That was a fun job.
A large commercial fence contractor called me to share a laugh. It seems the architect at the Ft Worth Zoo had come up with a fence made up with pipe rails and cedar posts. Wasn't that the funniest thing you'd ever heard?
I told him it was interesting and doable. We talked about it.
Then over the next couple of months a couple of times he called to talk about details on how I would do it. My advice to him was like my advice here, free, and probably worth just that.
Then he called and asked me if I could work it into my schedule. I couldn't. Well I couldn't until he came up with a number my wife decided put him in front of everyone else. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
What you need are your posts. You can go cedar, split style or dimensional. There are treated round posts and treated conventional ones. I once read, probably here, that most wood has a natural preservative in the bark and out layers. Where we get into trouble with wood decay comes when we eliminate it's natural protection.
I know for a fact Bois D Arc (horse apple tree) will not rot, ever. But I also know you have to work it green cause once it dries up it becomes harder than any bad girl's heart ever thought about.
Then you need your pipe. I recommend hot dip galvanized which means schedule forty and it ain't cheap. I've got an in and still pay a dollar fifty plus per foot for two and three eighths. The hot dip galvanized weathers to a much nicer patina if not stained. When stained it's texture adds personality that the galvanized lighter gauge stuff can't emulate.
Tools:
One good half inch drill. I have the Dewalt with the wobble trigger and the multiposition handle. You have to have at least that. Otherwise you're walking into a gunfight with a knife and in your skivvies.
A method to cut the pipe, portaband is my first choice. A quicksaw works good with a steel cutting blade. Chop saws work great too. But both of those options put out tons of sparks, not good around the kiddos nor dry terrain. Sawsalls work good if you've got tons of time and don't mind paying HD or Lowes' electric bill for the month with your blade purchases.
Your pipe can come in twenty one or twenty four foot lengths. Consider this when figuring out your spacing.
You're going to need a couple two and a half forstner or self feed bits for drilling the holes for your pipe to fit into the wood. I say two because one tool that's critical is begging for trouble.
And you're going to need Gorilla Glue. If you buy it in the small quanities like they have at the box stores it's priced like real diamond jewelery. If I recall right it was something like seven bucks for two ounces there. I used like a gallon on my part of the Zoo project. I bought it at Woodcraft in Carrollton for something like thirty dollars a quart.
If you noticed the Zoo has few straight lines. That meant each post had to be customed drilled not only for the vertical spacing but also for the angles to the next post. That made it interesting.
Let's pretend you want to have eight foot centers and you buy the twenty four foot lengths of pipe. You drill your post holes on eight foot centers.
Let's say you run a straight line on level ground. Set up the posts to run through a drill press making your holes.
Let's say you're starting at an end. You put that post in with concrete or if you're so inclined tamped in with dirt. Put the next post in it's hole. Have a mister like your wife uses on her plants. Not hers, get your own. You'll be happier in the long run, guaranteed.
Spray your holes with water. You want damp to wet. Wet is better. Gorilla glue sets up with moisture being the activator.
Take your lowest rail and squeeze out the glue on the pipe. I used a bead that ran around the pipe. It's like putting on honey. Slide the honey'd end into the end post. Honey the other end and put it into the next post. Not far, you've got three more rails to install. Repeat until you've got your four rails up. Plumb up your post number two and set it for height. Concrete it in.
Repeat as required until your fence is in.
I've been accused of thinking out of the box many times. I wouldn't have it any other way.
I did a cursory check and feel I need to add some things.
Don't try to use your pipe in long lengths and slide it through the posts. It won't work, tried it a couple of ways and ended up doing a section at a time.
In about fifteen minutes on a normal day the Gorilla glue will foam up like insulation stuff. When it hardens you can cut and peel it back and it's a filler. Neater'n heck.
Staining the galvanized can be a trick. If you're painting Kilz primer works great. If it's a stain I recommend a vinegar bath and some exposure to the elements.
There are few projects one can enjoy as much doing and then appreciating afterwards more than a well made fence.
