Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/657337
world fence news • april 2016 • 31 The North American Fence Con- tractors Association (NAFCA) Fence Training School returned to Sebring, Florida for its 2016 session. The school started out with a wel- come reception in the Rose Room at the Inn on the Lakes Hotel. Students enjoyed refreshments while getting to know each other and enjoyed rooting for their prospective teams in the Su- per Bowl. Seven stations were set up: Orna- mental, welding, vinyl, wood, gate op- erators, farm fencing and chain link. Students from six states as well as On- tario, Canada came together to learn tricks of the trade and get hands-on experience in fencing. The City of Sebring welcomed the School back to continue refurbishing and installing new products at a mu- nicipal golf course, as well as a recre- ational area with soccer and baseball fields, playgrounds and a picnic area. Mart Prost, Training School di- rector, met previously with the city to layout and determine where the new fencing would be installed. The site provided a very large work area and a lot of opportunity to teach new tech- niques and fencing, Prost said. This year NAFCA continued in- stalling cedar fence, which was con- structed around the maintenance building. Ray Statz of Qual Line Fence was the instructor at this sta- tion. The team installed an addition of 32 lineal feet to the existing 75 feet of 8' high privacy cedar fence without using any concrete for the footings. The existing 75 feet was installed one and two years ago without con- crete and it is all standing perfectly plumb, teaching the students that there is more than one way to do a good job, Statz noted. The posts are 3 inch OD Schedule 40 driven 4½ feet deep, set with two pipe anchors, each of which was 5 feet long driven at 45 degree angles under- ground like the roots of a tree. The fence is working well to block the maintenance building from view and also to keep golfers driving on carts from being hit by golf balls, Statz noted. Along the same lines for safety and protection, on the opposite side of the building, CertainTeed instructor Pat Sadler led this station. Training at this station was a continuation of the vinyl privacy fence that was started in 2015. A run of 7" wide privacy pick- et was installed with an opening for a gate. The next section was an 11" wide privacy picket that continued following a sloping grade for about 40 feet, with each panel dropping about 3". They also installed an "S" curved section from start to finish. The station also touched on the components that make up a PVC fence profile, and students were given an ex- planation of how PVC fence is engi- neered to work. They also assembled an alumi- num-framed gate and were given tips and tricks to racking or stepping a pri- vacy fence. They were also given hands-on experience working a router and tem- plate kit to make their own rail holes in a post. The fence was constructed along a pathway and serves to block Students and instructors from the 2016 Fence Training School: Kneeling: Darren Davis, Emanuel Perez, and Taylor Coley. Second row: Ray Statz, Jimmy Stewart, David Sanger, Lynda Dahl, Doug Kuhn, Pat Sadler, and Jim Iams. Third row: Sam- my Franklin, Mart Prost, Al Martins, Jason Gautz, Alex Bingaman, Brett Dahl, An- gel Felix, Bob Labadle, Bill Iams, Bill McCoy, and Sean Russell. (NAFCA photo) NAFCA Training School returns to Florida continued on next page