Building a school - how to get your fencing straight!

R2R

R2R

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We have a woodchip surface school at the yard, it is not a proper school more so a big pile of woodchip in the corner of the field which gets topped up weekly by our local tree surgeon, harrowed and rolled. It has worked well, it is deep enough to not be slippery but also not be too deep, if that makes any sense! Anyway, it is the best we can afford at the moment so it will have to do.

I have recently saved up enough money from the liveries to provide post and rail fencing and floodlights around the current surface
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which is handy for me with the young horses too as we currently have the odd tendancy to escape from what they are meant to be doing as we are not fenced in!

I want the fenced arena to measure 20 x 50 so we can get a good grid in and have space - and am going to fence the arena at approximately 21 x 51 so the roller/harrow can spread the edges evenly.

I would like to know how (dont laugh) you get the school straight? as in, post the posts in a straight line so you end up with a perfect rectangle, rather than some obscure space with a wonky fenceline?

I have about 10 people coming to help me fence at the weekend and need to know what I am doing...please help me!
 
Buy a little tool called a site-square (can get from surveying stores online). You measure out one side (your "edge" and then use the site square to put in the next corner, so that it lines up exactly at 90 degees. It's difficult to explain but it is the easiest, cheapest and quickest way of doing it.
 
as above, a builder's string, in tension, it's easiest if it's at about 4' high) then put the posts JUST touching the string on 1 side (not pushing it at all, and no gap either, just barely touching it, so you can ping the string and it comes back to straight without being pushed at all or standing away from the post at all.) you have to keep checking this as you drive the posts in, as if they hit a stone as they go in, they'll move slightly, and a mm here or there makes the whole fenceline look skew-whiff.
the other thing to do is to have a spirit level and check two adjacent sides of the post with that, to make sure it is perfectly upright as well as just touching the string.
hope that helps!
 
String is your friend!!! You must use a line to gt it straight. I can speak with confidence as we have just built one for a friend.

Put in first two corner posts on the short end of the school. You can make sure they are reasonably in line by putting in one and then using it as a line up point for the second (ie stand behind it and line it up with the first). Pull a line between them to give you something to follow when putting the rest of the posts along that end. If it's really badly off-line you should be able to see if you give everyone a post to hold, put them on the spot where they should be and then squint along the line.

Do the same along the sides. Make sure there is a right angle formed by the corner post and the first post along on each side. If you put all four corners in first and get the distances right between them, you should be fairly square.

The other main thing is to get the posts themselves in straight. Either use an ordinary spirit level held againt each side of the post as it goes in to make sure it is not leaning drunkenly or you can get a fancy fence post level that grips round the post and shows you both levels at the same time.

Don't forget to measure the distance between each post and even it out across the length if necessary.

Good luck!
 
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If you put all four corners in first and get the distances right between them, you should be fairly square.

Good luck!

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Not necessarily - this could form a parallelogram(sp)

You really need a site square to get an accurate right angle, or measure diagnols and ensure they are the same
 
Where are you? If you are anywhere local to me, I can pop over and square your edges up for you - will take less than fifteen minutes and I have all the kit.

If you are far away from me, I will find an "idiots guide" (no offence meant) here in the office for marking out trial sites (same sort of idea) and scan it for you.
 
Put in markers (pegs) for each corner having ensured that they are exactly square to each other.

Then put string from one to the other and put pegs in the ground for each post taking in to account the width of the rails.

Then get a tractor with a post driller to make the holes in the ground for the posts.

Put the post in the ground and cement them in place ensuring that they are square and exactly vertical. The rails can then be nailed in place for the first two posts and then go on to the next post.

Always treat the post and rails before assembling them.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


If you put all four corners in first and get the distances right between them, you should be fairly square.

Good luck!

[/ QUOTE ]

Not necessarily - this could form a parallelogram(sp)

You really need a site square to get an accurate right angle, or measure diagnols and ensure they are the same

[/ QUOTE ]

I did mention the right angles in the corners, just before this
laugh.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


If you put all four corners in first and get the distances right between them, you should be fairly square.

Good luck!

[/ QUOTE ]

Not necessarily - this could form a parallelogram(sp)

You really need a site square to get an accurate right angle, or measure diagnols and ensure they are the same

[/ QUOTE ]

I did mention the right angles in the corners, just before this
laugh.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry, chopped it a bit too short - how would you get your right angles though?
 
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Where are you? If you are anywhere local to me, I can pop over and square your edges up for you - will take less than fifteen minutes and I have all the kit.

If you are far away from me, I will find an "idiots guide" (no offence meant) here in the office for marking out trial sites (same sort of idea) and scan it for you.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ooooh thank you
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Though perfectionst husbands also welcome...send him over!
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[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


If you put all four corners in first and get the distances right between them, you should be fairly square.

Good luck!

[/ QUOTE ]

Not necessarily - this could form a parallelogram(sp)

You really need a site square to get an accurate right angle, or measure diagnols and ensure they are the same

[/ QUOTE ]

I did mention the right angles in the corners, just before this
laugh.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry, chopped it a bit too short - how would you get your right angles though?

[/ QUOTE ]

Because we only had very basic equipment, we used a factory cut piece of board as a rudimentary square (about 1m square) with 2m battens fixed along the sides so they stuck out and formed a huge set square. Not ideal, but needs must when the most sophisticated piece of kit you have to hand is a spirit level. It worked, and that was the main thing! Our friend wanted to do it by eye......
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