Cemetery Fence  Prop  1x2's and 1/2 PVC pipe

Materials (per fence section):

• 2 - 8' lengths of 1x2 lumber

• 4 - 10' lengths of 1/2" PVC pipe

• A box of 1" wood screws or finishing nails

• 1-2 cans of flat black spray paint.

Tools:

• Electric Drill

• 7/8" spade drill bit

• Assorted drill bits if you are using screws

• Hacksaw or pipe cutter

With the 7/8" spade drill bit, drill holes in the 1x2 lumber, 8" apart (measuring from the center of the hole). The length and spacing of fence bars can be altered to suit your taste, or lack thereof.

With the hacksaw or pipe cutter, cut each 10' length of PVC pipe into 3 lengths. Each pipe length will be 3'4" long. The original pipe length is rarely exactly 10' long, so you may have to cut off an extra 1/2 inch or so. You should end up with 12 lengths of pipe. I used 11 of these for each fence section.

Set the pipe into the holes in the lumber, as shown in the pictures below.

I spaced the 1x2 lumber so it was 5 inches from the top and bottom of the pipe. Experiment with the arrangement and use what looks good to you. Now you will need to fasten the pipe and lumber in place. The easiest method is to pound a finishing nail though the wood into the pipe. A sturdier method is to drill a hole though the wood and pipe, and use a wood screw to fasten the pipe in place as shown on the right below.

Finials (the decorations at the top of the bars) can be made in a number of ways. You can mold your own custom finials in plastic or plaster, or cut simple ones out of some other material. I used a type of corrugated plastic board I found at MJDesigns. You could also use foamcore board, or some other type of thin plastic. Cardboard is also fine, if your fence will not be exposed to water.

Paint the fence section with flat black paint. Pay particular attention to the lumber, to seal it well