Dowel and Post Fencing
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JB4310
Super Member
I did fencing long ago as one of my first jobs, it was the old style stockade fence that had the dowels, never did much of the rail fencing but it's the same concept.
You do have to dig the holes, mark out on the ground a few holes, make the marks on center then dig the depth, the trick is after the first hole you have to over dig the diameter a little so you can swing those posts over and put the rails in, leaving a somewhat equal space around the post to pack the dirt in around it.
I was young and would get discouraged when I hit a big root or a rock since we were using manual post hole diggers, the old timer would dig 4 holes to my 1 and when he tamped them in it felt like they were set in cured concrete.
One absolute necessary tool for that job is the fence-mans bar, a 5-6 foot heavy bar with a cutting edge on one side for roots or clay and a round tamping puck on the other end for packing the soil around the posts, I've seen them at home depot. Another tool is the dowel cutter if you need a short section and have to shorten the rails, that's a speciality tool that's not cheap, you might be able to borrow one from who ever is supplying the material for you, I suppose you could use a hatchet.
Good luck, JB,
You do have to dig the holes, mark out on the ground a few holes, make the marks on center then dig the depth, the trick is after the first hole you have to over dig the diameter a little so you can swing those posts over and put the rails in, leaving a somewhat equal space around the post to pack the dirt in around it.
I was young and would get discouraged when I hit a big root or a rock since we were using manual post hole diggers, the old timer would dig 4 holes to my 1 and when he tamped them in it felt like they were set in cured concrete.
One absolute necessary tool for that job is the fence-mans bar, a 5-6 foot heavy bar with a cutting edge on one side for roots or clay and a round tamping puck on the other end for packing the soil around the posts, I've seen them at home depot. Another tool is the dowel cutter if you need a short section and have to shorten the rails, that's a speciality tool that's not cheap, you might be able to borrow one from who ever is supplying the material for you, I suppose you could use a hatchet.
Good luck, JB,
marks
Silver Member
I installed about 1,000 feet of this fencing a few years ago, and it was easy. A fencing contractor was hired for a day to assist with the layout and get us started. He recommended setting the posts in decomposed granite, or DG, since the fence wasn't coming in contact with horses or other stock, DG provides a solid base while quickly draining the water and preventing dry rot from taking place. DG was placed in the bottom of the hole, and then compacted in lifts.
Each hole was dug one at a time, so that adjustments could be made along the way. I had rented a hydraulic auger mounted to a 'Dingo", but it didn't have the power to break thru the hard pan. Thus an electric thirty pound jack hammer with a spade, worked fantastically. This has been a handy tool for digging holes for plants, setting grounding rods, and other tasks, several different types of bits are available.
After five years, the fence looks great. It's nice not having to deal with nails backing out or leaving rust stains. I did end up placing no climb wire fencing on the lower 36 inches in order to keep the small deer out.
Each hole was dug one at a time, so that adjustments could be made along the way. I had rented a hydraulic auger mounted to a 'Dingo", but it didn't have the power to break thru the hard pan. Thus an electric thirty pound jack hammer with a spade, worked fantastically. This has been a handy tool for digging holes for plants, setting grounding rods, and other tasks, several different types of bits are available.
After five years, the fence looks great. It's nice not having to deal with nails backing out or leaving rust stains. I did end up placing no climb wire fencing on the lower 36 inches in order to keep the small deer out.