Reuse Old Fence Boards!

As fences age, they start to fall apart and generally look pretty decrepit. I found that although the boards are very old (up to 50 years in some cases), if they are made out of cedar, they can be in pretty good shape, have lots of integrity left, and can be reused for many helpful projects. Some of those follow in this instructable.

Step 1: First Project from old fence boards

In this step, an old time hutch unit is built. I didn't even make plans, just figured out what I wanted and started cutting. Some boards were ripped to 2 and 1/2 inches to be used as leg stock. These were cut to 27 inches in length, 3 pieces are screwed together for each leg.

Comments

[obax17]

This is awesome. There are a pile of old fence boards in the yard that I've been pondering about, figuring they'd be a good thing to start my woodworking career with, since screwing up royally wouldn't lead to wasted money. I do have a couple questions, though. I'm assuming you cut the boards lengthwise to make the narrower pieces, such as those used for table legs and frames. What do you use to cut the boards this way? And what do you mean by 'ripping' the boards?

[Mastros]

I wrote this also in another instructable, but I'like to add it here too.
So, it os happens that there is actually an intelligence test, where intelligence is measured by the different ways one may think for using things not in their normal, intented way.
There is, nonetheless, serious critique for the concept of an intelligence test.
Implied above is not so much an hymn for intelligence, but an appreciation of versantile thought and new ideas.
-.

[HunterBond]

I really like the way you supported the legs on the hutch! I use fence boards for building furniture a lot, and I'll be keeping that idea in mind for the future!

[jstelmack]

In the "past", I was the guy that would through this sort of material away. Thank you for sharing ways to reuse materials! EXCELLENT IBLE!

[jstelmack]

I "REALLY" like your creative use of an old and typically discarded material. One suggestion though. The long continuous (solid) brace in the gate should be in the other direction. i.e. top of contiguous brace should be farthest from the top hinge and the the bottom should be closest to the bottom hinge. This makes for a sag free gate. All the weight of the gate tries to "compress" the single contiguous brace. By the way, I'm going to steal your garden work bench design for a friend of mine who is an avid gardener! Thanks!

[cowscankill]

I don't understand how the enviroment is being destroyed if soo many people are going green...

[Claude3]

Hi there..I had to smile when I viewed your reusit project because my husband and I were midway through our recycle fence project. We cut the 7'sections down to remove the water damage and used the sections around the back of the garden to keep the deer away. My husband plained sanded and stained a shelf for my daughter's closet, we replaced the tabletop that a storm smashed. I love to see people reuse good things :)

[believer33]

Not much to be said other than, wow and great use of old wood. Nice work. Anything else you've made, go ahead and post. I'm intrested.

[dpocius]

A man after my own heart! When I see an old fence being torn down, I think of all the rustic decorative stuff that could be made and sold at craft shows. Talk about free money! Some years ago, I made a potting bench using mostly old fence boards, and a guy I know makes birdhouses by the truckload. Re-use, the highest form of recycling.

[Creativeman]

Thanks for the interest. It is a good way to have free materials. Cman

[Weissensteinburg]

Cool! Whenever I see people getting new fences, it makes me think about different things that they could be used for...looks like you've gotten some great ideas.

[wenpherd]

you make graet signs

[Creativeman]

Thanks wen...Cman

[uguy]

Most excellent reuse. Well done ible and great examples. Thanks much for sharing. We have much of this fencing here since the passed 2 hurricane seasons.

[Creativeman]

Thank You. Cman