How to make your own run panels

Posted on behalf of Father Jack

I managed to get hudad to do a quick "How To" on building run panels. At last

What you need

Timber. For this project hudad has used 1 1/2" x 3/4" planed untreated timber (finished size is slightly less). He says planed timber is best because it takes the stain/paint a lot better. If you are on a tight budget you can use tile lathe (sometimes called tile batten) as used by roofers and you can pick it up for as little as 30p per metre. It comes tanalised (a water based treatment) so painting or staining is not as urgent as with planed timber.

Screws. Hudad has used 2" #8 screws (50mm x 4mm in metric). As a rule of thumb, when you are screwing into end grain timber, your screw should be approximately 3x the thickness of the timber you are screwing through in length. Hudad's timber is 5/8"" thick after planing so that equates to 1 7/8" ideal screw length.

Drill & Screwdriver. Hudad is using his cordless tools here but you don't need to spend the £100s he does on tools. He says you can pick up an adequate cordless drill for as little as £30 or a basic Makita or DeWalt for under £100. He says you can then pick up screwdriver bits or a hand screwdriver for as little as £1.

Drill bits & Countersink. Hudad is using two different sized drill bits here. His pilot drill is 2.5mm diameter; this is used to create a hole for the screw to thread in to and is roughly 65% the diameter of the screw he is using. The other drill is his clearance bit and is 4.5mm diameter; this is used to drill through the first piece of timber so that it will pull up tight against the other piece when the screw is wound in. The countersink bit is used to create a well for the screw head to sit inside so it doesn't sit proud of the timber's surface; Hudad's countersink fits into his drill but he says you can get hand ones.

Paint or Stain. Hudad says to use only water based 'bunny safe' paints or stains. For this project he is using Cuprinol Garden Shades in Holly Green.

Wire Mesh. Hudad has used here 1" x 1/2" welded galvanised mesh in 19 gauge thickness. Humum bought a roll 100 feet long by 3 feet wide from eBay for £40

Staple Gun. A staple gun makes fixing the mesh so quick and easy. You can pick up a good heavy duty one like hudad's for £15 from B&Q Tradepoint If you don't have a staple gun, you can use U shaped nails with a hammer.


How To

First step is to cut your timber to length. This run panel is going to be 6 feet long and just under 3 feet high (1830mm x 900mm in metric). It will sit on top of the retaining wall when it is finished.

Next you need to lay the jigsaw out and make sure that all your measurements are correct. This panel has a central vertical brace to give it more rigidity so it will look like there are two 3 foot sections.

Hudad is using a table and he has clamped the timbers down in position with quick action clamps.

First drill your pilot hole through both pieces of timber. Then drill your clearance hole through the first piece of timber only.


Then you need to countersink the clearance holes.



Next, apply some paint or stain to the ends of the timber that will be joined together. If you are using tanalised lathe hudad still recommends you paint or stain the cut ends of the timber.


Then you can screw the two pieces together.



Repeat the above for each joint until you have a completed panel.


This can now be painted and left to dry.

Once dry, lay out your mesh on top of the panel and trim to size. This can then be stapled in place.


Normally, hudad would then use another identical panel and sandwich the mesh in the middle, screwing the two panels together. This makes them extra sturdy and conceals any potentially sharp edges. In this case he has ensured that the edges of the mesh are smooth and flat because if he used two panels sandwiched together, it wouldn't fit inside the post slots on the retaining wall.

The finished panel is in position. Hudad has added a couple of trimmed offcuts to the bottom of the panel sides to wedge it into the post slots. He has also put some feet onto the panels so they don't sit directly on the concrete gravel boards.

Hudad asks please ignore the mess at the back, he needs to get a skip in


And a close up of the one he made last weekend.


The bridge across to Cindy's penthouse. It's not yet in use and will have a tunnel attached to it.

A great and easy to follow post. Thank you. Hope to build an aivery style run for my two.

Now why did I only remember this really useful post once I had bought wood and screwed it together in a rubbish way so the finished result is more rhomboid than rectangle!  

Have now discovered I have an electric screwdriver and a rechargeable drill so will be doing this properly now!  

Thanks Hudad