Fences and Gates - DIY: Building an elaborate fence.

I have never done a project to this scale in my life. I want to build a fence, about 100ft of it picket and the other 200ft a privacy fence. Both fences will have two gates each.

I am interested in building the privacy like this

Southington Rustic Fence Company LLC (http://www.onlinefence.com/Gallery/content/Fence_011_large.html)

and the picket like this

Southington Rustic Fence Company LLC (http://www.onlinefence.com/Gallery/content/Fence_037_large.html)

No lights mounted on posts.

Should both fences be 6' between posts?

How do I join the rails to the posts? It almost looks like they are wedged with the posts having a hole. Would they be secured with glue and nails if they are wedged? If not what other way in the picture are they be connected to the posts?

How are the pickets connected between the rails? Are they connected with just nails?

For the privacy fence, do I create the top the same way the pickets are connected between the rails or do I nail down into the boards? It's safe to assume the top rail is the same on both sides, correct?

I assume I have to buy some type of table saw for this project, a nail gun, and rent an auger(sp?) to dig the post holes. However, do I need to buy or rent a certain type of saw to create a trim like the one in the pictures. How do I create the curve in the picket fence?

I need ideas for gate building and hardware, this is where I really have no clue.

As you can see I am in way over my head....

Wow , Now those are nice looking fences !

The material is esquisite to say the least. The rails , they are not wedged. The posts are routed. As are the rails. The wood looks to be red cedar. But no matter the wood is beautiful.

If you want to copy their installation you would have to route your posts and make sure your rails are extended enough to make those doweled connections.

Their rails are routed on the edge. For that you need a router. The edge is up to you. I would suggest going simple. Do not go overboard on an elaborate edge. To be honest I have never seen a routed rail in wood before... this stuff is very nice.
As for the distance between posts, 6 feet? I would think that doing 6 feet between posts would make sure the fence is more secure, but does it have to be if you do a good installation? No . I think that typical 8 foot spacings are fine. Less footage between spacings will make you dig more holes per 100 feet, drill out and route more posts per 100 feet and overall more work per 100 feet. Plus it may create a bulky look within the fence line. But if you want to dig, drill and have that bulky look that is completely up to you as you are the one person that matters most in seeing your work on a daily basis.
If you wanted to cheat this installation a little you could . Toe nailing the sections to the post would work, but it would not be as strong as a doweled post and rail insert.
Eliminating the routed edge on the rail could be , but why... ? It does look so much better with the routed edge. So much so that I may consider adding that as an option to fencing that I put up from here on in. My first order of business to do this week is to take out a spare section of wood fencing and rip a router out along the fence... I am dying to know what it would look like and what kind of time frame is involved in doing so.. I can;t wait to try it .. lol

As for the gates,,, much depends on the width of your gate. Gate hardware is readily available in so many places online as well as in local stores.

Please show some pictures as you go along in progress of building this fence. I would love to see how it comes out.

Gregs Fence~

I feel pretty confident on going 8 ft, thank you. The boards are just nailed in correct?

I will be looking at gates for a bit to see what I can come up with.

I will have about a week and a half to put this in after I close on my house, it won't be until mid-November so we will see how the weather holds.

Is a week and a half long enough for a newbie to do something like this?

boards would be nailed into the rail, yes. Or screwed. Whichever you do make sure you use a nail or screw that is either galvanized or vinyl coated. In light of galvanized there is some considerations of the galvanized product being in contact with cedar wood. Please consult manufacturer reccomondations on that matter.
Another thing to keep in mind, nail or screw in straight lines. Keep in mind that your screws or nails should be in a straight line on the face of the board. Otherwise the heads would be visibly staggarded. That would look messy.
Plus, if you are going to build that section from scratch, it would be a lot easier to route that edge on a router table than to use a hand router and do the edge after the sections are already together.
As for the rails being inserted into the routed holes in the posts... I do not believe you would need to nail these rails in. I believe that just inserting them into the post and moving from post to post would keep the whole fence together . Much like a leggo set. One piece is where you begin, each ajoining piece fixed into the first, the next and so on. Basically it is the posts that support the weight of the weight of the rails inserted inside of them.

You've answered almost all of my concerns, thank you so much!!


Edit: Never posted the other side of the privacy fence, here it is.

Southington Rustic Fence Company LLC (http://www.onlinefence.com/Gallery/content/Fence_012_large.html)