fence tips and tricks

ddd75":142poe7b said:

those end posts look a little skinny

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Large diameter corner posts are, in most cases, just a gimmick to make a fence look more substantial. I would rather brace a fence off of a 2-7/8" pipe post that was 10 or 12' long, as to use a 10" diameter post that was only 8' long. It's the part you can't see in pictures that does the work.

ddd75":27llx1g7 said:

those end posts look a little skinny

Click to expand...

There 4-5" x 8' driven 3' deep. Never seen one pull or break. But sometimes we do use 4x10s or 6x8s.

Farm Fence Solutions":1ymaj9do said:

ddd75":1ymaj9do said:

those end posts look a little skinny

Click to expand...

Large diameter corner posts are, in most cases, just a gimmick to make a fence look more substantial. I would rather brace a fence off of a 2-7/8" pipe post that was 10 or 12' long, as to use a 10" diameter post that was only 8' long. It's the part you can't see in pictures that does the work.

Click to expand...

How many do you see you huge post and only have em 2 foot deep. Or they build a beast of a brace . And don't pull the wire tight.
You can build a brace out of 23/8 pipe where you can pull net wire in two without the brace giving a quarter inch....well I can....I'm pretty sure you probably can to.

callmefence":1pwyy0th said:

Farm Fence Solutions":1pwyy0th said:

ddd75":1pwyy0th said:

those end posts look a little skinny

Click to expand...

Large diameter corner posts are, in most cases, just a gimmick to make a fence look more substantial. I would rather brace a fence off of a 2-7/8" pipe post that was 10 or 12' long, as to use a 10" diameter post that was only 8' long. It's the part you can't see in pictures that does the work.

Click to expand...

How many do you see you huge post and only have em 2 foot deep. Or they build a beast of a brace . And don't pull the wire tight.
You can build a brace out of 23/8 pipe where you can pull net wire in two without the brace giving a quarter inch....well I can....I'm pretty sure you probably can to.

Click to expand...

Probably? Is that all the confidence you have in me? :lol:

Farm Fence Solutions":1nypu1w4 said:

callmefence":1nypu1w4 said:

Farm Fence Solutions":1nypu1w4 said:

Large diameter corner posts are, in most cases, just a gimmick to make a fence look more substantial. I would rather brace a fence off of a 2-7/8" pipe post that was 10 or 12' long, as to use a 10" diameter post that was only 8' long. It's the part you can't see in pictures that does the work.

Click to expand...

How many do you see you huge post and only have em 2 foot deep. Or they build a beast of a brace . And don't pull the wire tight.
You can build a brace out of 23/8 pipe where you can pull net wire in two without the brace giving a quarter inch....well I can....I'm pretty sure you probably can to.

Click to expand...

Probably? Is that all the confidence you have in me? :lol:

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Would someone be kind enough to repost there plans for these pipe H braces ?

Tonka":1017gamo said:

Farm Fence Solutions":1017gamo said:

callmefence":1017gamo said:

How many do you see you huge post and only have em 2 foot deep. Or they build a beast of a brace . And don't pull the wire tight.
You can build a brace out of 23/8 pipe where you can pull net wire in two without the brace giving a quarter inch....well I can....I'm pretty sure you probably can to.

Click to expand...

Probably? Is that all the confidence you have in me? :lol:

Click to expand...

Would someone be kind enough to repost there plans for these pipe H braces ?

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Sent you some pics. I'm southbound with video cameras, so stay tuned for a detailed instructional video starring the original Fenceman.

fence_it":rxh1wbpv said:

ddd75":rxh1wbpv said:

those end posts look a little skinny

Click to expand...

There 4-5" x 8' driven 3' deep. Never seen one pull or break. But sometimes we do use 4x10s or 6x8s.

Click to expand...

i see.. I only build mine out of 5" posts so maybe mine look skinny too. haha. It must be the picture angle.

Farm Fence Solutions":2j1ucawh said:

ddd75":2j1ucawh said:

those end posts look a little skinny

Click to expand...

Large diameter corner posts are, in most cases, just a gimmick to make a fence look more substantial. I would rather brace a fence off of a 2-7/8" pipe post that was 10 or 12' long, as to use a 10" diameter post that was only 8' long. It's the part you can't see in pictures that does the work.

Click to expand...

It's the part that has more sq inch exposure to hole sidewall that does the work--either by going deeper with smaller diameter posts, using an extra brace/deadman, or.... using a larger diameter post, that doesn't need to be as deep to provide as much resistance to movement because the larger diameter means the same amt of total sq inches of sidewall exposure as the smaller post drilled or driven to a greater depth.
Contractors are apt to say their corners hold up well because of greater depth but what the neglect to say is they HAVE to go to greater depth because they are using smaller diameter posts.

greybeard":32krodal said:

Farm Fence Solutions":32krodal said:

ddd75":32krodal said:

those end posts look a little skinny

Click to expand...

Large diameter corner posts are, in most cases, just a gimmick to make a fence look more substantial. I would rather brace a fence off of a 2-7/8" pipe post that was 10 or 12' long, as to use a 10" diameter post that was only 8' long. It's the part you can't see in pictures that does the work.

Click to expand...

It's the part that has more sq inch exposure to hole sidewall that does the work--either by going deeper with smaller diameter posts, using an extra brace/deadman, or.... using a larger diameter post, that doesn't need to be as deep to provide as much resistance to movement because the larger diameter means the same amt of total sq inches of sidewall exposure as the smaller post drilled or driven to a greater depth.
Contractors are apt to say their corners hold up well because of greater depth but what the neglect to say is they HAVE to go to greater depth because they are using smaller diameter posts.

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I Kinda disagree with that sir. Going deeper gets into more compacted and stable ground. Width is a poor substitute for depth. A contractor needs to know his country and how deep he needs to go in certain soil types.
Granted I have recently learned that why I may know my country. I don't know jack about some places.

callmefence":5ek7l89j said:

I Kinda disagree with that sir. Going deeper gets into more compacted and stable ground. Width is a poor substitute for depth. A contractor needs to know his country and how deep he needs to go in certain soil types.
Granted I have recently learned that why I may know my country. I don't know jack about some places.

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I agree. Depth is more a factor than surface area on the post. It's a function of the total earth mass around the post rather than the surface area on the post. The post that goes deeper has a larger earth mass around it. For example, a 6 inch post set 4 feet down will be considerably more stable than a 10 inch post set 2 feet down because the earth mass around the 6 inch post is approximately twice as much.

Yet there are are thousands..maybe tens of thousands of single 'H' corners all over E Texas using large diameter wooden posts that have stood solidly in place for decades...at 4' depths. Why do your smaller diameter posts, even when driven deep, need a dead man?
You know the answer to that same as I do.

You build a great fence with good longevity. So do those that use 8" or better corners at shallower depths.
(On much of my property, below 5' will get you in the 1st permanently water bearing soil and you would have to go a lot deeper to get into the red clay again)

No one is talking about 2' depths. :roll:

greybeard":ocsz8vqz said:

Yet there are are thousands..maybe tens of thousands of single 'H' corners all over E Texas using large diameter wooden posts that have stood solidly in place for decades...at 4' depths. Why do your smaller diameter posts, even when driven deep, need a dead man?
You know the answer to that same as I do.

You build a great fence with good longevity. So do those that use 8" or better corners at shallower depths.
(On much of my property, below 5' will get you in the 1st permanently water bearing soil and you would have to go a lot deeper to get into the red clay again)

No one is talking about 2' depths. :roll:

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There's also tens of thousands leaning.
I use a dead man for the same reason a brace wire is used on a H brace.
I stand by my statement, I've pulled out enough leaning braces to have a pretty valid opinion on why they were leaning.

If depth is the primary advantage, why, do you need the dead man?
Again:
You already have the welded H posts at significant depth so why is a dead man needed?

greybeard":u4rxtl6p said:

If depth is the primary advantage, why, do you need the dead man?
Again:
You already have the welded H posts at significant depth so why is a dead man needed?

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I've already answered that question.

greybeard":5jhjj3r4 said:

If depth is the primary advantage, why, do you need the dead man?
Again:
You already have the welded H posts at significant depth so why is a dead man needed?

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So if you have a 6 inch post four foot deep. A 12 inch post 2 foot deep would be as structural sound?? I'm trying to learn something here, maybe I'm doing it wrong.

So if you have a 6 inch post four foot deep. A 12 inch post 2 foot deep would be as structural sound??

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Of course not..an unrealistic comparison.

No, there is a limit before the post will heave the earth up. As I said, no one is talking about a corner 2' deep in this part of the world.
Dig a hole with a pair of ph diggers or an auger. Reach down as far as you can in the hole and force your index finger into the sidewall.
Now make a fist and with the same physical effort, try to push your fist into the sidewall.
Which one penetrated more?
The answer will be the one with the least amount of sq inches presented to penetration. The index finger.

greybeard":1kym9o54 said:

So if you have a 6 inch post four foot deep. A 12 inch post 2 foot deep would be as structural sound??

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Of course not..an unrealistic comparison.

No, there is a limit before the post will heave the earth up. As I said, no one is talking about a corner 2' deep in this part of the world.
Dig a hole with a pair of ph diggers or an auger. Reach down as far as you can in the hole and force your index finger into the sidewall.
Now make a fist and with the same physical effort, try to push your fist into the sidewall.
Which one penetrated more?
The answer will be the one with the least amount of sq inches presented to penetration. The index finger.

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That sounds scientific enough. Do you have some post hole digger's I can borrow??

How is my comparison unrealistic...??

Drive a post, and don't brace it....then stretch some fence from it. The post leans. The corners that you see popping out, are from having the strut too high, or too narrow of a brace. A good wide H brace combats the vertical lifting forces. In short, there are two problems to combat here..... The first one, the lean, is resolved by setting longer posts deeper in the ground. It's a simple lever and fulcrum equation.
FWIW, I do dozens of fencing demonstrations a year, and my only rule is the host isn't allowed to build the braces. 100% of the time, they break my rule, and 100% of the time I have to waste half a day rebuilding braces after I pull them out of the ground trying to stretch wire. All of that said, it usually doesn't matter, because 95% of fence is never properly tensioned to begin with. Funny thing is, I'm driving the backroads of Central Texas......taking pictures of failed braces. I know I'm a tick weird, but it's my hobby. lol

Fence Tip #920

Fencing in the rain and mud is not fun. But a good pair of muck boots and carhartt rain gear make it bearable. :cboy:

Chain strainers also work excellent for tensioning brace wire.