fence questions...

[Dave]

@callmefence Curious, how tight do you pull wire when working with ground that has numerous draws/swells? Also, what do you recommend putting in the draws to keep the wire from pulling the t-posts out of the ground? I normally hang heavy rock secured to the t-posts, but thinking there might be a better way.

A place up toward Hereford has a bunch of these along the road. There is steep draws every couple hundred feet. Pull all you want you ain't moving that thing. The issue would be how to get it there.

 

[Brute 23]

Wires don't have to be that tight. We build fence up and down through beach sand. If it's gradual enough we just pull it to match the contour and tie it up. Especially with the high tensile wire, it looks good.

If it's too steep we fence it down with corners on each end. Fence it up with corners on each end. Then put some kind of water gap in the bottom because if it's that steep it will probably flow like a river at some point.

If cows go through fences they get sold. There isn't enough money in cattle to be making special arrangements for certain cows.

 

[Ouachita]

In your part of the country, when cows get out, I'll bet you can see to catch them so you can sell them.
If my cows get out onto forest service, I might spend days trying to find them.

 

[callmefence]

A place up toward Hereford has a bunch of these along the road. There is steep draws every couple hundred feet. Pull all you want you ain't moving that thing. The issue would be how to get it there.

View attachment 23965

That's pretty damn interesting right there. It does seem like it would be easier to just build a brace with a Deadman. Maybe they where winter time shop projects???

 

[Brute 23]

In your part of the country, when cows get out, I'll bet you can see to catch them so you can sell them.
If my cows get out onto forest service, I might spend days trying to find them.

Are you talking to me?

 

[Dave]

That's pretty damn interesting right there. It does seem like it would be easier to just build a brace with a Deadman. Maybe they where winter time shop projects???

I have no idea. I do know it is a old multi generational ranch. I see a dozen or more in use and several more in their equipment yard. My guess is it will be over 100 years before they have to replace them. Up the road a few miles and you can find split rail fence still in use.

 

[gman4691]

Back story. My youngest older sister, back in East Texas had a 15 year old 155' long net wire fence moved recently because it was not built originally on the property line. It was 60' off the line, basically 'lending' that much footage to a neighbor that is getting ready to sell his property. The neighbor was b-i-l to sister's now deceased husband and he ok'd the original fence placement for reasons unknown. The infamous 'brother-in-law deal. Anyway, Sis hired a local fence company in San Jacinto County to move the fence...
I went back to visit this week for thanksgiving and looked at sister's new fence. I am perplexed at what they did and why they did it that way. Told sister "well, I guess it's ok, but sure wasn't how I would have done it'..
1. The terminal ends, they didn't wrap all the way around the end posts and tie them back. Just stapled it 1/2 way around.
View attachment 23212

The diagonal wire between the end post and the brace post, they twisted, but removed whatever they used to twist it with. I always leave that length of bar in there and tie it off to the horizontal brace so the wire doesn't untwist and get loose later.
View attachment 23213

But the oddest thing I can't figure out.. is at every line post, they did this.. the little bends..
View attachment 23214

View attachment 23215

What the heck is that all about?

And, in addition to just stapling the ends of the net wire to the end posts, they FIRMLY drove in staples on the vertical brace post. I always leave those staples a little loose so the wire's tension doesn't pull that brace away from the horizontal post or the end post. (I didn't take a picture of that)

Hopefully she didn't pay too much for this..

1) The little bends were probably done to tighten(?)

2) The thing that gets me is why the wire is on the "outside" on the left of the corner post and on the "inside" to the right. I always put the wire on the side of the fence where I want the cows to stay so if they push against it, they are also pushing against the posts.

3) As someone else said, you can remove the twitch and the diagonal wire will remain twisted (most of the time) but I never do. (In fact, I've taken to building corners and h-braces with wooden posts using two cross members most of the time and done away with the diagonals altogether - and that has worked really well...so far...of course, I would rather use steel for corners and h-braces and such...just don't have that kind of budget). When I do use diagonals, I use a 12" to 18" piece of t-post that is cut from an old unuseable one for a twitch...lasts longer than wood and there are plenty of old half-rusted t-posts laying in the scrap pile...this has also worked well.

Granted, I never use anything other than barbed wire as that is what is already on almost all of our perimeter and cross fencing and I can keep it pretty well-maintained. There are a couple of short stretches made with old hog wire but I haven't had to do any repairs on them...yet. But I think you are right when you say the above fencing looks a bit "odd".