Do Fence Me In • Part Deux

Finally time to start attaching the fencing to the posts. The fencing we chose is what's known as ornamental double loop. It's also known as arched cemetery fencing because of its use in cemeteries in the early part of the last century. It consists of crimped 11 gauge vertical wires looped at the top and again about two feet from the bottom. The verticals are woven together with twisted 13 gauge horizontal wires for added rigidity.

Only two U.S. manufacturers make this fencing  anymore. We chose Hutchison Incorporated of Colorado because they have a branch in Manchester, Iowa where I could pick it up. It weighs over 150 pounds for a hundred foot roll, and we needed two rolls.

This is how it looked after the first run was attached on the west, or street side of the garden.

Two sides down; one to go.

Marty overseeing as we prepare to install the final stretch of fencing on the north side of the garden.

First we roll out the fencing along the entire section.

Notice the technique: Heads down, eyes forward, knees bent at thirty degrees. Cap bills properly facing forward.

Then the fence is popped upright along the entire seventy-five foot span.

This of course is not without its risks. It's important to be sharper than the fence.

One big challenge, especially when installing fence on a slope, is stretching it taut. We lacked an actual tool for this, but improvised one using ratchet tie-down straps and a piece of steel woven between the fence horizontals.

Then the two straps were tied around the next set of posts.

Then carefully tightened.

Almost there.

Logan standing guard.

A view from the northeast corner. Tying into the existing rustic posts proved to be challenging as they were hard as iron, perhaps old hickory logs (bottom left in the photo).

Only one thing left to do: Install the cedar one-by-fours to each post to give it that finished look.

Gomer Pyle in his improvised shop. This is where the magic happens.

I caved in and used the pneumatic nailer for the finish nailing on the eighteen posts. With ten nails a post, that's 180 nails. My tired old carpal tunneled hands thanked me.

Now ready to dig up the remaining turf grass.