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If a lock is going to be exposed to the elements, brass is my first choice. Brass padlocks do not rust. I was shocked that neither Lowes nor the Home Depot had keyed brass padlocks. Wal-Mart had a great selection in several sizes.

My Samurai seat back had a damaged foam side bolster. Automotive seat covers are usually attached to the seat with Interlocking plastic channel and hog rings.

After releasing the plastic channel at the base of the seat back, I turned the seat cover inside-out. I cut out the damaged foam on the side bolster. Using contact cement, I glued in a block of new foam.

 

An electric carving knife works great for shaping seat foam. When I was satisfied with the shape, I pulled the seat cover back in place and snapped the plastic channel together.

Building a gate, the third and final article of my fence building series.

Part I and II can be found here…

Part I (Posts and Rails)

Part II (Installing Pickets)

I was going to build a steel gate frame from scratch, but found an Adjust-A-Gate kit for less than $50 at my local Lowes. The kit can be used to build a gate from 4 to 6 feet high and 36 to 72 inches wide. Two side frames, four telescoping pieces, and a bag of hardware came in the kit. The frame parts were powder coated gray.

 

A post that will support the weight of a gate should be sunk deeper into the ground. I widened the bottom of my post hole into a bell shape. Extra concrete was used to set this post. Using a 1/2″ spade bit, I drilled two pilot holes for the gate hinges. I used a short piece of pipe to screw in the hinges.

 

The manufacturer claims the hinges are capable of supporting up to 3,000 lbs. Here is a closeup picture of an installed hinge.

 

The next step was to install the side frame on the hinges. The telescoping pieces were installed, along with the second side frame. I cannot believe this design was finalized and put into production. What were they thinking? The horizontal tubes on the side frames are 1 3/4″. The telescoping pieces are 1″ and 3/4″. These parts should have been sized to fit snugly together. As you can see in the picture, the telescoping pieces are a sloppy fit and serve no useful purpose.

 

I eliminated the telescoping pieces and assembled the frame using only 2x4s.

 

This is a picture of the outside of the gate after I installed the pickets.

 

Here is an inside picture of the completed gate.

Building a fence part I covered installing posts and rails. The article can be found here…

Building a Fence Part I

This second part is about installing pickets.

 

I took pictures of the types of pickets available at my local Home Depot.

The least expensive choice was white wood, stained a golden color. I believe what they are calling “white wood” is actually Douglas-fir. I don’t think this material will last as well as cedar.

 

There were two choices in 5 1/2″ wide cedar.

The first choice was 5 1/2″ cedar with plain ends.

 

The second choice was 5 1/2″ cedar with a dog ear design. These were on sale for the same price as the 5 1/2″ plain end pickets.

 

There were also two choices in 3 1/2″ wide cedar pickets.

The 3 1/2″ cedar dog ear pickets were the highest cost per foot of all the choices.

 

The 3 1/2″ plain end cedar pickets were slightly more expensive per foot than the 5 1/2″ choices.

 

There are several choices for installing the pickets. The two most common are installing the pickets on either the outside or the inside of the rails. I have seen every other picket alternated between the inside and outside of the rail. I have also seen the pickets alternated inside and outside by 8 foot section. I’ve even seen diagonal and horizontal pickets. Drive around and look at some fences to get an idea of what you like.

 

I mounted my rails flush to the inside edge of the posts. I chose to install my pickets on the outside of the rail between the posts. I feel that having the posts visible adds a bit of interest to the design. I chose 3 1/2″ pickets with plain ends for two reasons. Judging by the number of defects in the pile, I think that 5 1/2″ boards are more prone to splitting. The 96″ space between my posts is not evenly divisible by either 3 1/2″ or 5 1/2″ pickets. This spacing problem will be more noticeable with dog-eared pickets. This picture shows the rear corner of my fence, looking toward my house.

 

I purchased a few 5 1/2″ wide pickets to fill in the odd sized spaces. I held the picket in place and had my wife draw a line on the inside edge. Then I ripped the picket to fit. The scattered odd sized pickets are not noticeable.

 

To attach the pickets to the rails, I used 1 1/4″ Grip Rite Primeguard screws. These coated screws are rated for treated lumber and exterior use. I feel that a center screw, driven into each of the three rails, is sufficient for 3 1/2″ wide pickets. I pushed the pickets tight together. When first purchased from a lumber yard, the pickets tend to be wet. They will shrink as they dry and form a small gap. Depending on distance and viewing angle, a fence can appear almost transparent with any gap at all.

 

Here is an inside view. I installed the pickets so they were about 1″ off the ground. I snapped a chalk line between the tops of the posts. Next, I trimmed the tops of the pickets to length.

 

Our city has a bulk trash pickup service twice a year. I cut up the old fence and threw it in the street for collection.

 

Part III can be found here…

Building a Fence Part III

Ratcheting tie-down straps are useful for gently persuading wooden fence parts into place.