Fence panel - total reconstruction with old strips

[Hombre]

As the title might indicate, I have a bunch of thin timber feather edge strips from a number of six foot shiplap garden fences. I also have a sufficiency of lath, a few screws, a little time and a need for a fence panel.

The feather edge strips have been stood in the garage for a few years now - guilty as sin - and are dry as matchwood. What is the perceived wisdom regarding the next step? Answers preferably from those that actually know a little about the subject please but I have broad shoulders and stick my nose in every so often, so anyone is welcome to speculate or comment if you feel the need. The neighbours wouldn't appreciate the smoke so we can dispense with that notion perhaps. I may not be terribly happy, but I don't do getting offended - life is way too short.

Should I soak the strips for a few hours in warm water and leave to dry in the hope of regaining a bit of suppleness so that they don't shatter and split all over the joint when I put a nail or screw through them?

Postcards please on an answer, or vice versa. Genuine enquiry..

The weather was very grim, wet and windy last night but the temperature rose around 3am and the weather changed - for a while. Can't see the fence panel getting completed this year though!

 

[hedgerow pete]

Firstly , do you want a hand to do it, as I am only round the corner?
fixings are the next part if you are going to use nails or staples then you can work with the timber dry as they will do very little damage, to use screws i would think to use a small pilot drill on the front side to help to ease the screws through, if you want to wet the timbers then throw the lot outside for a few days as the frost will wet them , or the bucket of water will help, if you do make it up dry i would make it 1/4" short on the width to prevent it sticking or splitting when it expands

 

[Hombre]

Many thanks for the advice Pete. I'll manage OK I think, but do appreciate your interest and your very kind offer of assistance. The lath that I have is the thicker of the two sizes, 1.5cm and 2.5cm, available I believe. So if I do it right, it shouldn't fall apart for quite a while. Screwing is planned.

It isn't an essential bit of fence, but will be an advantage once it's up, but it's one of those jobs best done quietly.

 

[RoofTops]

I'll stick my oar in - won't you need to make some sort of jig to hold it all together as you weave in the strips? If so, and you only want one panel, is it worth the effort?

On the rehydrating front, you could just try painting/dipping the strips with Cuprinol or simliar. If they are that dry they would soak it up well and might then be bendy enough to work.

 

[Hombre]

I'm planning on marking on the ground and building it on the flat. It's shiplap fashion, not woven, but not as robust as the stuff used on sheds (not by a million miles). As the wood starts becomes slightly less thirsty i'm thinking of giving them a misting of cuprinol/white spirit.

I'm keeping the neat stuff for something that really matters, like bee boxes.

I'm probably a bit of a tight wad. A little bit of pinning will keep everything in place as the sandwich is completed by the top frame. A bit like framing a QX so the joints are overlapped and don't appear in exactly the same place.

 

[oliver90owner]

Carefully constructed a reply and the internet service was interrupted and it was all lost.

Basically, don't - unless wood is very, very good. BTDT. Buy a new panel.

Regards, RAB