now retired. Since Benno did such a nice job with the chain link fence during my stay in Germany, I was confident we would build this wooden fence also with no problems and there was no rush to it. The important part was to get all the materials and calculating how much of everything we needed. At this time of year the big lumber and hardware stores were trying to clear out their inventory of pressure treated and outdoor lumber before the wintertime. We used those discounts to our advantage.

Now that the fence is done, I can tell you the hardest part, or difficulty was to bore the holes for the 14 - 10ft posts at the exact distance so the posts would all be equally spaced and straight. This chore became a challenge a few times because there were roots crisscrossing at the exact spot the holes had to be drilled. 

I let the pictures speak for themselves and to capture the process.

Purchasing fence pickets


bringing home the stash of wood

and this pile is what 240 pieces of pickets look like

The 10ft posts

quick set Cement to set the posts in

starting to drill post holes, but there are tree roots slowing us down

measuring the exact spot to position the auger drill

inserting the fence post, adding cement and water and levelling 
to get it 100% straight 

another tree root is pestering the drill

smacking the tree root with the $69+ tax digging bar
we especially purchased anticipating trouble

something down there blocking the drill
so Benno is applying all his weight

finally the auger drill is all the way down

I helped cleaning out the holes
but look what it did to my old Kodiak work boots

picket support bars are fastened to the posts

Benno is cutting off the tops of the fence posts
he used the trailer to stand on rather than the ladder

the fence pickets are being fastened with a nailer
Benno made a jig for the exact spacing in-between 

he's on a roll now and moving along pretty good

he had me bring load after load of pickets
saying hurry up!

I'm placing the pickets where they are needed next

all fence pickets are installed
a look from the other end of the property


closeup of a section

voila! all done
Benno did a super job and I helped a little ;-)

To celebrate our accomplishment I made a batch of locally caught Yellow Perch in beer batter in our "Fry Daddy" deep fryer with a pile of onion rings for dinner. (Thanks for the fish, Barry) 


So if you think Benno would now put his feet up and relax, wrong. This morning he washed the travel trailer down before the predicted rain this weekend.  I guess he wants to be ready to  head south, but I think it will be a little while yet.

Thanks for visiting again. Wishing everyone some fun at Halloween this coming week.

12 comments:

  1. Benno and his assistant (LOL) did a great job installing the Wooden Fence that a Professional would be proud of. If you need more privacy next year simply add Slats on the opposite side to block the openings.
    Be Safe and Enjoy!

    It's about time.

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    1. Rick and Kathy I should have made a closeup photo of the fence as my angle was not showing the view from either side of the properties. Yes, you got a point there, but the fence has already pickets from both sides. I added a new photo. Thanks for the compliment!

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  2. Great job! That plate of fish and rings looks pretty tempting.

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    1. Thanks for the compliment. The fish was delicious and we didn't realize that Yellow Perch is very limited at Lake Erie at this time. So the free fish is especially appreciated and valued. We've got great neighbours!

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  3. That is a great fence. I remember when we fenced in our yard not an easy task. Great job!
    The fish looks delicious.

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    1. Thanks guys. I made the job look easy, didn't I? ;-)

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  4. Awesome job on the fence , I made a similar one about 35 years ago, it went pretty smooth , but then that was 35 years ago..
    Nothing quite like a feed of Lake Erie Perch and Onion rings made by you in your Fry Daddy.

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    1. Thanks George. Having done a wooden fence once is good enough for me. Bet you are glad that you don't have to tackle that job now. Sad that there is hardly any Perch now in Lake Erie. One more reason to enjoy it when we can.

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  5. Excellent job on the fence, as others have said, when we did ours it was not an easy job. Benno, it is also great to have a helper who gets material and puts it where you want it. Great team, the two of you make.

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    1. Thanks Bill. This was not our first rodeo and probably not the last ;-) Building two ocean going vessels helped at bit.

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  6. I LOVE that fence. Great design. However won't it be a huge amount of work to stain it? What a huge amount of work Congrats to you both.

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    1. Thank you. The work wasn't too bad and we didn't push it. No need for stain or paint as the wood is pressure treated. It's a common material for fences, decks and stairs around here.

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