lightweight but tough "fence"

Stuart R

Member
Hey y'all,

Here's today's puzzler: I want to build something that looks like two sections of wooden fence (three 36" posts with two stacked 60" horizontal rails connecting posts 1 & 2, and 3 & 4. Go buy a fence, you say. Ah, but I need this to be light enough for two kids to carry, AND it needs to be hinged in some fashion so the angle between the two sections can change.

I kind of have a vision of a skinny skeleton of a fence surrounded by rigid foam carved into rustic roundish fence posts and rails (sealed/treated for fire safety), but am having trouble with the under structure part of it.

First I thought about PVC, and connecting fence section 2 to the center post using loose T fittings with separators between, but the horizontal rails need to be the same height in both sections, and I don't see how to do that with the T fittings. Next thought was using wood and connecting section #2 with a couple of T hinges, but I think 4x4 posts would be too heavy and 2x2s would be too weak. Square steel tube? No welding capability.

Any ideas?

Many thanks as always.
 
Depending on budget, you might consider vinyl fence panels. Lowes has 3’ high picket panels for $55. They weigh less than 15 pounds. A 2X2 trimmed to fit into a rail gives you a way to attach hinges securely. The pickets can come off if the sections are dropped or dragged but can be glued back on.

Michael
 
Could you stagger the T fittings so that a fitting attaches to the top of the plank on the right and the other fitting attaches to the bottom of the plank on the left? On the very bad MS paint drawing attached below, I've got a light gray center post that the black fittings and spacer pipe can pivot around and then the brown boards can screw or attach on as needed. The posts on the outside ends can just be screwed and/or glued together since they wouldn't need to pivot.

1643648122155.png


I'm not quite sure how the faux facing of the posts would work, since the pivot point of the fence is at the center of the structure, instead of being on one of the faces as it would be with a wooden structure and hinges. If the T-joints concept doesn't work, I wonder if you couldn't still have a PVC structure with foam or other facing built up and then align two fence hinges so you can screw them to the post through the same holes.

1643649212526.png
 
I've often made 4x4 or larger posts from 1/2 ply cut in strips to make a long box, much lighter and you can customize the size. If no one will see the back then it can just be a U shape. Normally still strong enough you can attach hardware to them for most light-medium duty. The center post could be just two L shapes sized to be the same width as your outside post when hinged together. 1x stock for the rails and 1x, 1/2" ply or even foam for the pickets.
Though saying plywood right now probably means out of budget, unless you have some of that sheet gold laying around. haha
 

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