Building a Split Rail Fence - FHC Farm Bulletin #8

Pa Mac demonstrates how to build a traditional split rail fence in this Farm Hand's Companion Farm Bulletin #008. It's of the most common types of fences that can be seen in living history museums or in old photos. This simple style of old-fashioned fencing utilizes long “rails” split from straight-grained timbers like Eastern cedar or black locust trees, but requires no posts set in the ground. To maintain no contact with the ground and avoid rot, rails are often laid on rock foundations. These zig-zag fences can be built as low as you prefer for decorative fencing, or higher for controlling taller livestock. Since gravity is all that holds the rails in place, the top rail can be made more secure for livestock by using extra rails that lock into the “joints”, or by setting posts into the ground on either side of an intersection.

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