Keeping character, or restoring a pond

[wroughtn_harv]

Yesterday I arrived at the powder coater with a custom pallet just for the 20 foot pieces. We hand loaded the forty five pieces. Each piece was double wrapped in brown paper. We placed cardboard down on the custom pallet before loading. They are very heavy, five of us worked at loading, three of us carried and then we had two on the trailer placing tenderly the pieces in place.

I've attached some photos I took of the powder coating process. First two photos are of the application of the base coat. The third picture is of pieces waiting for powder, they have been sandblasted. The last photo is of a cart ready for the oven.

 

[txdon]

Harvey, when I first saw the post I was thinking they should be the same color as the rails. I was wrong. The contrast is needed. The browns look good with the winter grays and it will look even better contrasting with the summer greens. I wonder how many people think that that skinny wood railing won't last very long and then are amazed when they find out it is metal.

The next big surprise is the gate, can't wait!

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I had to come up with a way to do corners, I have tons of them on this job, mostly at the entryway where each side is an inward arc.

I used three inch stainless strap hinge that I cut into five inch lengths. I removed the pin and then one side was coated to match the rail color and the other side was colored to match the post color.

This is how it came out.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

A fun thing to do is to use the telephoto function to compress the image. For instance in the first photo the house looks right next to the fence but in reality it is sixty or so yards away.

 

[jinman]

Lookin' good Harvey.:thumbsup: I was thinking you were gonna have headaches getting all the weave plank joints at the posts, but now I see you are just scabbing on a section and attaching it with 8 bolts. That should make a very strong and secure joint; essentially continuous weave boards/panels.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

We installed all the materials we had in four days. We can move much faster than that but the big hiccup is the powder coater can't produce the pieces fast enough to keep us busy. They are working us in between their good work.

We decided to put a sign up so folks driving by would know who was doing the work. The story on the sign is over in "Welding". We designed and installed a very sophisticated anti-theft device to keep the sign ours.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I had two options when building the fence when it came to allowing for grade change. I could have built it level with stepped construction but I chose instead to follow the grade. We're looking that level construction would mean ten inch increments of grade change. We wanted the fence to keep in and out most dogs, ten inch gaps in the bottom of the fence line would allow cows to migrate through.

 

[EddieWalker]

I never seen a sign that fancy before!!!!!

My experience hasn't been very good with signs. I get a lot of calls, but none that lead to jobs. After about a year of putting them out, I quite and then awhile after that, took them off of my truck. Seemed like all the calls I received where either from people looking for work, or just wanting prices for jobs over the phone without meeting in person.

Posting pics on FB and accepting everyone as a friend seems to be the best advertising/marketing for my business.

Eddie

 

[wroughtn_harv]

This is the first time I've put up one of my project signs in five years or so. But this job is so special I wanted to let everyone know who was doing it.

The calls so far have fallen into the categories you mentioned. But there is a little pleasure in explaining that if they want a fence like this they will have to find someone besides me to do it. I sold it on the concept that the only thing better than being first is to be the only. I can't in good conscience duplicate it. Besides that, the powder coater and galvanizer aren't interested in a follow up either.

I pick up another 45 pieces tomorrow, seventy more to go besides the gate.

 

[jinman]

Harvey, I know you are a particularly meticulous customer, but if your job is not 'bread & butter' for the galvanizer or powder coater, what is? All these pieces seem to be pretty straight forward and repetitive. I'm just trying to get my brain around what would be more profitable for them to be doing. It may be obvious to an insider, but I can't figure out what they would be looking for.

BTW: I think this season is the worst for how that fence looks. I hope you will post follow-up photos when the grass gets green and leaves all come back on the trees. I think the prettiest contrast to the fence may be springtime and the early fall as the leaves start turning. Winter is pretty drab looking and tends to not provide a good backdrop. It's a good time to build the fence, just not the best time for viewing. Also, I don't know about anyone else, but I got a chuckle out of your sign. Is there anything people will not put flames on? Is nothing sacred?:laughing: