Cedar Privacy Fence with Pocket Screw Joinery

Great fence David. The woods there are wonderful. Good news that the fire stopped short of your place.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

David this is a great looking fence job and luckily it’s still there after the fire went away. Just absolutely stunning, the craftsmanship on this fence, Thanks for sharing, and giving some of us ideas along the way.

-- Carpe Lignum - Seize The Wood,

Very nice fence. I’m glad that your house was spared. Neat addition with the tree in view in the tree cutout.

-- Jesus is Lord!

Ditto to whatever everyone said. I love this fence, looks so special with all the extra care to details including the tree.

Diane

-- http://s205.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/DMarcella/

Thank you everyone for the kind comments.

OS you do have an eye for detail! I thought that was kind of fun when I took the photo but did not expect anyone to notice.

-- http://foldingrule.blogspot.com

Love the tree in a tree. and “job well done” to the firefighters.

The fence is gorgeous. “Job well done” to you as well

-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

You’ve don it again, David. Very nice. And talk about an eye for detail. Wow!

-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.canterburybaptist.org/

Very nice David. What kind of finish did you put on the fence or is it AuNatural.

-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com

Very nice work David.

I love the details.. roundovers.. hidden screws….the cutout with the tree for peeking through….

I am getting ready to build a new gate in the near future and want to incorporate cuttouts.

I just watched a really cool video of a gate builder/artist on finehomebuilding.com: No subscription needed.

http://www.taunton.com/finehomebuilding/how-to/video/great-gates-for-any-house.aspx

-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne

Very nice!

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

Very nice fence, it fits right in the nature of your area. I imagine you’ll be letting it age naturally.

-- Dick Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Thanks again for the kind comments!

Giz – great FHB link. Thanks!

Dick – The fence does have a a cedar preservative with UV protector. It should be low maintenance which is the goal.

-- http://foldingrule.blogspot.com

Beautiful project. Timely post for my circumstances. How are the joints holding up since last summer, David? Did you use the Kreg plugs behind the screw heads or just the trim boards?

I too, am using Kreg’s pocket hole screw joinery for an outside project. I am curious as to the long term durability of the pocket hole screw technique outside, given the tendency of wood to move and change as it wears around the metal of the screw – especially out in the elements. Anybody have any KPHS projects that have been outside awhile?

-- John

John -

So far the fence is holding up very well. No loose joints or loose boards. It has been thru one hot Central Oregon summer and one very cold frozen winter.

I did not use any Kreg wood plugs – I think these would fail in the outdoors. I used 2 1/2 inch stainless steel screws made for outdoor use. The pockets are located on the face of the center board but orientated to the outside face so they are covered by the vertical fence boards. The pockets on the horizontal boards that frame the lattice work are hidden ny the lattice and trim boards. The pockets on the lower horizontal board are facing the ground and therefore not visible. Those were the hardest to do as I would lay on the ground on a tarp after digging a small shallow trench to give me access for a drill and short square driver.

After setting the posts, I shot all layout lines with a laser and 8 foot level. All the joints were held in tight alignment with clamps and jigs so everything lined up neatly.I did one panel or bay at a time working from the door outward. The post caps set in a bed of exterior caulking laid in a shallow recess cut with a router and jig. A single top screw was later driven after the caulking set – for my “compulsiveness”, as my wife would say. There are no nails in this fence. Let me know if I can be of any additional help!

-- http://foldingrule.blogspot.com

David,

Thanks much for the info.

I bought the Kreg kit at Rockler and I looked but only found the “weather resistant” Kreg screws. Where did you get the SS ones? I also bought the “paint grade” plugs. (My project is gonna be painted.)

-- John

John -

Just got home so I will run out to the shop and check the label – I am pretty sure they were SS. I know the face frame trim screws were SS.

David

-- http://foldingrule.blogspot.com

Great fence. I love outdoor projects. It would be nice to have a separate outdoor project section even though we can put “outdoor project” as a tag or keyword.

I started doing outdoor projects long before I started woodworking.

Once again, David, great job.

-- Fred Childs, Pasadena, CA - - - Law of the Workshop: Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.

Fred – Thanks so much for the support!

John – My apologies! My foggy memory recalled stainless screws. The pocket screws are weather resistant, I think and by the looks of them, zinc coated. The trim head screws are stainless. Photos attached (not my material, but I doubt Kreg or Rockler will mind!).

Scan of the label from the screws I used. I bought bulk supplies and keep them in clear plastic jars for safety on the jobsite. I always cut off the label and keep in in the jar so I know what to get when I run out.

Photo of the 2 1/5 inch screw from the Rockler site.

Photo of the stainless trim head screw from the Rockler site. I used these to attach fence boards in the center span where the screw is visible. I also used these to attach trim. The top and bottom of the fence boards were attached with deck screws hidden by trim.

-- http://foldingrule.blogspot.com

Yep, that is what I am using. Thanks for posting. I am relieved that I did not make a mistake and that Rockler was carrying the inventory that was available.

Thanks for the update.

-- John

John -

Looking forward to your project!

-- http://foldingrule.blogspot.com

Very nice fence. It is quite similar to the one I built around our back yard a few years ago (I need to upload that project to lumberjocks). I don’t have the center rail, and my caps are pre-made copper-clad. But otherwise it’s surprisingly similar. I think I have more showing screws than you (nice touch!).

Beautiful work. I’m glad the fire didn’t take it.

Qiz…, thanks so much for the video I enjoyed it very much.

Diane

-- http://s205.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/DMarcella/

Your fire containment fence looks great. Outdoor projects are truly enjoyable to work on. They just aren’t as tedious and intensive as many other furniture type projects and they add so much to the property. Well Done.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

Thank you all! This was a fun project.

-- http://foldingrule.blogspot.com

Great Job!

-- Bud, NY, http://tpww.libsyn.com/