Cutting slots in fence posts

JonathanRyan

JonathanRyan

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I want to cut some slots in fence posts - maybe half a dozen of them about 1 - 1.5m long. (It's to make a set of compost bins with sliding fronts.) Options seem to be

  1. Use a router. I don't own one and have never used one. That could make it expensive and dangerous (HSS want 60 quid for a weekend with one)
  2. Use a circular saw to cut parallel lines and then a chisel. That seems like it might be hard work and end up looking a bit rustic.
  3. Buy H shaped fence posts. Quick and easy but will look like I skimped on the job because I'll have raw edges since you can't buy them grooved one side. Also the channel will probably be too wide for the timber I want to put in it so it will rattle a lot in the wind. Even worse they only come in one length which is too short to halve so I might need to buy twice as many.
  4. Give in and buy a kit. They are surprisingly expensive for some treated wood and a few saw cuts.
What's my best option?
 
Option 5.
Buy standard square section posts.
Buy lengths of timber that are suitable depth and width so that they can be fixed (screwnails) to the posts leaving a gap wide enough to take the slats.
 
arclight said:
Option 5.
Buy standard square section posts.
Buy lengths of timber that are suitable depth and width so that they can be fixed (screwnails) to the posts leaving a gap wide enough to take the slats.
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Good plan - I've actually done that on a previous project. I'm worried that the slats will get damp down unto the joints and then being thin wood will rot quite quickly. I don't know if I'm right but making it from one piece of wood seems likely to last longer to me.
 
I would use a router but I do already own one and have some experience of using it, they are probably less dangerous than a circular saw.

Alternatively if you are concerned about using thin strips of wood screwed to a post, how about cutting to width & laminating some pressure treated fencing boards together, with narrow boards flanked by wider boards to make a slot?
 
Could you not find a little independant timber supplier that could supply the posts and cut them for you?
 
Have you checked with your local council to see if they do subsidised compost bins , we pay £5 each for them up here and there really huge ones
 
JonathanRyan said:
Good plan - I've actually done that on a previous project. I'm worried that the slats will get damp down unto the joints and then being thin wood will rot quite quickly. I don't know if I'm right but making it from one piece of wood seems likely to last longer to me.
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Wood is not great. The preservatives available do not give wood a long life and all that water based urine is the biggest con on the planet.
 
How about a multi tool?

Could you use brackets rather than slots?

Routers are quite easy to use, particularly the smaller ones.
 
andya700 said:
I have made a fence for the front garden and used a large woodworking drill to make holes, then remove the excess with a nice sharp chisel to form the slots.

Fence Posts and Rails for wooden board fencing

Types and methods of construction of fence posts and rails for board fencing.
www.diydata.com www.diydata.com
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The problem with doing that is you are usually removing the "treatment" that is applied to the wood.
 
pick up some free pallets. Knock a couple of cheap stakes into the ground at each corner and nail 3 pallets to them.
nail 3 of the pallets together at the top.
for the 4th side cut a pallet down to half size and tie to the other 2 sides. Remove this when you want to clear out the compost.
cost is 4 stakes and some nails.
Most of the compost bins on the local allotments are like this.
 
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If you let us know your location there maybe a member who’s local who wouldn’t mind lending you their router with a bit of guidance for beer tokens?
 
munch said:
The problem with doing that is you are usually removing the "treatment" that is applied to the wood.
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I guess it may depend on the supplier, but isn't exterior wood usually pressure treated so that the chemicals are forced deep into it? I can always see the chemicals all the way through when I cut etc.
 
gman said:
I guess it may depend on the supplier, but isn't exterior wood usually pressure treated so that the chemicals are forced deep into it? I can always see the chemicals all the way through when I cut etc.
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Depends, some pressure treatments are better than others.
 
I would either use a router or go with the strips option. Rather than rent you could buy a new router for £50 from Screwfix or Ebay, a used one would be even cheaper. You could always sell it on afterwards if you’ve got no further use for it.

Wood strips nailed on would last for years provided you used preservative. Or what about metal angle strip? Aluminium strips wouldn’t ever rust.
 
JohnX said:
Wickes sell H shaped wooden posts, as do others. Search for slotted wooden fence posts.
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They do. The only ones I can see are 2.4m long. Ideally they need to be 2.8 so I can cut them in half and sink 20cm into the ground.

the black fox said:
Have you checked with your local council to see if they do subsidised compost bins , we pay £5 each for them up here and there really huge ones
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Good thought - they do giant plastic ones which are OK but wooden bins are so much nicer.

Peter123 said:
pick up some free pallets. Knock a couple of cheap stakes into the ground at each corner and nail 3 pallets to them.
nail 3 of the pallets together at the top.
for the 4th side cut a pallet down to half size and tie to the other 2 sides. Remove this when you want to clear out the compost.
cost is 4 stakes and some nails.
Most of the compost bins on the local allotments are like this.
Click to expand...

The last one I made was out of pallets :) This is going to be in the pretty bit of the garden tough so I'm looking at something less rustic. Also, pallets seem to have evaporated since lockdown.....

Pete R said:
If you let us know your location there maybe a member who’s local who wouldn’t mind lending you their router with a bit of guidance for beer tokens?
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That's a kind thought. I'm in Folkestone - but it's going to be a while before I get round to this.
 
Most wood treaded or not will last around 10 years, so who cares. in the spring I will have to replace some fence panels that I last replace 25 years ago and I have done nothing to them since then.
 
Terrywoodenpic said:
Most wood treaded or not will last around 10 years, so who cares. in the spring I will have to replace some fence panels that I last replace 25 years ago and I have done nothing to them since then.
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I have some sturdy fence posts that put in 40+ years ago. They were treated with real creosote to which I added used engine oil (pluck the fanet).
 
arclight said:
I have some sturdy fence posts that put in 40+ years ago. They were treated with real creosote to which I added used engine oil (pluck the fanet).
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Can't do that today.
Hop poles used to be boiled and soaked in pits in the Hopfield with a creosote tar mix. they lasted for years. as do telegraph poles, which are pressured right through.
 
munch said:
The problem with doing that is you are usually removing the "treatment" that is applied to the wood.
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Well, that would happen when you cut any piece of wood. As someone who has always liked woodwork, I find it best to cut and finish the wood then treat it with stains/oils/varnish before constructing.
 
andya700 said:
Well, that would happen when you cut any piece of wood. As someone who has always liked woodwork, I find it best to cut and finish the wood then treat it with stains/oils/varnish before constructing.
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Wouldn't disagree with that, as that is what I do with external wood. (although I wouldn't varnish wood before assembly.)
 
Well if pallets are a no no go for Doug’s option 5.
This is for outside use, no need for a router.
 
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You could use aluminium angle instead of screwing lengths of wood to your posts, or the other option is to buy a couple of the concrete fence posts that have the slots in them for fence panels.
 
Cartus said:
That’s excellent stuff, I used some as edging in my garden, quite expensive though.
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I have been looking at this product to replace the rotten wooden edging for one of our flower beds. It is expensive but should last. Does it look like plastic and is it fairly easy to cut? ( apologies for the slight hijack)
 
How thick is the timber for the slats going to be?

I’d have suggested wooden corner fence posts which will have slots in to adjacent sides. If you then fit say decking as slats, it should fit fine. The rattling will be stopped by the compost pressing against the slats.

Alternatively buy the H-slot ones, run a circular saw and trim off the arms on the sides you don’t want and reattach with glue and screws.
 
Brentor said:
I have been looking at this product to replace the rotten wooden edging for one of our flower beds. It is expensive but should last. Does it look like plastic and is it fairly easy to cut? ( apologies for the slight hijack)
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It looks more like plastic than wood, but still looks acceptable. It cuts easily, just as wood does, I chose it because it’s much more flexible than wood allowing smooth curves to be created easily.
 
Brentor said:
I have been looking at this product to replace the rotten wooden edging for one of our flower beds. It is expensive but should last. Does it look like plastic and is it fairly easy to cut? ( apologies for the slight hijack)
Click to expand...

I've used something similar for raised beds. You can cut it with a hand saw.

omens said:
How thick is the timber for the slats going to be?

I’d have suggested wooden corner fence posts which will have slots in to adjacent sides. If you then fit say decking as slats, it should fit fine. The rattling will be stopped by the compost pressing against the slats.
Click to expand...

Oh those sound ideal - will have a Google.
 
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