BOARD FENCES.
BUILDING BOARD FENCES.
[Illustration: Fig. 25.—PROPERLY CONSTRUCTED BOARD FENCE.]
In building a board fence, always start right, and it will be little
trouble to continue in the same way. Much of the board fencing erected
is put together very carelessly, and the result is a very insecure
protection to the field or crops. A fence-post should be set two and
a half or three feet in the ground, and the earth should be packed
around it as firmly as possible. For packing the soil there is nothing
better than a piece of oak, about three inches square on the lower
end, and about six feet long, rounded off on the upper part to fit the
hands easily. Properly used, this instrument will pack the soil around
a post as it was before the hole was dug. In putting on fence boards,
most builders use two nails on the ends of each board, and one in the
middle. Each board should have at least _three_ nails at the ends,
and _two_ in the middle, and these nails should never be less than
ten-pennys. Smaller nails will hold the boards in place for awhile,
but when they begin to warp, the nails are drawn out or loosened, and
the boards drop off. This will rarely be the case where large nails
are used, and a much stiffer fence is secured. Many fence builders
do not cut off the tops of the posts evenly, but this should always
be done, not only for the improvement that it makes in the looks of
the fence; but also for the reason that there should always be a cap
put on, and to do this, the posts must be evened. The joints should
always be “broken,” as is shown in the engraving, figure 25, so that
in a four-board fence but two joints should come on each post. By this
means more firmness and durability is secured, there being always
two unbroken boards on each post to hold it in place, preventing
sagging. On the face of the post immediately over where the rails have
been nailed on, nail a flat piece of board the width of the post and
extending from the upper part of the top rail to the ground.
[Illustration: Fig. 26.—A DURABLE BOARD FENCE.]
Figure 26 shows a slight modification, which consists in setting the
posts on alternate sides of the boards, securing additional stability.
The posts are seven feet long, of well seasoned red cedar, white oak,
chestnut, or black locust, preference being accorded to order named.
The boards are sixteen feet long, fastened with ten-penny steel fence
nails. The posts for a space of two and a half feet from the lower end
are given a good coat of boiled linseed oil and pulverized charcoal,
mixed to the consistency of ordinary paint, which is allowed to dry
before they are set. When the materials are all ready, stretch a line
eighteen inches above the ground, where it is proposed to build the
fence. Dig the post holes, eight feet apart from centers, on alternate
sides of the line. The posts are set with the faces inward, each half
an inch from the line, to allow space for the boards. Having set the
posts, the boards of the lower course are nailed on. Then, for the
first length, the second board from the bottom and the top board are
only eight feet long, reaching to the first post. For all the rest the
boards are of the full length, sixteen feet. By this means they “break
joints.” After the boards are nailed on, the top of the posts are sawed
off slanting, capped, if desired, and the whole thing painted. A good
coat of crude petroleum, applied before painting, will help preserve
the fence, and save more than its cost in the paint needed.
[Illustration: Fig. 27.—A NEAT FARM FENCE.]
We see another style of board fence now and then that is rather
preferable to the ordinary one; it looks better than the old straight
fence. It saves one board to each length; and by nailing on the two
upper boards, as shown in the illustration, figure 27, great extra
strength is given. These boards not only act as braces, but ties also,
and a fence built on well set posts, and thoroughly nailed, will never
sag or get out of line until the posts rot off.
FENCES FOR LAND SUBJECT TO OVERFLOW.
[Illustration: Fig. 28.—PANEL.]
[Illustration: Fig. 29.]
[Illustration: Fig. 30.]
[Illustration: Fig. 31.]
The fence illustrated in figures 28, 29 and 30 has posts the usual
distance apart, which are hewed on the front side, and on this are
nailed three blocks, three by four inches thick and six inches long;
the first one, with its top just level with the ground, the second
one, ten inches in the clear above, and the third one, four inches less
than the desired height of the fence, measuring from the top of the
first block. After the panel is put in place, the rounded ends resting
on the bottom blocks, nail a piece of board one and one-half by six
inches on the blocks, as shown in the illustrations. This board must
project four inches above the upper block, forming with it the rest and
catch for the top framing piece of the panel. The panel is made of a
top and bottom piece of three by four scantling, on which are nailed
palings. The top piece is left square, and projects three inches on
each side, but on the bottom piece the projections are cut round, so as
to turn in the slot. The water will raise the panel up out of the upper
catch, allowing it to fall down, as seen at figure 30, so as to offer
no obstruction to the water, nor will it catch drift, as fences hung
from the top do. Figures 31 to 35 represent a fence made somewhat like
the trestle used for drying clothes. The posts are the usual distance
apart, but only extend a few inches out of the ground, just sufficient
to nail a hinge upon. They must, however, be wide enough to admit of
nailing two hinges on each post. The fence consists of two parts—_E_ in
figure 31 represents a cross-section of the fence proper, two panels
of which are seen in figure 34; _D_ represents the back part of the
fence, a section of which is shown in figure 35; _a_ in figure 31 is
the post and _b b_ the hinges. The panel, _E_, should always slope
with the current of the stream, that the water rushing against it will
place it in the position shown by figure 33, lying flat on the ground,
and out of the way of both water and drift. The hinges may be ordinary
strap kind, which can be bought very cheap by the dozen, or they may be
made of heavy iron hoop doubled, as shown at figure 32, which can be
made in any blacksmith shop.
[Illustration: Fig. 32.]
[Illustration: Fig. 33.]
[Illustration: Fig. 34.]
[Illustration: Fig. 35.]
A FENCE BOARD HOLDER.
[Illustration: Fig. 36.]
[Illustration: Fig. 37.—FENCE BOARD HOLDER.]
Figure 36 shows a contrivance for holding fence boards against the
posts, at the right distances apart when nailing. A two and a half
by two and a half inch piece of the desired length is taken for the
upright, _a_. About its center is hinged the brace, _c_. A strap-hinge,
_b_, or a stout piece of leather for a hinge, will answer. Blocks
or stops, _d_, _d_, _d_, _d_, are nailed on the upright _a_, at the
required distances, according to the space between the boards on the
fence. The bottom boards of the fence are nailed on first. The bottom
block of the board holder rests upon the bottom board, and is held in
position by the brace _c_. The boards can be placed in the holder like
putting up bars, and are guided to their places on the post by the
blocks, _d_, _d_. The boards can now be nailed on the posts, and the
holding devices moved for another length. When the boards are too long,
they can be pulled forward a little, and the end sawed, and pushed back
to place. One man using the contrivance, can nail on nearly as many
boards in a day, as two persons with one to hold the boards in the old
way. Figure 37 shows the manner of using the fence board holders.
REINFORCING A BOARD FENCE.
[Illustration: Fig. 38.—STRENGTHENING A BOARD FENCE.]
The old method of topping out a low board fence is shown at figure 38.
Since barbed wire has become plenty, it is more usual to increase the
height of the fence by stringing one or two strands of that on vertical
slats nailed to the tops of the posts. Yet, in cases where there are
plenty of sound rails left from some old fence, or plenty of straight
saplings, the old method is still a very cheap and convenient one.