# Forum Home Renovation Fences & Screens  Cutting colour bond fence

## StrataStruggler

Have a colour bond fence around the yard.  One section sits on top of the treated pine log retaining wall.  There is a gap beneath this part of the fence.  A piece of timber fills this gap at the moment.  Would it be possible to cut a piece out so that this part of the fence fitted around the retaining wall lessening this gap ( would still be some gap as the land slopes where the fence is).  It would only be a 100mm by 100 mm square taken out of a corner of a panel where it meets the next panel. 
Cheers

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## cyclic

> Have a colour bond fence around the yard.  One section sits on top of the treated pine log retaining wall.  There is a gap beneath this part of the fence.  A piece of timber fills this gap at the moment.  Would it be possible to cut a piece out so that this part of the fence fitted around the retaining wall lessening this gap ( would still be some gap as the land slopes where the fence is).  It would only be a 100mm by 100 mm square taken out of a corner of a panel where it meets the next panel. 
> Cheers

  Yes

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## nww1969

Depending on how much you need to cut you can either use a good quality tin snips
of buy the special thin grinding disc for tin which limits the amount of shavings, still best to
wipe over with some turps to collect any shavings so you don't have any leaving rust marks. 
I prefer the colourbond to be erected with the fall, contour of the land and not stepped down so you
them avoid having large gaps under the fence which then means depending on the fall you have
 to cut most sheets to fit the angle.  
I have changed a few colourbond fences from being stepped down to contour which then also
require some post to be cut down as well.

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## cyclic

> Depending on how much you need to cut you can either use a good quality tin snips
> of buy the special thin grinding disc for tin which limits the amount of shavings, still best to
> wipe over with some turps to collect any shavings so you don't have any leaving rust marks. 
> I prefer the colourbond to be erected with the fall, contour of the land and not stepped down so you
> them avoid having large gaps under the fence which then means depending on the fall you have
>  to cut most sheets to fit the angle.  
> I have changed a few colourbond fences from being stepped down to contour which then also
> require some post to be cut down as well.

  Never use a grinding/cutting disc, the grindings will burn into the colourbond and cause rust.

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## StrataStruggler

That's what I was concerned about in cutting the fence the possibility of rust.  So tin snips the way to go?  Could I do something to the cut edge to protect against rust?

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## cyclic

> That's what I was concerned about in cutting the fence the possibility of rust.  So tin snips the way to go?  Could I do something to the cut edge to protect against rust?

  Spray it with the same colour touchup if you like but I really don't believe it is necessary, and the problem with touchup is it will always be a different colour as the rest of the fence fades slightly.

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## nww1969

Have cut most of my colourbond with thin grinding discs and wipe over with turps
No sign of rust, the fence on my PPOR is now 15-20 years old.

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## manofaus

how will it work if your lower support or rail is cut? You may need to box around the retaining wall, as I would not advise attaching the lower support to the retaining wall.

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## BigG

in my experience installing colorbond fences as soon as the swarf from the cutting discs hits the colorbond surface it burns the coating.
I personally have not tried wiping with turps.
Makita make a cold cut saw which professional roofers use for cutting large amounts of tin.
I personally use the plinth system supplied by Gramline to remove any gaps under the fence.

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