Mounting 2x4 rails to 4x4 posts

Dirtywhiteboy · Nov 30, 2021

I would dato out pockets for the 2X4s I have made a jig that hangs from the top and clamps to the post for the router. Even a 1/4" to a 1/2" will make it very strong and with the screws you are very good to go. The first end goes in and the post & 2X4 will flex to get the other end in.
I also would do it the normal way and cover the post with the fence boards.

Cub-Scout-Eddie · Dec 1, 2021

Mordekyle said:
What do the posts look like?

I tend to avoid showing the posts because of the ugly incised pressure treated posts we have here.

Rails flush with the posts is my preference.

Fast, easy.

No rippers for every section between posts.

Larger Margin for error when cutting posts to finished height. (Normally 15* beveled, 4 sides)

Invisible gates if preferred.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Posts are reasonably decent PT. My friend plans to stain it after it dries out in a few months.

Might sound crazy, but I have a lot of older, somewhat dull round over router bits. We took a few minutes to ease the corners of the posts with a 1/4" radius before we put them in. Nice to not have the sharp corners.

I like the look you are showing (really like the invisible gate) but my friend (probably his wife) doesn't want a long continuous run of pickets. I like your fast, easy approach. He has time, more than money, so whatever he wants to do I'll help him accomplish.

Looks like I'm starting a complete interior remodel of a home in January and begining to look like my wife and I will move into it when finished. As soon as the ground thaws (suburban Chicago) I'll do a fence. Don't look forward to it after helping with the current one, but my friend owes me one so at least I have a helper.

I appreciate all the ideas here. No doubt picking and choosing and I'll be able to come up with something nice and special when I do mine.

Dirtywhiteboy · Dec 1, 2021

Cub-Scout-Eddie said:
Posts are reasonably decent PT.

Where do you start the fence boards? In the middle and have a special cut on the end next to the post or start at one post and have the special next to the other side? Or start at each post and go to the middle with the special in the middle of the bay?

Cub-Scout-Eddie · Dec 2, 2021

Dirtywhiteboy said:
Where do you start the fence boards? In the middle and have a special cut on the end next to the post or start at one post and have the special next to the other side? Or start at each post and go to the middle with the special in the middle of the bay?

I think it depends on the look you prefer and how the pickets lay out.

I'm big on symmetrical, so my preference would be to start in the middle and work toward each post with an equal width cut next to each post. I haven't measured it out since the posts were set, but it should be 92-1/2" between posts. The pickets are 5-1/2" so roughly only 1/2" will need to be removed from the picket next to each post. I think it will be hardly noticeable that those pickets are narrower.

If you start with a full picket at one post, the picket next to the next post would have about an inch cut off, making it 4-1/2" rather than the full 5-1/2. Still not too noticeable, but I prefer the first way.

Starting at each post and working to the middle of them might make an interesting design, but with the center picket being only an inch less than the others, I don't think it will be too noticeable.

Remember, I'm a cabinet guy, so 5-1/2" is 5-1/2". I don't think that's going to be true with the pickets. Plus, they won't have smooth, straight edges, so they won't butt perfectly and there will be a variance as you go (for instance, 10 pickets won't be a perfect 55"). They are fresh PT and pretty wet, so we plan to butt them tight to one another, figuring they will separate a bit as they dry out.

Dirtywhiteboy · Dec 2, 2021

Cub-Scout-Eddie said:
Remember, I'm a cabinet guy, so 5-1/2" is 5-1/2".

That's funny,, I've installed hundreds of kitchens & baths and built very few cabinets and just call myself a carpenter.

Mounting 2x4 rails to 4x4 posts

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Dirtywhiteboy

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