I propose a different way of doing it using pipe posts, proprietary brackets, standard four inch C purlins, and expanded metal fine enough for use as a lathe screen.

The pipe posts are set in concrete footers.  Then the standard four inch purlins are placed using our brackets and standard self tapping tek screws.

The brackets slide over two inch (2 3/8″ O.D.) pipe.  The brackets are held in place with a special clip and self tapping screw combination.  This is a picture of a straight through bracket being installed to frame a metal building.

There are three basic brackets.  The one above for straight runs connecting posts in a straight line.

For the ends and corners we have right and left brackets.

The standard 1 1/2″ X 4″ C purlins fit over the brackets and are attached with self tapping screws.

The expanded metal/lathe material would then be attached to the C purlins with self tapping sheet metal screws.  The stucco finish would then be applied per standard practices.

I don’t have any pictures of a completed stucco finish wall.  That’s because those kinds of walls aren’t built here where I live in north Texas.  Here we have gumbo clay, also known as expansive soil.  The ground here moves swimming pools, home foundations, and retaining walls.  Fences don’t stand a chance and a stucco finished one would break up in one season without the post holes going into limestone and the fence suspended above the ground.

I originally came up with this product to enable someone unable to weld to build a metal framed building easily.  The fence man part of me saw building a metal screen wall with the system could be easily done by a competent do-it-yourselfer or a minimally experienced fence crew.  Since I was born and raised in Arizona and then moved to California the stucco fence idea was a natural.

The advantages of the system are many. 

First there’s the fudge factor built in with the brackets.  The cuts don’t have to be ninety degrees necessarily and they can be up to two inches shorter than the optimal measurement without compromising the integrity of the connections.  This is true when framing up a metal building or building a stucco fence with the system.

There are no mitre cuts required.  All the cuts made on the purlins can be made with a chop saw, a portable band saw, a Sawsall, or even a cutting torch.   All the cuts are ninety degrees more or less, close is good enough because the end and corner brackets move around the post and can be placed at any angle to accomodate change of direction in the fence line.

The footer or concrete for the posts is more critical with the stucco than that required for wood or wire fencing because stucco is concrete and won’t tolerate much movement.

We’re now setting up to produce and market the brackets.  We hope to have pricing and product availability soon.

Here are some pictures of a horse barn being framed with the system.

I was asked for input on a theme for the fencing at a research center of a major university.    When I suggested a DNA top rail pattern they asked for a sample.  It wasn’t as easy as it looks to make.

Once I had the image in my mind then fabricating it became the interesting part of the project.  At the same time that the image came I recalled a roller I have for rolling tubing into circles.  The roller was given to me by a friend much smarter than me who had made it.  It had one small issue, it tended to spiral the material as it rolled it.

I cut another wheel for it with a bit of offset.  My friend is smarter than me.  I’m luckier than he is.  The offset I came up with worked perfectly the first time out.  I would much rather be lucky than good.  Anyone can be good, that only takes effort and smarts, mostly effort.

It was a great idea.  The DNA pattern top rail would be on all the fencing, even some of the handrails guiding visitors through the displays.  I’m not interested in becoming a fence company doing thousands of feet of fence.  I do some work occasionally for a company that does a lot of government work and they jumped at the chance of being the contractor for the project.

Stuff happens.  A lot of stuff happened in 2008 that made universities revisit their budgets.

I still like the idea that the fence contractor couldn’t find anyone who could duplicate the fence sample.  Supposedly a couple of companys tried and failed.  Like I said, “I’d rather be lucky than good, anyone can be good.”