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In a previous article I discussed digging post holes…

Post Holes

I am digging post holes to build a new fence.

The posts must be set in the ground at least 1/3 as deep as the above ground height. My posts will be 6 feet tall, so I need 2 feet of post below grade. I dug 30″ deep holes and put 6″ of pea gravel in the bottom. The gravel allows water to drain from the base of the posts. I purchased 8 foot pressure treated 4×4 posts. Not all pressure treated posts are rated for ground contact. Check that you are buying the correct materials. Galvanized steel posts are popular, but cost about twice as much as pressure treated wood. There is also the added expense of hardware to attach the wooden parts to the steel posts.

Frost heave is another concern. In colder areas, ice can form underground and push the posts upward. Post hole depth should be selected so that the bottoms of the posts are below the frost line. This map shows average frost depth.

Using concrete, I filled the holes slightly higher than grade. I finished the concrete so that it sloped away from the post. This prevents water from pooling at the base.

I used 8 foot pressure treated 2x4s for the rails. Simpson Strong-Ties were my choice for connecting the rails to the posts. The manufacturer recommended 8d x 1 1/2 nails.

I set a corner post first. Additional posts were added one at a time, using the bottom rail to set the spacing. I used my Empire post level to check the posts. Many fences are built with only two rails. The added strength gained with three rails is worth the additional cost.

Part II and III can be found here…

Building a Fence Part II

Building a Fence Part III

Today I started digging post holes for my new fence. A digging bar works best, especially if the holes come pre-filled with large rocks. I got mine from Lowes for about $30. I use the post hole digger for removing the loosened material. Note that I have marked the handles of the digger so I know when I am at the correct depth.

Before any excavation, call 811 and get the underground utilities marked. The red marks are power lines and the orange marks are communications. Two down, and about twenty to go.

Some locations have an online service to submit a request…

www.call811.com

I was never really impressed with the filters that came with my Harbor Freight compressor pump. I’ve heard that some of these pumps have been damaged by dirt getting past the filters. I removed my filters and confirmed that the filter elements do not fit properly. They are too short to form a seal between the rear housing and the cover.

Compressor intake filters have two purposes. The first is to prevent dirt and foreign objects from entering the compressor pump. The second is to reduce noise.

I purchased a pair of Solberg filter/silencers from TP Tools. The clear tubes that you can see in the picture are used to reduce noise.

These high quality filters are made in the USA. My compressor was already fairly quiet, but these also reduced noise by about 50%.

In a previous article, I wrote about an iPhone tripod adapter I made from a plastic clamp…

iPhone Tripod Adapter

The adapter worked, but I decided to make something better.

I made my second version from welded steel. A 1/4″-20 nut is welded to the bottom to fit a standard tripod. The clamp nut is a #10-32.

I designed the adapter to clamp around my rubber iPhone case. Just place the iPhone in the adapter, squeeze it closed, and tighten the clamp lock nut.

I made this jig to adjust the drill press table perpendicular to the quill.

A dial indicator is bolted to the jig and it is chucked into the drill press. Zero the indicator on one side of the table. Next, rotate the chuck by hand and check the other side. If the table is perfectly adjusted, the indicator will remain at zero. If an adjustment is needed, move the table half the difference, zero the indicator, and check again. The table can also be checked front to rear, but usually this can only be adjusted with shims.