Construct a Dog Ear Fence
It's been said that "good fences make good neighbors," and a wood picket fence is a simple way to build a good fence of your own. The right fence can complete the look of your yard, as well as serve as a method of keeping wild animals out and your own animals in. A dog ear picket fence is differentiated from a standard picket fence by the shape of the tops of the pickets. A dog ear picket features an angled cut taken out of the top corners of each picket, creating a look like a dog's ear.
Instructions
Cutting the Slats
1. Measure a plank with the tape measure and use the T-square and a pencil to draw a straight line across the wood at the desired length of the slats for your fence.
2. Cut the plank along the line using the circular saw.
3. Attach the scrap wood to the cutting table using the clamp if desired to create a stop block. Once in place, the bottom of the plank from Step 2 should just touch the blade of the saw when placed against the stop block. This will allow identical cuts to be made without having to measure each plank.
4. Cut as many planks as needed for your fence.
5. Measure and draw the corners on each of the wood planks. To draw a corner line, measure 1/4 the width of the plank from the corner along both the side of the plank and the top of the plank, then connect the two points with the ruler and pencil. Each plank needs a corner drawn at both top corners.
6. Cut the corners off of the planks with the circular saw. Adjust the blade to cut at a 45-degree angle to the left, and cut one corner of each plank, then adjust the blade to cut at a 45-degree angle to the right and cut the remaining corner on each plank. Making one cut in each direction ensures you can make the cut with the pencil line facing up for all cuts. Each plank should now have its top corners cut off.
7. Sand the edges of the planks to prevent splintering.
Constructing the Fence
8. Cut the anchors of the fence with the circular saw by cutting wood 4-by-4 beams 18 inches longer than the slats of the fence.
9. Cut the support beams of the fence with the circular saw by cutting wood 2-by-4 beams. Support arms should between 6 and 8 feet long, and you will need enough beams to go around the fenced area twice, as each section of fence will have two support beams.
10. Dig a hole for an anchor at one corner of the fence, 18 inches deep.
11. Secure the anchor in place extending straight out of the ground by placing the anchor in the center of the hole and filling the hole in around the anchor.
12. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for a second anchor beam, positioned so that the two beams can be connected by a length of support arm.
13. Connect the two anchors using two support arms, with one one arm located 1/4 of the length of the slats from the bottom of the anchors, and the other arm located 1/4 of the length of the slats from the top of the anchor. Secure the arms to the anchors with a hammer and nails.
14. Continue building the body of the fence by adding anchors and connecting them with support arms.
15. Attach the slats to the fence by nailing the slats side-by-side to the support arms of the perimeter. Attach each slat with two nails into each support arm.
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