Drop nose on fence?

[Zqua3]

I'm going to try building a fence and thought I'd consult with you about drip edge, is it necessary?
I will have vertical slats.
What's the easiest way to cut these? (I have a miter saw)
What angle degree?

Feels like it's easy to cut slightly wrong at this stage, which might result in slats of different lengths?

All the wood is treated, the slats will be 80cm.

 

[Fulkemisten]

Had built a jig. Attach the saw and set a stop 80 cm from the blade so all the slats will be the same length. As for the drip nose, you can probably skip it if it's impregnated and will be unpainted. Otherwise, it's easy with the mentioned jig. 20-25 degrees is enough.

 

[Zqua3]

I had built a cutting rig. Attach the saw and attach a stop 80 cm from the blade so all the slats are the same length. As for a drip edge, you can probably skip it if it concerns pressure-treated wood and is to remain unpainted. Otherwise, it's easy with the mentioned rig. 20-25 degrees is sufficient.

What is meant by a cutting rig? Can you explain a bit for a beginner?

 

[Fulkemisten]

Sure. But imagine you are forcing or screwing your miter saw to a table. Then you attach a stop (it can be anything, a piece of board preferably) so that the end of the board you want to cut lies against the stop. Then every board will be exactly the same length even if you make 300 fence slats. You only need to measure the first time so it goes quickly.

 

[Zqua3]

Yes. But imagine that you force or screw your miter saw onto a table. Then you attach a stop (it can be anything, a piece of board, for example) so that the end of the board you want to cut is against the stop. Then each board will be exactly the same length if you make 300 fence pickets. You only need to measure the first time, so it goes quickly.

Thanks!! What angle do you think is required for the posts? I've just started and only did 10 degrees on the first two, wondering if that's too little? For water drainage on the top, I mean.

 

[Fulkemisten]

Yes. 10 degrees is probably a bit tight. Double it.

 

[Zqua3]

Yes. 10 degrees is probably too modest. Double it.

Suspected that, thanks again!
I'm lucky to have you as a sounding board here, I'll continue until you get tired

I'm attaching the posts to the plinths with French wood screws, I understand that these should be pre-drilled. Is it necessary? I drove 4 per post and all tightened well without the wood cracking, does it work as long as the wood doesn't crack or could it crack later because it wasn't drilled?

 

[Fulkemisten]

Reasonable to pre-drill for fransk yes. There are also self-drilling ones with grooves. The posts can of course crack, but you have done the right thing and minimized the risk.

 

[Zqua3]

It's reasonable to pre-drill for French screws. There are also self-drilling ones with ribs. The posts can of course crack, but you've done the right thing and minimized the risk.

Okay, I understand. Unfortunately, I’ve already bought French screws that are not self-drilling.
But let's say I continue to succeed in screwing these without pre-drilling and without the posts cracking, is it then okay or could they crack later, or does it involve any other disadvantages?
The idea is to save some time plus I'm driving 2 screws on each side of the post which are pretty much directly opposite each other. If I pre-drill from both sides, I'm afraid the holes will meet and the screws won't hold. Now I can screw them in with a slight angle towards each other so they don't collide, and it’s worked so far.

 

[Fulkemisten]

Aha. You hadn't pre-drilled. Misunderstood you. Well, it depends on many factors whether it will crack. The truth is that no one knows, but probably not. How close to the end is it and how thick are the posts? The further from the end and the thicker, the lower the risk. Wouldn't have "saved time" by risking having to redo it. I actually pre-drill quite a bit; everything becomes better and more exact. Not decking, of course, but otherwise, yes. Can't you pre-drill at the same angle?

 

[Zqua3]

Aha. You hadn't pre-drilled. I misunderstood you. Well, it depends on many things if it will crack. The truth is no one knows but probably not. How close to the end is it and how thick are the posts? The further from the end and the thicker the lower the risk. I wouldn't "save time" by risking having to redo. I actually pre-drill quite a lot, everything becomes better and more precise. Not decking boards, of course, but otherwise. Can't you pre-drill at the same angle?

They are 70x70 posts.
The bottom hole is 70mm from the end grain.

It's certainly possible to pre-drill at the same angle but I can imagine the screws might sometimes hit each other.
The screw goes in 45mm on each side and is directly opposite each other.

 

[Fulkemisten]

I hadn't really worried. Use a shorter screw?

 

[Ymer]

I drove a spear into the ground and placed the miter saw on the ground 80cm away from it. Doubtfully ergonomic but a quicker setup is hard to fix.