Barbwire Fence Stapling

[skyhightree1]

I got in a debate with 2 local farmers about my fencing im in process of putting up. One guys said to not staple the line posts fencing tightly but to leave it where it can slide a little. One guy told me dont listen to the other guy drive the staple in flush with the post on line posts. Does anyone have a opinion on which is the better practice? I am fencing in 18 acres and want to do it right the first time. :help:

 

[Bez+]

Because we have moose trying to walk over fences and deer going through fences plus a lot of trees coming to rest on the fences - we use the longest staple we can find - usually 2 1/2 inches.

We then make sure it is a barbed staple so it takes more to pull it out.

Then we leave enough room in the top for a barb to go through the staple if pulled real hard.

Saves a lot of "re-fencing"

Works for us - might not be what you want to do - but we will never go tight to the wire on a post with a staple except on the corners and braces.

I suspect there is no real right or wrong answer - just what fits the situation.

What you do is up to you

Cheers

Bez+

 

[skyhightree1]

Thanks cause I was going to leave a little bit of give i figured if you pounded the wire in your more prone to damaging the wire and breaking it but I think my grandfather pounded all his wire in on his farm and left no slack in line posts

 

[dun]

Thanks cause I was going to leave a little bit of give i figured if you pounded the wire in your more prone to damaging the wire and breaking it but I think my grandfather pounded all his wire in on his farm and left no slack in line posts

Leave just a bit of slack so the wire can expand and contract with the weather, that way you also won;t damage the galvanizing on the wire

 

[Angus Cowman]

i always left them a little loose and always used 2 inche staples

 

[Fred]

Leave a little slack and also turn your staple so it isn't straight up and down in the post.

 

[mtncows]

My advice is to heed the above

 

[skyhightree1]

I appreciate it everyone. I will leave a little bit of slack in the line posts.

 

[bigbull338]

around here you drive the steples in as tight as you can get them.that keeps tension on the wire an keeps it tight.because over time the wire will swagg an droop if its not tight.we have some old fences on our place that are still nice an tight.an you have to work at crawling through them.an they are prolly 60yrs old or older.

 

[skyhightree1]

around here you drive the steples in as tight as you can get them.that keeps tension on the wire an keeps it tight.because over time the wire will swagg an droop if its not tight.we have some old fences on our place that are still nice an tight.an you have to work at crawling through them.an they are prolly 60yrs old or older.

I must say my grandfathers fences were tight like that to he used a board and a lil chain on it to pull it tight. I will see if i cant find his fencing puller and put a pic up of it.

 

[Angus Cowman]

around here you drive the steples in as tight as you can get them.that keeps tension on the wire an keeps it tight.because over time the wire will swagg an droop if its not tight.we have some old fences on our place that are still nice an tight.an you have to work at crawling through them.an they are prolly 60yrs old or older.

Sorry to disagree with BB but the steeples aren't what is holding the fence tight on the line post it is tight because they had good wire and they pulled it tight and the corners were solid

if the wire isn't stretched tight enough or of a good quality it doesn't matter how tight ya fasten it to the line post it will still sag

 

[AngusLimoX]

You get any frost where your at?
Nailing them tight will make it a mess in 2 or 3 years. Then what do you do, loosen all the staples and re tighten.
Think about it.

 

[BRYANT]

Has anyone ever heard of this ; I had a uncle that was a real ol hillbilly and He raised cattle till he died at about 80 he always said " streach new wire till it breaks then tie it back together and restreach it and it will stay tight" I DO NOT DO THIS MYSELF , I guess His thinking was wire streaches with time so get all the streach out when it is new ???

 

[novatech]

Has anyone ever heard of this ; I had a uncle that was a real ol hillbilly and He raised cattle till he died at about 80 he always said " streach new wire till it breaks then tie it back together and restreach it and it will stay tight" I DO NOT DO THIS MYSELF , I guess His thinking was wire streaches with time so get all the streach out when it is new ???

Wire is made by stretching very large gage wire over and over until the size desired is obtained. Afterward the wire is heat treated. The quality of the material used and the heat treating process determine the quality of what you are buying and the amount of stretch that will occur over time. I have used gaucho that remained tight for over 20 years. I have used other wire that had to be stretched every year. I am currently reusing wire that was originally installed in the 60's. What I'm saying is to buy quality wire and don't worry about it.
Most wire gets loose because the corner posts give way.

 

[bigbull338]

yes the oldtime fence builders here still beleive in streaching a wire till it breaks.an then splice togather an restreach it.they say that makes the wire stronger.

 

[jcummins]

I take it we are talking about an all wood post fence, not one with t-post in it? The t-post clip pulls the wire tight on the t-post, so leaving slack in a wood post which is every 5-6 t-post doesn't really do anything. OR am I installing the t-post clips wrong?

 

[Brute 23]

I have seen fences done with steeples that they don't drive all the way in. Instead of the wire breaking or stretching between two posts and holding... it makes the whole fence look like crap. Plus, if you have t-posts,,, because the wire is tight to them it will pull them sideways.

We put the steeples in to hold the wire tight, we also pull the wire and get the "stretch" out of it.

 

[stocky]

We drive the steeples all the way tight into the post. We drive the steeples at the spots where the two wires are side by side, not one on top of the other, to keep from cutting the wire. If you dont drive them tight and a wire breaks, it will turn that wire loose all the way from corner post to corner post. That can be really tough to fix in our hills, valleys, ups and downs and corners, where only line fences are straight.

 

[novatech]

We drive the steeples all the way tight into the post. We drive the steeples at the spots where the two wires are side by side, not one on top of the other, to keep from cutting the wire. If you dont drive them tight and a wire breaks, it will turn that wire loose all the way from corner post to corner post. That can be really tough to fix in our hills, valleys, ups and downs and corners, where only line fences are straight.

But you might find out your wire doesn't break as often if it is allowed to give a little.

I have been wondering if old trampoline springs installed in line would help where deer like to go through.

 

[Brute 23]

We drive the steeples all the way tight into the post. We drive the steeples at the spots where the two wires are side by side, not one on top of the other, to keep from cutting the wire. If you dont drive them tight and a wire breaks, it will turn that wire loose all the way from corner post to corner post. That can be really tough to fix in our hills, valleys, ups and downs and corners, where only line fences are straight.

But you might find out your wire doesn't break as often if it is allowed to give a little.

I have been wondering if old trampoline springs installed in line would help where deer like to go through.

I would rather it break and repair it than it give all the time and look like crap. :?