Rounding fence slat tops

[jmac80]

Hello all

Will soon be putting a new fence up, I would like to round the top of the fence slats just to make it a bit different from the normal square or spiked top fences in my area.

What would you all suggest would be the best way to round the tops of 200 plus fence slats?

I don't actually have a band saw yet but I'm looking to get one around the £400 mark in a couple of weeks.

Thanks

[agg221]

The quickest way would probably be with a router running against a jig. That way they will all be consistent. Curves are very tricky to get consistent freehand.

 

Alec

[roycurwen1]

Hi mate i think i would go with a jig saw , 3 at a time 2hrs tops & nice and neat . Good luck . Roy

[armchairarborist]

I buy them in with round tops, the supplier uses a jigsaw 3-4 at a time and better than I could do them. They do charge about 20p extra per paling but its worth it.

[jmac80]

Hi

 

Yes a jigsaw i'm sure would do it but surely not the most accurate to get all the cuts the same? and maybe more time consuming?

 

I think some kind of a jig would be best to get them all accurate across many amounts.

This is all pretty new to me and i'm just starting to buy wood tools over the next while. I also plan on buying a router, could that do the same as a band saw for the curves? any help or ideas on a jig for either would be greatly appreciated.

 

Many Thanks

James

[Woodworks]

Hi

 

Yes a jigsaw i'm sure would do it but surely not the most accurate to get all the cuts the same? and maybe more time consuming?

 

I think some kind of a jig would be best to get them all accurate across many amounts.

This is all pretty new to me and i'm just starting to buy wood tools over the next while. I also plan on buying a router, could that do the same as a band saw for the curves? any help or ideas on a jig for either would be greatly appreciated.

 

Many Thanks

James

 

If you are getting a router then you can use it in conjunction with a jig to get really neat finish.

[agg221]

The easiest way to do it with a router and jig is to buy a cutter which has a bearing below it of the same diameter - they're called self guided trimmers. You set the plunge depth so that the bearing runs against the side of the jig, which is clamped on the piece of wood (on the underside). My experience is that a cheap router is OK, but buy decent cutters (I use Trend and their Craftsman range has always been fine).

 

If I was doing this, I would take a scrap of wood probably 0.5" ply, about 2" wider than the slat, and about 8" long, so that the back end was well away from the working area and I could stick a clamp on it without it getting in the way of the router. I would then screw a 1" strip down each side, so that it slotted over a slat. On the other side I would draw out the curve and cut it to shape. Jig made.

 

In use, I would put it on the underside of the slat, slide the slat so the top of the curve just touched the top of the slat and then clamp it down at the back end, using a quick release clamp. I could then run the cut in against the jig where it overhangs, right round, and out the other side onto the jig overhang.

 

I reckon making the jig would take about half an hour, including hunting around for some screws, and in use I could make a slat in under a minute, identical every time with no post-finishing. A router cutter is more expensive than a bandsaw blade, but they don't snap.

 

Just a thought

 

Alec

[jmac80]

Thanks Alec, great post

[Marc Lewis]

Personaly i would avoid this as i imagine that the wood you are using is tanalised. By cutting into this you will be exposing untreated wood. So dont forget to treat the fresh exposed wood.

 

Sounds pretty cool though.