Spotted a beautiful cedar fence on a walk through the Arboretum

I was walking through the Washington Park Arboretum yesterday and saw this amazing cedar fence along a new garden path. The pickets were cut with a slight curve at the top, and the whole thing was set on a gravel base with perfect drainage. It looked like they used 6x6 posts, which is overkill for a garden fence but man, it looked solid. Has anyone else done a curved-top picket job like that, and what's the best way to cut them without a ton of waste?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_patricia1mo ago

Curved top pickets" used to seem like a waste of wood to me. Seeing a clean install like that changed my mind, it really does add a custom look. A router with a pattern bit is the cleanest way to cut them all the same.

terryh201mo ago

Tbh I had the same thought about waste until I helped my brother build a fence last summer. We used a jigsaw with a guide for the curves and sanded them smooth after. It took a weekend but the uniform shape made such a difference. Ngl the router method is probably faster for a big project though.

the_holly1mo ago

Still seems like a ton of work for just a fence.