Part 2,
Graveyard Fence Project
On the first page of this project, fence posts carcasses were built.
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, this project revolves around a modular fence system consisting of
individual "posts" and fence panels. Before moving to the detailing process for the posts, it is time to fabricate
and install mounting hardware.
This is an attempt to illustrate the plan in addition to writing an explanation.
Along the lines of livestock gate hardware, this mounting hardware consists of a pin side and a socket side.
A short length of pipe is welded to a length of 1/2 inch allthread rod. This assembly is bolted in position through each fence
post ... one upper and one lower. For future ease of adjustments, the nuts inside the posts are joined
by welding a rod between them. Each socket can be locked in position as needed to receive the pins from a fence panel.
The pin side of the joint is nothing more than a length of 1/2" round bar. a 7/16" flat washer is tacked in place slightly above
the center point of the pin. This washer is added to reduce abrasion between the steel socket and the wood fence panel.
A spacer is used between the two 1/2" nuts. The length of this spacer is equal to the thickness of the foam used
to skin the post. By adding this spacer, the socket assembly can be tightened against the luan and 3/4" plywood backer board
providing a very sturdy mounting point without crushing the foam skin.
This is the fabricated hardware needed to build twelve fence posts.
48 socket pieces, 48 fence panel pin pieces, 48 pipe spacers, and 24 back nut assemblies.
Also required, but not included in this photo are 48 1/2" nuts and washers.
Marking the locations of the through holes ...
Working on a flat, level surface, use a level and a combination square to establish a point
from the ground level to the uppermost mounting point. Draw a level line (horizontal) through this point.
Depending on which direction each post leans, draw a plumb line (vertical) that hits the average center of each post.
Why bother with level and plumb you ask?
Well ... these fence posts are designed to stand out of plumb. They are intended to look old and forgotten, where
nothing appears to be straight. However, strength and simplified fence panel configuration are still within the guidelines.
By building off of plumb and level lines, you will be working with an "ideal center", as opposed to the actual center.
For example, if two consecutive posts lean in opposite directions (front-to-back) your fence panel would have to twist
in order to mate up with all four mounting holes. When you install your mounting hardware to the post's ideal center, the panel will
hang plumb regardless of individual post's degree of tilt.
Note: there is need to mention the earth/ground you'll be using. This method will accommodate some degree of unevenness
in your site grade. The yard I'll be using is, for all intents and purposes, ... flat. If you need to work around slopes or uneven terrain,
this generic construction method likely will not apply.
The center of the top hole is located on the crosshair drawn in the last step.
The distance between centers of the top and bottom holes is determined by the length of the back nuts
and connecting rod. Since these were fabricated on a jig, all of them are the same. A basic template made
using leftover 1/4" luan plywood simplifies the hole drilling process, and allows for greater accuracy.
The pipe spacer (inserted in the foam) in the photo above measures 13/16" o.d.
3/4" holes drilled through the foam provide a snug fit for these spacers. Using a 3/4" spade (or paddle) wood bit,
you can easily drill through the foam using the plywood template to keep the drill bit aligned. When you drill
through the foam, the center spur of the bit also marks the center of the hole.
Using this center hole, switch to a smaller drill bit that is slightly over sized for the threaded rod
portion of the mounting hardware, but smaller than the pipe spacer's diameter. In this case, a
9/16" hole is perfect. The threaded rod has ample room for alignment, and the pipe spacer has
plenty of plywood shoulder behind the foam for support.
All that's left to do is hold the back nuts/connecting rod assembly in place while the threaded
rods are started in from the outside. Once positioned properly, the outside nuts can be tightened fully.
This is definitely strong enough to support the fence panel sections.
Adding detail to the fence posts.
There is something about the look of field stone ... so I decided to mimic that effect on the bases of these fence posts
(hence the extra foam thickness in this area.) Beginning with a dremel tool and a thin tapered diamond burr bit,
horizontal lines were carved all the way around the base - generally three lines, but occasionally four.
Vertical lines were added to create individual "stones." In an attempt to incorporate some realism, the thickness of these
lines vary everywhere, from roughly 3/16" wide to 1/2" or better. Also, try keeping square corners to a minimum if
you're going for the "unkempt" look.
After carving all of the rough lines, I used a sand blaster to break all of the hard corners and begin shaping
some of the stones. Depending on how you plan to fine finish this area, you may not want to remove too much material ...
just enough for a good start in defining the general shape.
The final stage in the shaping process ... A careful application of heat from the torch softened some of the
corners and edges. It also added some inconsistency to the faces of treated stones. To finish off, and in this particular order,
a chemical application of acetone causes sporadic pitting anywhere it lands. The polyurethane glue doesn't react to these treatments
as the foam does, meaning it may protrude in places. This will be removed prior to painting.
Special Note:
These steps, melting with heat and/or chemicals, should be performed with a high degree of caution.
Adequate ventilation is an absolute must, as foam releases some nasty things when melted. Thoroughly test these
types of procedures on scrap material before jumping into the project you've dedicated hours to building ... Know what to expect!
Safety precautions like safety goggles, fire extinguishers, etc. are always a good idea,
but especially important with tasks like this.
Texture
Beginning with the post caps, texture is applied to the "distressed" foam pieces.
All surfaces were rough sanded to shape. The hard corners should be broken down to at least a small radius.
Hard corners don't hold finishes very well, plus the desired look here is old and worn. Softer corners fit the bill.
Be sure to scuff all of the surfaces slightly. The finish of your choice will adhere better.
In the first photo, Lee is shooting joint compound, reduced properly with water, through a paint/texture gun.
For anyone unfamiliar with the tool, this is a pneumatic spray gun. The hopper is loaded with the material to be sprayed. The air
supply line is connected to the base of the gun and air begins flowing though the tool and out of the nozzle.
As the trigger is pulled, gravity takes over and the texture material falls into the chamber.
Compressed air pushes the material through the nozzle, and it breaks into small airborn "clumps." By adjusting the viscosity
of the texture material, the air line pressure, shooting distance/angle, and the tip size,
it is possible to create many different textures.
For this portion of the project, we used a thin batter-like joint compound consistency. Roughly 60 p.s.i. line pressure
was adequate for this texture, and the distance ranged from 18 to 24 inches. Approximately 1/16" to 1/8" material thickness was applied
creating an aggressive orange peel-like texture. The post caps were hung by wire and allowed to dry fully.
The post columns were treated a little bit differently. The foam surfaces were scuffed using a sureform type tool. The vertical joints where foam
meets foam were patched with joint compound, filling any voids or gaps. A slightly thicker batter-like joint compound was mixed and sprayed using
less air pressure. Using less air pressure causes the mixture to leave the gun in bigger clumps. These clumps are allowed to set on the foam until
the edges dry, and the majority of the compound loses it's glossy appearance. When everything looks "right," a broad taping knife or straight edge is
gently pulled across the textured surface. This is known as a knockdown finish ... you are knocking the clumps down, and slightly dragging any
soft material. In doing this you recreate a flat plane, while leaving semi-controlled depressions in the surface.
This is not a difficult procedure to master. Shoot a few test pieces on scrap material. Experiment with different joint compound consistencies and
air line pressures until you achieve the spray pattern you like. Wait certain timed intervals for the texture to dry. Depending on the climate, this could
range from ten to thirty minutes or so. Knock the texture down during these timed intervals, paying attention to the amount of pressure applied to the
straightedge or knife.
This is a closer photo of a knock down texture finish as it begins to dry.
The darker colored areas are still wet.
Once the joint compound texture is fully dry, everything is base coated.
Kilz water base primer is perfect for this job. It seals the surfaces, adheres very well, and dries to a matte finish.
The post caps are base coated white, and the columns are base coated a medium gray. To make the gray,
an even ratio of Kilz white latex primer and flat black latex paint supports easier color matching between separate batches.
Because of the size of this painting job, I elected to spray the paint using an air gun. This tools aids in
a faster application, and a faster set time ... for a faster second coat. Spraying the paint also covers the textured areas
with less effort, particularly the deeper grooves in the stone bases.
Although the foam skin is textured, it looks terribly flat in battleship gray mode. To achieve a generic stone appearance, specks of
lighter gray and black were applied using the texture gun. By adjusting the amount of water added to the paint mixture, you can
achieve a slight degree of translucency during this stage. This can help the colors work together rather than simply overlap each other.
The consistency of your paint will determine the gun setting you need. A thinner paint will flow much easier into the chamber. Because of this, it is
probably necessary to turn the trigger adjustment knob until very little trigger motion is available. Reducing the size of the opening here will
keep the paint from literally dumping into the chamber. Another trick is to run the gun at a very low air pressure ... somewhere around 22 p.s.i. for
starters and make adjustments as needed.
After the color specs dry, a faux staining is applied to the posts. This was achieved by brushing a wash of black paint and water
onto small areas of the surface. A spray bottle filled with water is used to create the fade effect. Depending on the degree
of staining you hope to add and the intensity of your wash, you may need to repeat a process like this several times.
The photo above was taken after two appications.
This is a closer photo of the paint texture and stain effect.
The white post caps were splatter-painted with the same lighter gray as the post columns.
The idea was to lighten the posts and darken the caps ... maintaining different colors, but bringing them closer together.
The caps received two black wash applications as well.
Here is the result so far ... getting closer ...
Proceed to