fence tips and tricks

[ddd75]

if you have 1.5 miles to go.. I'd either hire the posts pounded... or rent a post pounder.

i surely wouldn't dig it all by hand. I've already dug a few miles of fence by hand and its just a big waste of time and energy. If you give me the month or so of work that you'd have building that fence I'll come build it for you.

 

[Bright Raven]

if you have 1.5 miles to go.. I'd either hire the posts pounded... or rent a post pounder.

i surely wouldn't dig it all by hand. I've already dug a few miles of fence by hand and its just a big waste of time and energy. If you give me the month or so of work that you'd have building that fence I'll come build it for you.

I agree. That much fence - better get a post driver.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

Or you could use pipe and drive them by hand, or with a gas powered driver. Bolt on hardware makes it easy for those who don't weld. I'd rather drive one by hand than dig a hole.

 

[Bright Raven]

Or you could use pipe and drive them by hand, or with a gas powered driver. Bolt on hardware makes it easy for those who don't weld. I'd rather drive one by hand than dig a hole.

Luke. Do they make a hand driver for pipe - something along the lines of a T-post driver? Or do you mean using a sledge?

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

Or you could use pipe and drive them by hand, or with a gas powered driver. Bolt on hardware makes it easy for those who don't weld. I'd rather drive one by hand than dig a hole.

Luke. Do they make a hand driver for pipe - something along the lines of a T-post driver? Or do you mean using a sledge?

Most make their own, but yes, just a T post driver on roids.

 

[libertygarden]

I'm in black prairie land, 100% clay soil, so pounding T posts is not the problem. Six to eight wacks and the post is in 18". My problem, aside from inexperience and working alone, is digging 4' corner posts. Two sides of the property are straight, but the third side -- the property being shaped like a triangle-- runs along side a creek about 750 yards. I'm planning on renting a bobcat with an auger and dig all holes at once. The soil is too wet on some of the low areas to operate a bobcat, but it should dry by mid June. Most of the work so far has been clearing the fence line of hackberry, juniper, elm, and bodark.

Tamping clay soil is a problem all on its own.

 

[Bright Raven]

I'm in black prairie land, 100% clay soil, so pounding T posts is not the problem. Six to eight wacks and the post is in 18". My problem, aside from inexperience and working alone, is digging 4' corner posts. Two sides of the property are straight, but the third side -- the property being shaped like a triangle-- runs along side a creek about 750 yards. I'm planning on renting a bobcat with an auger and dig all holes at once. The soil is too wet on some of the low areas to operate a bobcat, but it should dry by mid June. Most of the work so far has been clearing the fence line of hackberry, juniper, elm, and bodark.

Tamping clay soil is a problem all on its own.

Let me save you a lot of trouble and disappointment. DON'T TRY TO FOLLOW A MEANDERING CREEK. I did and it don't work. Give up some fenced pasture and move away from the creek and fence on as much of a straight line as you can!!!@

 

[callmefence]

I'm in black prairie land, 100% clay soil, so pounding T posts is not the problem. Six to eight wacks and the post is in 18". My problem, aside from inexperience and working alone, is digging 4' corner posts. Two sides of the property are straight, but the third side -- the property being shaped like a triangle-- runs along side a creek about 750 yards. I'm planning on renting a bobcat with an auger and dig all holes at once. The soil is too wet on some of the low areas to operate a bobcat, but it should dry by mid June. Most of the work so far has been clearing the fence line of hackberry, juniper, elm, and bodark.

Tamping clay soil is a problem all on its own.

If you're in the BLACKLAND prairie you want to beat 4 ' and you need to drive them. Trust me I know. A good fence builder can probably drive them and provide them cheaper than you can buy the pipe.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

Yep. If it's gonna be tight, I'd want some post in the ground. We use 10' in "good" ground. In muck, sometimes weld another 10' on the first one.

 

[Bright Raven]

You fence guys like tight fences. But consider, you are shoveling shyt into the tide. There is a Law of Thermodynamics that states - all matter seeks its lowest energy level. That means:

1. Wire fatigues.
2. Braces eventually surrender.
3. Materials decay as they revert to their natural state.

You are only delaying the inevitable. But Bless your hearts. You give it your best effort and we love you for it. Lol

Reference:
The principle of minimum energy is essentially a restatement of the second law of thermodynamics. It states that for a closed system, with constant external parameters and entropy, the internal energy will decrease and approach a minimum value at equilibrium. External parameters generally means the volume, but may include other parameters which are specified externally, such as a constant magnetic field.

 

[Bright Raven]

Inline braces work fine, they just cost twice as much.

Luke, you need to come back and visit Adrian!

When you do, I will show you some inline braces on 135 to 140 degree angles - some tied off, some pulled around - and the fence is as tight as a banjo string. Put up by Kevin 8 years ago. I will admit, I can also show you some that have given up some of the wire tension, but the fence still does the job.

 

[callmefence]

You fence guys like tight fences. But consider, you are shoveling shyt into the tide. There is a Law of Thermodynamics that states - all matter seeks its lowest energy level. That means:

1. Wire fatigues.
2. Braces eventually surrender.
3. Materials decay as they revert to their natural state.

You are only delaying the inevitable. But Bless your hearts. You give it your best effort and we love you for it. Lol

Reference:
The principle of minimum energy is essentially a restatement of the second law of thermodynamics. It states that for a closed system, with constant external parameters and entropy, the internal energy will decrease and approach a minimum value at equilibrium. External parameters generally means the volume, but may include other parameters which are specified externally, such as a constant magnetic field.

Really in truly there's a small amount of truth to that. Thing is if you do 100 jobs right you'll get paid and make a living. You screw one up. You either fix it out of pocket or you get your name drug through the mud. And have to become a gypsy to make a living. Lots of the fence on place is piece mill. For various and good reason. My customers are not. Sometimes I have braces pull. It happens , sometimes a wire breaks. If it's my fault I'll fix it. Weather it's a week old or ten years old. If you get into with the tractor you can pay me.
I've got wire on this place. Low tensile..
That's pushing forty. It's still tight enough that a grown man can ladder climb it between the post. Not because it was stretched and tied off to ridiculous tension, " after having a dodad hung on it. But because it was stretched properly. It maintains its tension all the while putting a manageable strain on the brace. Anybody can use their Google and be a internet expert in anything. But most of the real expertise in this occupation is in the heads of men who never used Google.. and are actually old enough to say the built a 50year fence.....

 

[callmefence]

Inline braces work fine, they just cost twice as much.

Luke, you need to come back and visit Adrian!

When you do, I will show you some inline braces on 135 to 140 degree angles - some tied off, some pulled around - and the fence is as tight as a banjo string. Put up by Kevin 8 years ago. I will admit, I can also show you some that have given up some of the wire tension, but the fence still does the job.

There's another way to handle this problem for folks opposed to the kicker brace.
You go up a size or two on your post. Drive it good and deep. No move perpendicular and preferably to the inside of the turn and drive your dead man. Only drive to about 6" below ground level. Stop and saddle the top before you go in the ground. Now dig small trench 6" deep. Saddle one end of a piece of pipe the saddle goes to the post and the other end lays in the saddle of the dead man. You'll have to stand on your head to weld the part in the ground.
But you want the pipe on top so it I'll never get a tire. Cover it up and your brace is underground. We mostly use this when we have to hang a gate off a dead post.

Carry on

 

[libertygarden]

Reference:
External parameters generally means the volume, but may include other parameters which are specified externally, such as a constant magnetic field.

Or in this case, the creek overflowing and trashing the fence. I get you about running as straight line as much as possible, even at the expense of pasture land. That's how I've been marking the spots for the corner braces.

 

[M-5]

Inline braces work fine, they just cost twice as much.

Luke, you need to come back and visit Adrian!

When you do, I will show you some inline braces on 135 to 140 degree angles - some tied off, some pulled around - and the fence is as tight as a banjo string. Put up by Kevin 8 years ago. I will admit, I can also show you some that have given up some of the wire tension, but the fence still does the job.

There's another way to handle this problem for folks opposed to the kicker brace.
You go up a size or two on your post. Drive it good and deep. No move perpendicular and preferably to the inside of the turn and drive your dead man. Only drive to about 6" below ground level. Stop and saddle the top before you go in the ground. Now dig small trench 6" deep. Saddle one end of a piece of pipe the saddle goes to the post and the other end lays in the saddle of the dead man. You'll have to stand on your head to weld the part in the ground.
But you want the pipe on top so it I'll never get a tire. Cover it up and your brace is underground. We mostly use this when we have to hang a gate off a dead post.

Carry on

As I repair and fix some corner post that are leaning from poor installation by PO , I loosen the wire dig down the side of post pull back square then dig a trench on the pressure side that will hold 3 or 4 bags of concrete

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

Inline braces work fine, they just cost twice as much.

Luke, you need to come back and visit Adrian!

When you do, I will show you some inline braces on 135 to 140 degree angles - some tied off, some pulled around - and the fence is as tight as a banjo string. Put up by Kevin 8 years ago. I will admit, I can also show you some that have given up some of the wire tension, but the fence still does the job.

There's another way to handle this problem for folks opposed to the kicker brace.
You go up a size or two on your post. Drive it good and deep. No move perpendicular and preferably to the inside of the turn and drive your dead man. Only drive to about 6" below ground level. Stop and saddle the top before you go in the ground. Now dig small trench 6" deep. Saddle one end of a piece of pipe the saddle goes to the post and the other end lays in the saddle of the dead man. You'll have to stand on your head to weld the part in the ground.
But you want the pipe on top so it I'll never get a tire. Cover it up and your brace is underground. We mostly use this when we have to hang a gate off a dead post.

Carry on

We've built some H braces like that on high dollar horse farms. The insurance company usually mandates that there won't be any twitch wire or brace post where a foot could become trapped. Works pretty good, but it'll sore some muscles up that you didn't know you had. lol

 

[Bright Raven]

Reference:
External parameters generally means the volume, but may include other parameters which are specified externally, such as a constant magnetic field.

Or in this case, the creek overflowing and trashing the fence. I get you about running as straight line as much as possible, even at the expense of pasture land. That's how I've been marking the spots for the corner braces.

I have areas where I am on the third fence because the two previous fences failed mainly due to trying to salvage a few more feet of pasture. I have stopped doing that. In one area, I gave up probably a half acre to the adjoining landowner so I could build a decent fence.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

You fence guys like tight fences. But consider, you are shoveling shyt into the tide. There is a Law of Thermodynamics that states - all matter seeks its lowest energy level. That means:

1. Wire fatigues.
2. Braces eventually surrender.
3. Materials decay as they revert to their natural state.

You are only delaying the inevitable. But Bless your hearts. You give it your best effort and we love you for it. Lol

Reference:
The principle of minimum energy is essentially a restatement of the second law of thermodynamics. It states that for a closed system, with constant external parameters and entropy, the internal energy will decrease and approach a minimum value at equilibrium. External parameters generally means the volume, but may include other parameters which are specified externally, such as a constant magnetic field.

Really in truly there's a small amount of truth to that. Thing is if you do 100 jobs right you'll get paid and make a living. You screw one up. You either fix it out of pocket or you get your name drug through the mud. And have to become a gypsy to make a living. Lots of the fence on place is piece mill. For various and good reason. My customers are not. Sometimes I have braces pull. It happens , sometimes a wire breaks. If it's my fault I'll fix it. Weather it's a week old or ten years old. If you get into with the tractor you can pay me.
I've got wire on this place. Low tensile..
That's pushing forty. It's still tight enough that a grown man can ladder climb it between the post. Not because it was stretched and tied off to ridiculous tension, " after having a dodad hung on it. But because it was stretched properly. It maintains its tension all the while putting a manageable strain on the brace. Anybody can use their Google and be a internet expert in anything. But most of the real expertise in this occupation is in the heads of men who never used Google.. and are actually old enough to say the built a 50year fence.....

Embrace the dodad. It offers proof of consistency and starts converstions that lead to better conversations. A good fencer doesn't need one, but it doesn't hurt for proving quality in the midst of a sale.

 

[libertygarden]

Callmefence,

So you recommend that in clay soil pipe be used for corner braces and it be pounded in to more than 4 feet? I got an estimate for a professional to do the perimeter including the fence clearing and it came out to $4/foot or $30K. And he was using 10' telephone posts. That's when I decided to give it a shot myself. Every time I pull a tick off I question the wisdom of that decision.

 

[callmefence]

Luke, you need to come back and visit Adrian!

When you do, I will show you some inline braces on 135 to 140 degree angles - some tied off, some pulled around - and the fence is as tight as a banjo string. Put up by Kevin 8 years ago. I will admit, I can also show you some that have given up some of the wire tension, but the fence still does the job.

There's another way to handle this problem for folks opposed to the kicker brace.
You go up a size or two on your post. Drive it good and deep. No move perpendicular and preferably to the inside of the turn and drive your dead man. Only drive to about 6" below ground level. Stop and saddle the top before you go in the ground. Now dig small trench 6" deep. Saddle one end of a piece of pipe the saddle goes to the post and the other end lays in the saddle of the dead man. You'll have to stand on your head to weld the part in the ground.
But you want the pipe on top so it I'll never get a tire. Cover it up and your brace is underground. We mostly use this when we have to hang a gate off a dead post.

Carry on

As I repair and fix some corner post that are leaning from poor installation by PO , I loosen the wire dig down the side of post pull back square then dig a trench on the pressure side that will hold 3 or 4 bags of concrete

Yep ..done that ..I like to put a couple of pieces of rebar in .