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Thread: Round Rail Fencing

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Midlands of South Carolina
    Posts
    390

    Question Round Rail Fencing

    Need a short run of decorative (rustic) fence along the front drive area, and I am considering trying to turn the post and rails myself. I have a number of downed cedar trees that should be suitable for this. I have the Shopfox W1758 Lathe that handles 42" spindle length.

    I would need to extend the bed to handle the 6 ft posts, and would probably make the rails 6 ft also for simplicity.

    Has anyone done this type of thing? What is the best way to handle the extra bed length needed?

  2. #2
    i have never done this, but if you use calipers to make the width the same and two 36" sections joined by a good size dowel rod you might not need to buy any new equipment, you might have to disguise the joint

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Oshkosh, WI
    Posts
    210
    If it's rustic why worry about a well hidden joint?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Midlands of South Carolina
    Posts
    390

    Follow up question

    I am also looking for some round rail fencing to run down the property line - similar to cheap split rail. I was looking at 6ft x 3in fence posts to turn a tenon and make round rails, but I noticed that landscape timbers are the same length for less than half the price.

    What is different about landscape timbers vs. fence posts? Same size, but the landscape timbers have a flat top and bottom. They are both treated - but maybe not the same way?

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Chico, California
    Posts
    998
    I'd think any joints outside would be the weak link. I had to make two 6" x 8' posts for a sign before I had the long lathe I have now. I mad a lathe bed out of 2x6s with angle iron on inside corner for the tailstock, headstock and rest to sit on and used an old Oliver headstock set at the height of my tailstock. The legs looked like sawhorse legs splayed out waiting for me to trip on them, but it was surprisingly stable. Get a nice rough out gouge and go to town. I turn down pine 'logs' for a log house company for railings and balusters and they have to rough them up with a power plane to make them rustic after I'm done.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Lincoln, NE
    Posts
    1,213
    Red cedar should work great. I would want them to be all one piece though. We used red cedar for fence posts on the farm quite a few years ago. They will last a long time, the red part that is. White wood goes a lot quicker.

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