Bump Board VS String! Fastest Method For Building Privacy Fence

👉🏻 Picket Topper Bump Board: bit.ly/Picket_topper
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Today we pit string (the time-honored method of setting fence pickets) against the new hot shot in town, the Bump Board. Which is faster? Which is better? And which can also help you build shadowbox fence and board-on-board fence lightning fast?

[@ButterBeanCW]

The metal posts instead of 4x4s is a great idea.

[@angetodac]

seems like you have a perfect leveled ground base

[@landmarkcreations1183]

Awesome video as usual guys!

[@Ricks2Cents]

*I’ve Never seen that Fence Tool Before Very Cool!!!*

[@missklibs3257]

WOW...love the bump bar. Great tool. If it were just a plain picket, an aluminum angle could work for one time use but for multiple uses, this would be the tool to use!!!

[@johnhealy2862]

a standard vinyl rail works really well for a makeshift bump board if you dont need the measurements

[@jaze0187]

Swi didn't like your comment! I do! Thank you. Great video

[@antoniowade3318]

Outstanding video, thank you very much. You guys are outstanding craftsmen.. Wade Out.

[@DirkCox-tp5lp]

Great idea

[@j.hernandez983]

Bump board is fool proof IMO. I use q oiece of aluminum channel. I use my top rail as my sight. I always run it first. Then adjust the top rail to an ideal run and put up my bottom two rails and run pickets. You guys have been a tremendous help in my business.

[@AWgardens]

Great tool and great advice. Thanks Guys

[@SWiFence]

You bet!

[@NoahDevine91]

Save so much time over all with the newer tools available now, like the straightaway and marker cable and equilizer. Great video showing old school vs new school. We all have to keep adapting and changing to the better ways to be more efficient and making the processes easier and repeatable 👍

[@davejohansen1781]

Would it work going from post to post? We typically run our picket fences in-line with the posts. I wonder if the board would sit study on top of a square post

[@brandibright2082]

Bad thing about setting six inches up by the time you level them the tops will swing off of the measurements left and right on the shadow but I love the solid bump stop part about it. I've been doing carpentry for 25 years and miles of fencing I like the tool. Clay from mobile Alabama

[@mkb3580]

Great video my friend…take the guy from San Antonio to school…very nice!

[@erniemenard7727]

The bump board is faster. I was near the end of my fencing days when I figured that out. Here is how I set up for a bump board: Establish grade and set the corner or end boards correctly. Run a string the whole way. Tack a board at every 8'. Use a couple of ring shanks driven just 1/2" or so into the tops of these boards to hold the string while you set up. Take the set-up nails out of the tops of the middle boards. Leave the string up, you can take it down afterwards and if you had a brain fart in the layout the string is still there. Make a jig, longer than 8' is better. I'd have to take the tacked boards off and move them at each location.

[@matthewsimonds5272]

Do a video on rolling/ blending pickets up and down steep grades please

[@jordanrichley1962]

Are there jigs like this for horizontal fences?

[@DudeWhatsUpper]

id like to give em both a good dang day !

[@SWiFence]

Thanks!

[@kubotajordan9502]

Nice video thats a excellent tool definitely increases time . Do y'all stock cedar in St. Augustine? The prebuilt wooden panels they sells these day are junk paper thin boards they don't last and are (pos) fence. You all are a awesome fence company you get what you pay for!

[@SWiFence]

Thanks! We do stock cedar in St. Augustine. 👍🏻

[@fallbrookdave]

Was looking for tips on installation and noticed you’re local to me. My work office is about 2 blocks from you. Good video. Unfortunately I can’t afford that tool so it will have to be a 2x4.

[@SWiFence]

The 2x4 will still get it done. 👍🏻

[@larrybyers5223]

great video .what holds the bump bar from sliding when on a grade? could a small C clamp work?

[@SWiFence]

Yep. Grip tape or a C clamp.

[@harleyhog6018]

Yeah hi, I don't know if you know how our paling fences are built here in Australia. So I will elaborate, we prefer cypress posts with 3 rails as well. Plus we use a sacrificial board on the ground . We then use that "plinth" as the height setting to place our palings on which are nailguned on instantly . Our palings are two widths 6" and 3". The 6" goes on first with 2"gap between. Then we place the 3" paling over that gap so we get an overlap of 1/2" every 6" paling. Just a bit of trivia as I am watching you guys. Your channel is very informative and well presented. And yes, I prefer string lines as well Cheers from 🇦🇺

[@SWiFence]

Cheers!

[@ileanahood2871]

Awesome video! Is that an air compressor tool? Also, what kind of nails are you using? Old woman here trying to fix her FL fence! Thank you!

[@SWiFence]

Yes, this is an air tool. We use ring shank nails, but the right screw will also work. Screws even hold tighter. kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5yph2OmmMlnna8

[@markHolmes81274]

How well does this work on extreme angle grades? I work in Florida, they don't happen super often, but often enough. I had a b.o.b. a month ago that literally looked like a rollercoaster. How bout a follow up vid demonstrating extreme grade changes?

[@SWiFence]

It works fine on extreme angles, but if it's steep enough you might have to add some grip tape so that it doesn't slide. When we get a chance we'll try to show it in use on grade changes--schedule's pretty full at the moment.

[@clintjanis9489]

I just use a 9’ft long piece of steel. I like the bump board but it’s a little pricey. I don’t do many shadow box fences but if I did I would definitely buy the bump board! All my fences are on slopes. I just clamp my steel in place on the steep slopes. Super easy. Way better and faster than the string method. It’s very windy here so the string method sucks because the string blows around. I’m a professional fencer with 33yrs in the business. I’m a big fan of SWI!! They have great content. Keep it up guys!

[@jeremyhoman7186]

My bump board I been using for years has a 6" leg on one end that stratals the top 2x4. No need to setup a dummy picket every 8ft just slide the bump board down the rail. A bit faster that way

[@Kushert]

😂😂😂He's so ready to show off that bump board.

[@SWiFence]

Wasn't he though? 😄

[@iainhetherington4608]

Bump board is a cool idea, shouldn’t say this but could have 2 adjustable steel brackets that sit in the top rail so you don’t need the post top good video guys Cheers from Aus

[@erniemenard7727]

The adjustable steel bracket to the top of the rail seems a good idea, but it is not. The rails aren't planed.

[@philliphooks6859]

@Shawn King, please send Mark Olson a buddy picket. Great job on the video. Mark and Dan are really cool, so is th other brother too.

[@thedivide3688]

Ooooh... Sexy tool! I am gonna have to get me one when I get to working on my fence.

[@gregmize01]

C Strut Bump Bar?

[@cruzcorral3844]

Onde puedo conprar esa piesa por favor si alguien puede desir

[@SWiFence]

bit.ly/Picket_topper

[@klizzyykicks1712]

You just made an long commercial to sell that board 😅

[@finallyfriday.]

At grade change string doesnt need to be removed. Put pickets at each grade change and run string entire length "bending" at each grade change.

[@cruzcorral3844]

Where can I get this part please if anyone knows

[@SWiFence]

bit.ly/Picket_topper

[@alexlopez6660]

I wish we can see a video with not even ground, to being a hater just to know how to solve the problems.

[@markHolmes81274]

Me too. I string off at every post that changes elevation. I built one a month ago that literally went up and down like a rollercoaster. I'm wondering if this tool can do extreme grade changes

[@clintjanis9489]

I just use a 9’ft long piece of steel. I like the bump board but it’s a little pricey. I don’t do many shadow box fences but if I did I would definitely buy the bump board! All my fences are on slopes. I just clamp my steel in place on the steep slopes. Super easy. Way better and faster than the string method. It’s very windy here so the string method sucks because the string blows around. I’m a professional fencer with 33yrs in the business. I’m a big fan of SWI!! They have great content. Keep it up guys!

[@harleysabatino9415]

I've been building fence 48 years and as long as I set your picket hight.rite and use string line it dont matter the grade it follows suit

[@RMM541]

Why do use nails instead of screws? I live in a windy area and use screws.

[@SWiFence]

We actually have a video about this coming out in the near future. The nails we use grip just fine and are 1,000x faster to install than screws.

[@xisotopex]

what size nail do you use? what size nail gun? thanks@@SWiFence

[@angetodac]

so, you are located in Wyoming? why cant you display this at the beginning of the video so that we know if you are in our reach?

[@SWiFence]

Correct, we are in Wyoming, but this video is intended for folks everywhere who are considering how to best build their fence. 👍🏻

[@Brees1986]

The bump board is an awesome tool, but at over $300 not for the DIYer….

[@erniemenard7727]

The DIY'er should be able to bang one out for under $20.

[@JohnSchussler]

The bump board's a great tool, but wow that's a lot of money for a bent piece of metal with a sticker on it....

[@angetodac]

how much is it

[@SWiFence]

Picket Topper Bump Board: bit.ly/Picket_topper

[@clintjanis9489]

For those asking how this bump board works on steep slopes. Just clamp the bump board in place on the slopes. Just try it out and you will never use string again

[@leekinder1016]

Shewwweee $700 bucks to get one delivered to Alaska...bummer. Enjoyed the video though fellas!

[@newenglandman2413]

With its simplicity but non-mechanical, multi-math, multi-notch, multi-use for building, it reminds me of something the Romans or Egyptians would have used that no one today can figure out.

[@rodgerthat152]

2:15 not level. In a vertical is to plumb the boards, as to level is in a horizontal.

[@SWiFence]

Yes, very true.

[@danielcates4920]

😮 😮🎉😮 😊😊😊😊😊😢😮

[@finallyfriday.]

Make picket jig width the same as your picket exposure so all it has to do is sit in your top rail to set line. Great for grade changes-as your rails go so does your jig. I built my jig with a pair of tabs so it supports itself on the top rail. Eliminates having to put up and take down gauge pickets at ends. A 1x6 gives you a 5 1/2" exposure but any size can be used and I cap it with an aluminum j channel as the guide slot. Cheap, light, fast.

[@NicholasRachuna]

Do this long enough you can do it all by feel. Look at the fence once then just start nailing away. Next thing you know the grade, reveal and spacing is all perfect. No special tool or calculations. Kinda like the pinball wizard of fence 🤙🏼

[@jasonsgroovemachine]

Ok. I'm 5 minutes in. I don't know who is gonna win. But two things. 1. The bump bar is neat and all, but I can get 10' of string in my pocket. Not gonna happen with the bar. 2. Every new channel I come across ends up being great for like 3 weeks and then just starts to be annoying. You guys haven't been like that. Big ups. Ok three things. 3. Didn't get that bar on the top of the picket there, champ. It's clearly sitting on the dog ear.

[@declanfarber]

String works really well, you just have to pay attention. Do you do drug testing? ;^)

[@AztecWarrior69]

A pro DOESN'T need a cheat board. That is for amateurs that don't have the skills to do things without assistance for an over prices tool to keep it lined up. By the way why is he crying about letting him setup the board as if HE is the one cheating. The guy complaining also already had the cheat board (dummy picket, the board on left that he is resting the bump tool on) already made. So why are you crying and making a huge deal about it? Also guy with stringline is setting up his stringline wrong. You never set your stringline on top of the picket. You make an L-Bracket for one end and make a cheat board (dummy picket) for the other end. The L-Bracket is made of 2x4. The longside gets screwed through the picket. The string gets gets secured to the top of bracket with a screw. String goes under and lined up at top, front edge of picket. Same on the cheat board (dummy picket) placed on the far end. Your line is never on top of the boards. You just bring the top front edge of the picket to the line. Line never gets bumped or pushed up. And it is much easier to see the line when it is up front. And you are not spending any extra cost on a tool that take up so much space. Pros don't needs this junk. That junk is for rookies that can't keep a straight line. Not to mention that you can do 3 or four sections, using string. No need to be moving that thing over and over.

[@ScottXC91]

Wow yeah, I would definitely spend 325 DOLLARS on this piece of metal just to save a few minutes. NOT.

[@SWiFence]

I'm going to make the rash assumption you don't do this every day. Yeah, probably not worth it for you.

[@richardstone3644]

What a horrible way to build a fence. Cedar should never come in contact with the ground, you need a treated toe board, to keep the pickets 2 to 3 inches off the ground

[@SWiFence]

Agreed that cedar should not be touching the ground. 👍🏻 Touching the grass and touching the ground are two different things.