fence questions...

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I've never used steel posts. Don't they rust through? Or is oilfield pipe some kind of rust resistant kind of steel? How long does oilfield pipe last in the ground? Or do you cement in every post?
Well, you got a lot of educated responses - and way better than my answer would have been. The only thing I will add is even though we're all rock, the posts are still cemented in.
 
If you get good tubing from clean wells it will last a long time. If you don't you will be replacing it in the near future.

That's the good stuff. As long as you don't need to weld it.
Most commonly used (that I have been around) is 2 3/8"and 2 7/8". People seem to think that because it comes from downhole that it's drill stem, but it's not. It's production tubing.
Some is and some isn't. There are work strings and production strings in most sizes including 2 7/8 and 2 3/8. Usually the collars and weight will give it away.

Most of the tubing or drill pipe is by weight. #6.5 is common for a 2 7/8 production string. That 4 1/2 drill pipe can be extremely heavy.

We sell off our tubing and buy wood posts for fence. Never been a fan of it nor has it been necessary in our area.
 
If you get good tubing from clean wells it will last a long time. If you don't you will be replacing it in the near future.


Some is and some isn't. There are work strings and production strings in most sizes including 2 7/8 and 2 3/8. Usually the collars and weight will give it away.

Most of the tubing or drill pipe is by weight. #6.5 is common for a 2 7/8 production string. That 4 1/2 drill pipe can be extremely heavy.

We sell off our tubing and buy wood posts for fence. Never been a fan of it nor has it been necessary in our area.

not all wood posts are equal either. I prefer southern yellow pine with a heavy soak treatment. if those wood posts are heavy and feel like a rock, they are a good post. I bought some white pine (mistake) that weighed about a 1/4 as a standard SYP post and you just know those things will rot in a few years.
 
We use a lot of cedar posts around here. Some of these fences are easily a hundred years old and the posts are just fine. Maybe they'd go away in a wetter climate.

Bois d'arc will last that long too, but if you don't drive the staples in them while still a little green you'll need to drill pilot holes.
 
If you get good tubing from clean wells it will last a long time. If you don't you will be replacing it in the near future.


Some is and some isn't. There are work strings and production strings in most sizes including 2 7/8 and 2 3/8. Usually the collars and weight will give it away.

Most of the tubing or drill pipe is by weight. #6.5 is common for a 2 7/8 production string. That 4 1/2 drill pipe can be extremely heavy.

We sell off our tubing and buy wood posts for fence. Never been a fan of it nor has it been necessary in our area.
Appears you are correct regarding work strings. Never seen it up here (unless it was water well drill pipe) and I was involved in the pipe and piling business for a time. It is a big old world.
 
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Another thing about steel. It doesn't burn or break. A broken wood post can be a major repair if it's a corner, end of gate. More so if set in concrete.
A steel post will bend if someone hangs it with a trailer. Pretty simple to bend it back. Even if it does break or bend to much you just cut it off , sleeve it and weld on a another.
 
We use a lot of cedar posts around here. Some of these fences are easily a hundred years old and the posts are just fine. Maybe they'd go away in a wetter climate.
Mountain cedar post have been used for 100 years around here. I've seen them 80 years old. The thing is old growth cedar is very rare nowadays. It's almost all new growth and doesn't have the heartwood a juniper gets with age.
I've got about 250 acres of huge old growth cedar on a rocky hilltop. I get ask about it several times a year. I consider it my unemployment insurance. Lol.I've made it through some hard times cutting cedar post...lol

I'll still use steel on any fence I sell. Fwiw
 
I went hiking out at Dana Peaks and Trimmier Creek a few months back when I was out in Copperas Cove, loved all the cedar and what I figure was post oak. Beautiful spaces out there, but too damn expensive to live there these days. My wife and all her family are allergic to cedar. When one needs cut, if I'm ready to hand then I already know to go fetch my tools and get them ready when it comes up.
 
I went hiking out at Dana Peaks and Trimmier Creek a few months back when I was out in Copperas Cove, loved all the cedar and what I figure was post oak. Beautiful spaces out there, but too damn expensive to live there these days. My wife and all her family are allergic to cedar. When one needs cut, if I'm ready to hand then I already know to go fetch my tools and get them ready when it comes up.
My home place is 20 minutes from still house hollow... you should come by sometime.
 
Bought this place 50 years ago and built everything out of cedar and rr crossties. Sandy loam soil with typically high humidity. Worked great for about 35 years, ever since then I've been replacing everything with steel. I agree with fence that steel is much easier to repair than wood.
 
Dang, didn't know you was a cedarchopper. You sure you aren't from down Leakey or Ingram way?

Nope I always cut my timber around lampasas and lometa and sold to Myers .the original cedar yard. If you haven't read the book cedar chopper. Life on the edge of nowhere. Good read. The guys up there in the nw big timber country think they're tough I'd like to see them in a cedar break come august.
 
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Who's instigateing. I thought we were having a good conversation. I'm looking forward to seeing more of 50/50s progress on his fence.
Btw I've decided to save some money by doing my own electrical engineering.
I'm going to start small by building a motion sensing lamp. I think it's pretty good.so far. What do you think.

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Cotton cloth 1940 wiring is pretty darn safe with 1960's wire nutting...better than bare wire post wiring of the 1900's.
 

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