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Manufacturing Fencing

Bob visits Fred Goode's Brattle Works workshop to see how the fencing is manufactured. Everything is made from Western Red Cedar. The rough lumber is 1 1/4 by 4 inches. In the first step in trellis production the boards go through the custom designed dado machine. The machine has 11 blades that cut the dados into the board all at once. Next the molder rips the board into three different strips on the full length basis. In the assembly process a bead of water-based, water-proof glue is applied in each of the dados and the strips are spread out on the assembly table where the measurements are already laid out. The cedar comes in with 15 to 20% moisture which prevents warpiture when the fencing is installed and lives out in the weather. Once the dados are put together it is secured with an aluminum fastener around the entire piece which will hold it together while it's cured. Next the stubs are cut off with a 15 foot panel saw. Finally the panel is run through a sander to smooth the top and the bottom. Making the lattice work involves a similar process. The fine pieces for the lattice work are cut on the molder using a cutting head that rips 14 one inch by 5/16s thick strips in one pass. For assembly the horizontal strips are laid down on the table and glue is applied. Next they are assembled by hand at the lattice assembly table using knobs to guide the work. They are fastened using an air gun with stainless steel fastenersaround the perimeter and then in a pattern across the middle.
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Manufacturing Fencing

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" Fred everything's made out of western red cedar is that what we're looking looking at here that's we have here Bob it's so -- mention a quarter by four inches rough. Lumber right from the middle so this is not what I can get at the lumber yard around the corner. Now this is more of an industrial product that we used in the manufacturing work trellis and then what's. What are we looking -- here. These are boards that have gone through. Billing and this is the very first step in trellis production. Which we do want our data machine. Which I can show you right over here over here. So the data machine is not like when I have but. Data blade on my radial arm saw this is a little bit more complicated right. This one's a little bit larger. In fact this particular machine -- is built for us how many -- It has a total of eleven blades that cut the board all the wants. Well that's a pretty clean cut. Eleven of them -- what's the next step. On the next step Bob is we go over to the molder and rip this into three different strips. On the full length basis proclivity that. OK so now we're ready for assembly right that's right Bob OK. Now what kind of glue is used in this process. This is a water based waterproof glue that we use on the cedar. And so they put a beating each one of all the dados and now they just kind of make the arrangement right they spread it out so that is based. Ready for assembly. And the table. Is part of process because -- already got the measurements laid out. Is that all there is to -- or do they actually have to nail the individual. Once they have put the dados together you see they will use an aluminum fastener work. -- around the entire piece and that will hold it together while it's cured had to use aluminum fasteners just because it's going to be in the weather. We use aluminum because when we. Finished with this assembly. We will actually sand the panel and so as not to cause sparking in our sanding machine we use aluminum fasteners I --"

" All right very good at that stage you're gonna cut up all -- right right. What kind of father. Christopher a fifteen foot panel saw. For cutting these control panel. So you've got -- that a break exact location. And then the president Bob. We'll hold about it. The threat of another problem. And so now we've got almost a finished panel except you don't have to put it. Through a Sander right. Right Bob -- the smooth the top and the bottom with a --"

" That's nice and clean it today. Smooth it right up. So this is what we've got. Out at and our place now how do you make the lattice it's a similar operation. With a few changes. All right so how do you cut all these. Really fine pieces for the lattice work we do that on the molder we're changing the cutting heads rip fourteen strips at one pass and one of the dimensions. They're one inch wide by five sixteenths there. And now in terms of assembling all of this is it could be a nightmare what do you do here. On this table here we laid down the horizontal strips and glue will be applied. The same kind of glue that we saw on the trellis so you basically are just putting. These as a guide to apply a bead of glue evenly and always in the right spot. That's right Bob."

" All right that's all the -- now what. Now Bob we're gonna raise the top of this. And then I'm going to pick up. 24 strips at a time without dropping them preferably and don't move around too much and I'm gonna bring them over to the lattice assembly table."

" And at the lattice assembly table you've got stacks and stacks and stacks. Of precut material that just rises. To the occasion. So you line them up and -- They yank out. That and then against all by hand right. So each one of these knobs."

" Guides your work in now how do you fasten them. Now we're going to take an air gun and with a stainless steel fastener will put a pattern across these. We can lift the sheet right out of here. Do you nail them at every intersection no we don't -- Every intersection -- around the entire perimeter. And then a pattern across the middle and that takes the mystery out of the lattice work Fred thanks for the --"

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