Thread: How to achieve a spiked fence look

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I know this is an old thread but I just wanted to add my 2 cents worth, and here's why. Several years ago I built my PVC fence and gate, I spent hours and hours researching and trying to find a good substitute for the fancy finials the have on the cemetery fences, I never did find a decent "SUB". I found a lot of things I didn't like including little skulls etc. What I finally found worked absolutely perfectly. Iron Finials, go figure, I bought a box of 100 of the for around $22, they are the style that looks like the New Orleans Saints logo or the Boy Scouts logo. A little flat black paint a one inch length of dowel rod glued in to the finial slips into the top of the PVC pipe nicely, Viola. So if you are looking for a sub for finials consider the real thing. 8 foot sections still light enough to hang on 2 nails in storage.
Additionally I made some really poor styrofoam columns which I used for two years but when I moved we didn't bring them. I had planned to build some nice plywood columns but didn't get around to it in time so I reluctantly used a couple of 6"x6" posts I had from an old dog run. Put a quick coat of oops paint from Lowes and bored a hole up the center of the post about 18" to place over the pipe I pounded in the ground for mounting. I was stunned to see what I didn't like about the posts is what made them work. They were rickety looking and leaned just a tad to one side, I was able to use my existing PVC arch "RESSURECTION" sign acrossed them and a couple of cement pavers for caps. a couple of rubbber gargoyles from Walmart painted metallic gold. The new neighbors loved it. They are looking at some paint work this year some aging etc.

Where did you find them so cheap? Do you remember the brand name?

Markof13,

I just did a quick Internet search and found a place called Steel Supply that offers arrowhead finials that fit on 3/4" pipe for $0.21 each:

Iron Finials

There are other styles available for slightly more (and some for a lot more). King Architectural Metals also offers plastic versions which, when you order in quantity, are really cheap.

For example, the arrow point style is $0.22 each, but order 100 or more and it drops to just $0.16 a piece. For fun I put in 1000 and found King will sell them to you for $0.14 a pop.

Plastic Finials

I haven't used either dealer so I can't claim knowledge about their customer service. But I do know from a few other threads that I've read here about making fences that others have used both and have been happy.

If you don't want to go mail order, then you might try a local fencing company, though specialty places like that tend to be more expensive in my experience. Hope that helps.

Rich

What's the shipping price?

billman,

I looked around both sites but didn't see any standard shipping costs listed. I put an "order" into the shopping cart just to see if it would tell me, but I had to go through the whole process of creating an account and I didn't feel up to the challenge. ;>

You might want to try it, though, and see what you get. You could always clear the order before you actually had to pay something if you didn't like what the fees would be.

Rich

Having exhausted my Halloween budget last year I decided to make the finials as described here. I am super cheap so I made them out of cardboard. lol. I just spray painted them and they looked great! I agree the real thing is the best but if you are on a budget this design looks great.

Originally Posted by GhoulishCop

billman,

I looked around both sites but didn't see any standard shipping costs listed.
Rich

I sent them an email, for 100 finials (that only cost $21.00) the shipping was a whopping $55 to central Florida!!

That's $76.00 for just 100 finials... too rich for my blood. I'm going to look around for a local supplier.

yeah, I had a feeling the shipping was going to be a lot. That's how they always get ya!! BOO!!!

Originally Posted by billman

yeah, I had a feeling the shipping was going to be a lot. That's how they always get ya!! BOO!!!

I imagine the iron weight has something to do with that though in all fairness. I would think the shipping on the plastic finials would be much more reasonable.

Originally Posted by GhoulishCop

Markof13,

I just did a quick Internet search and found a place called Steel Supply that offers arrowhead finials that fit on 3/4" pipe for $0.21 each:

Iron Finials

There are other styles available for slightly more (and some for a lot more). King Architectural Metals also offers plastic versions which, when you order in quantity, are really cheap.

For example, the arrow point style is $0.22 each, but order 100 or more and it drops to just $0.16 a piece. For fun I put in 1000 and found King will sell them to you for $0.14 a pop.

Plastic Finials

I haven't used either dealer so I can't claim knowledge about their customer service. But I do know from a few other threads that I've read here about making fences that others have used both and have been happy.

If you don't want to go mail order, then you might try a local fencing company, though specialty places like that tend to be more expensive in my experience. Hope that helps.

Rich

If they offer a palstic version and it is cheap you havesolved all problem cheap and low cost shipping... you have a winner