fence tips and tricks

[libertygarden]

OK, thank, you. I'll replace the carbon wire with high tensile. Just saw the picture, so run the loop over the entire assembly instead of into each H separately.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

OK, thank, you. I'll replace the carbon wire with high tensile. Just saw the picture, so run the loop over the entire assembly instead of into each H separately.

Yes, that's how we do it. I'll go three rounds on a double brace, weaving it in a figure 8 patern.

 

[greybeard]

Low carbon brace wire instead of HT is like riding a bike cross country vs flying. Low carbon will keep on stretching, HT won't. A twist stick in HT is a good way to get hurt. Use a ratchet strainer, a Gripple, or tighten with a chain strainer and tie or crimp with HT brace wire......Or just use a Gripple brace kit and be done with it.

Also, on a double brace, if you run the brace wire from the top of the second brace post to the base of the strain post, you'll increase the holding power of your strain post by about 15%. By flattening out the brace wire, the upward force is reduced which helps prevent the strainer from popping out under load.

Before gripples, I have used HT barb wire on occassion for brace wire,but went solely to HT barbless and used a twist stick, which in my case was always a steel rod of some kind. It can get your B hole puckering pretty good making the last couple of turns on that 'twist stick'...

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

Low carbon brace wire instead of HT is like riding a bike cross country vs flying. Low carbon will keep on stretching, HT won't. A twist stick in HT is a good way to get hurt. Use a ratchet strainer, a Gripple, or tighten with a chain strainer and tie or crimp with HT brace wire......Or just use a Gripple brace kit and be done with it.

Also, on a double brace, if you run the brace wire from the top of the second brace post to the base of the strain post, you'll increase the holding power of your strain post by about 15%. By flattening out the brace wire, the upward force is reduced which helps prevent the strainer from popping out under load.

Before gripples, I have used HT barb wire on occassion for brace wire,but went solely to HT barbless and used a twist stick, which in my case was always a steel rod of some kind. It can get your B hole puckering pretty good making the last couple of turns on that 'twist stick'...

.....and when it slips out of your hand, you can be rid of a finger before you can move out of the way. A contractor we sell to in KY lost the end of one that a way. He hadn't used a twist stick in a decade, but his customer didn't trust a ratchet strainer. Expensive lesson for him, but I took notes!

 

[libertygarden]

So a role of HT barbless Gaucho can work? It's certainly cheaper than the 12.5 ga HT that goes on a spinning Jenny.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

So a role of HT barbless Gaucho can work? It's certainly cheaper than the 12.5 ga HT that goes on a spinning Jenny.

You're going to keep getting what you pay for. If you want cheap and easy that actually works, call my wife and order Gripple brace kits. Just ask Ron, and he'll tell you how well they work. Especially good for working back in the sticks.
https://www.farmfencesolutions.com/prod ... brace-kit/

 

[fence_it]

I'll echo what FFS has said. High tensile is the way to go, longer lasting and won't stretch out continuously like low carbon. The gripple brace kits also work excellent, quick and easy. For a double brace I like to wire each H separately instead of just one continuous wire from the far brace post to the end/corner post. I will agree that the less angle on the brace wire the better. With a double brace, I like to tension the first H more than the second. So the first H is doing the majority of the work, while the second is only helping to support it. I'm not a fan of double braces though, I would much rather use a 12' brace rail and be done with it.

 

[libertygarden]

FFS, does the Gripple brace kit also require a special tool to tighten the cable? I like the simplicity and ease of carry.

Fence_It, I was able to get my hands on relatively cheap pipe. I can have them cut it 2.5 to 3 times the length of the strain post. Not knowing much about fencing, I always thought that the double H was stronger than a single H with a longer brace rail. At least I never saw that assembly in the NRCS guides, but I'm no fan of digging extra holes, especially because I'm doing them by hand, so I'll try the longer H.

I'm trying to get some telephone posts, but those get snagged quickly by the locals. And they are too heavy for me to carry to the back of the property.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

I'll echo Fence_it….Long horizontal eliminates the need for a double H. We build our single H's with a 10' strainer, 8' brace post, and 10-12' horizontal strut, and they don't fail. In the pic I posted, my customer was planning on putting 4 plank over the wire, so we had to go 8' on center with the posts. The only way to get enough brace power to hold the wire, and stay 8' on center, was to go with double H's.

Yes, a Gripple brace kit needs to be tightened with a Gripple Contractor Tool, but you will never be disappointed that you have it.

 

[Bright Raven]

So a role of HT barbless Gaucho can work? It's certainly cheaper than the 12.5 ga HT that goes on a spinning Jenny.

You're going to keep getting what you pay for. If you want cheap and easy that actually works, call my wife and order Gripple brace kits. Just ask Ron, and he'll tell you how well they work. Especially good for working back in the sticks.
https://www.farmfencesolutions.com/prod ... brace-kit/

I could not set a brace to my satisfaction until I used the brace kit. I just ordered more.

 

[fence_it]

Here is a good guide for those who would like to learn more about the basics of fencing. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/indu ... es-fencing

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

Here is a good guide for those who would like to learn more about the basics of fencing. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/indu ... es-fencing

Some good stuff in there, but you have to do a little sorting. :lol:
Never ever do this:

 

[fence_it]

Here is a good guide for those who would like to learn more about the basics of fencing. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/indu ... es-fencing

Some good stuff in there, but you have to do a little sorting. :lol:
Never ever do this:

I seen that and it made me wince, wouldn't be so bad if the wraps were at least tight.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

Here is a good guide for those who would like to learn more about the basics of fencing. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/indu ... es-fencing

Some good stuff in there, but you have to do a little sorting. :lol:
Never ever do this:

I seen that and it made me wince, wouldn't be so bad if the wraps were at least tight.

No, it'd still be just as bad. :lol: You can't stretch a fence by the stay wires, which is what would be happening there with the line wires run around the stays. It was dissaponting, because they really did have a good start on the presentation. The barbed wire "knots" were pretty bad, too. I suspect the photographer and fence builder were of no relation to the author. Thanks for posting the link....I did save it for the good parts.

 

[fence_it]

Some good stuff in there, but you have to do a little sorting. :lol:
Never ever do this:

I seen that and it made me wince, wouldn't be so bad if the wraps were at least tight.

No, it'd still be just as bad. :lol: You can't stretch a fence by the stay wires, which is what would be happening there with the line wires run around the stays. It was dissaponting, because they really did have a good start on the presentation. The barbed wire "knots" were pretty bad, too. I suspect the photographer and fence builder were of no relation to the author. Thanks for posting the link....I did save it for the good parts.

Didn't catch that with the stay wires. I've seen wire joined where the line wire is ran through the knot. Using the geared wire twister, a nice looking join can be made. Even though, you can see in this picture it inevitably came apart when a snow load was placed on the fence. So the strength of it is questionable. In this situation the gripples fared much better except for the top wire. Photo credit to Ben Hartwell from the Ag Fencers page.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

I seen that and it made me wince, wouldn't be so bad if the wraps were at least tight.

No, it'd still be just as bad. :lol: You can't stretch a fence by the stay wires, which is what would be happening there with the line wires run around the stays. It was dissaponting, because they really did have a good start on the presentation. The barbed wire "knots" were pretty bad, too. I suspect the photographer and fence builder were of no relation to the author. Thanks for posting the link....I did save it for the good parts.

Didn't catch that with the stay wires. I've seen wire joined where the line wire is ran through the knot. Using the geared wire twister, a nice looking join can be made. Even though, you can see in this picture it inevitably came apart when a snow load was placed on the fence. So the strength of it is questionable. In this situation the gripples fared much better except for the top wire. Photo credit to Ben Hartwell from the Ag Fencers page.

The busted Gripple probably had more to do with the wire than the Gripple. That is Stay Tuff, and with a stiff and oversized top line, it's going to load up faster than the other line wires....especially with a snow load. A figure 8, Tex brown, or reef knot are the only knots that are really suitable for joining HT. I would even go so far as to say that a chit load of wraps would not qualify as a knot, but that's just my opinion. Gripples all the way!! LOL

 

[callmefence]

Here is a good guide for those who would like to learn more about the basics of fencing. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/indu ... es-fencing

Some good stuff in there, but you have to do a little sorting. :lol:
Never ever do this:

That's the ol' Canadian cross twist......

 

[ez14.]

Here is a good guide for those who would like to learn more about the basics of fencing. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/indu ... es-fencing

Some good stuff in there, but you have to do a little sorting. :lol:
Never ever do this:

That's the ol' Canadian cross twist......

cows don't push on it because they got plenty of snow on their side they don't really care to get at the snow on the other side

 

[greybeard]

Why I hate trees # 106...........There's a fence and a partially opened 14' gate obscured in that mess somewhere.

Doty red oak.
It is/was on my brother's place and i shoulda just left it, but couldn't stand to see it. (I figure he woulda done it for me if situation was reversed...maybe) His money grubbing kids that are only interested in monetizing that place aren't going to do anything with it for sure, but I had to drive by it every day and look at it.
Worse part was, this was located in a little 1 ac square lot my brother had fenced off for an elevated cabin he intended to build, and I couldn't get into it with the tractor. The wire and gate post held, but I had to go down the line a few posts & cut the fence to get access with the tractor. 15.5 ga Bekeart.



Pulled it off the tall stump and drug it a little ways away and left it intact for the most part so the next flood doesn't float it on to my fence or on to my property, but no good deed goes unpunished.

 

[fence_it]

Pro tip: Stretch around corners by "piggybacking" stretcher bars. Avoids having to tie off at each corner or doing any of that nasty hard stapling! Only downside is you need 2 stretcher bars and 2 sets of pullers. Stretch to one corner with one stretcher bar and set of pullers, then go down to the next corner and stretch again with the other set. Then go back and take off the last set, and continue on until you reach the end. This is an especially effective method when fencing a field with 4 sides. To make the wire slide around the corner a little easier, use slider staples along with a dab of grease.