fence tips and tricks

[LongLopeSlowHorse]

"I can't vouch for those timber posts here Ron but our Ironbark bark is probably the gold standard but I have Stringybark on my place and I find if I put a cap of that bitumen aluminium damp course material on it the lifespan is just so much greater as the water penetrates the cracks and they rot from the inside out."

Was moving cows down the dirt road, that last, slow, started too late, mile. Lotsa big doogans in the ditch, some like watermelons, leading my horse and would balance rocks on posts.

Lotsa characters live farther down that road, always keep on good side of them. Them not only don't bother anything, they keep an eye on my cattle and stuff.

One of them--Lew--asked me uptown 'what's the significance of them rocks on them posts?" I told him "I dunno---think turkey bob is doing it.

Later on bob asked 'I dunno---think it's that goofy Lew'....

rocks on posts blossomed for a bit after that===I'm now nailing my old boots upside down on them---hasn't caught on--yet---but I got another half dozen pair to go....I always wear ropers, low heal---but lotsa leaky muck bucks, hip boots, tenner shoes around here....might get some hi heels from Sal's....


'

 

[SmokinM]

Eastern red cedar is what is being referred to as southeastern red cedar. It grows out as far as some of the upper mid west. To find one that will make a good post is easy but not easy to find. You have to find one standing dead in a hardwood forest. They are usually bleached out white. The way they grow is heart from the center out and when the heart gets to the outside the tree dies. Find one like that and it will last 30-50 yrs. easy. Ironically you can't cut a cedar out of a fence line to make a fence post. They grow with sap spots in the heart and will rot. The same for those that grow in dead fields etc.. Has to come out of the deep woods. It is my experience this has more to do with it than curing.

Topping a post with flashing etc. does help a bunch as does cutting the top at an angle so water runs off.

Here is another thing to ponder oh wise minds of CT. If a white oak and a red oak fall in the woods a white oak will rot faster than the red. Cut them in to fence boards and a white oak will last a good 5x longer than a red oak will. Can't tell you why but I can tell you that's the truth.

That is a nice looking cattle guard there Fence. Wish we could get pipe like you guys can. I like those way better than the concrete ones available here.

 

[Bigfoot]

How long will a modern pressure treated post last? I've gotten to where that's all I use. I have cedar post on my place, that from a reliable source were set in 1907. They are fine. I've set some myself about 10 years ago, that I thought were cured with little sap wood. Many already need replaced.

 

[SmokinM]

That's a moving target Bigfoot. They warranty them as lifetime here which is 30yrs. Pretty short lifetime IMO, glad I made it longer than that. Like anything manufactured it depends on the manufacturer. I had a batch I put in for a customer a few years ago that they told me didn't get dried enough before treating, long story short 2yrs. later you could walk along and crush them with your hands. Have some I put in 15+ yrs. ago when I started and still solid as a rock.

So I guess my answer would be 20-30yrs. But may have a few that don't survive that long. If you have treat plant close or can find marine treated that will up your odds considerably.

 

[Bigfoot]

That's a moving target Bigfoot. They warranty them as lifetime here which is 30yrs. Pretty short lifetime IMO, glad I made it longer than that. Like anything manufactured it depends on the manufacturer. I had a batch I put in for a customer a few years ago that they told me didn't get dried enough before treating, long story short 2yrs. later you could walk along and crush them with your hands. Have some I put in 15+ yrs. ago when I started and still solid as a rock.

So I guess my answer would be 20-30yrs. But may have a few that don't survive that long. If you have treat plant close or can find marine treated that will up your odds considerably.

A young man stopped by my house a few weeks ago. He has been tearing out a fence for a row crop guy. He liberated 15 or 20 pressure treated post. Not sure how long they had been in the ground, but apparently quit some time. I bought them from him for a dollar a piece.

 

[SmokinM]

Bigfoot
Chances are if they are solid now they will stay that way for a good long while. If they have some age on them they probably are treated with the good stuff and that will help also. Either way I'd say that was a good buy take em when you can get em.

Keep an eye on your hunting excursions for standing dead cedars in the woods. Find a nice one that is bleached white outside and cut a few posts out of it and try them. I think you will be surprised what a difference it makes. Put those roping horses to work snaking posts out of the woods and get some good training and muscling in while your at it. The best ones always seem to be in the hardest places to get to.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

Great thread fenceman. I've always enjoyed seeing the differences in technique and materials that are used across the country, and across the globe for that matter. We all have a unique set of challenges with our ground conditions, access to materials, and all the other variables that come with a fence project. It's neat to see how folks tackle those challenges.

 

[callmefence]

Great thread fenceman. I've always enjoyed seeing the differences in technique and materials that are used across the country, and across the globe for that matter. We all have a unique set of challenges with our ground conditions, access to materials, and all the other variables that come with a fence project. It's neat to see how folks tackle those challenges.

Welcome. From your handle you probably know a trick or two. Looking forward to possibly learning something from you. :welcome:

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

Thanks for the welcome callmefence. I've read this thread cover to cover.....twice.....and I think I might have a thing or two to offer. I'm a good ways NE of you, so our material availability primarily consists of timber posts instead of pipe, so most of the techniques we use in this neck of the woods will be of little use to most on the forum. Of course, T posts are readily available, but don't seem to last long in our wet clay. Fixed knot high tensile net makes up the bulk of our business, but we still build our fair share of barb and board fence. The availability of mile long rolls of barbed wire and 1/4 mile rolls of net have really helped our efficiency along on the bigger projects. I'm a huge fan of modern materials and equipment, and I'm sure that my hatred for low carbon steel wire will be nearly impossible to hide. Pipe fence and working pen projects are few and far between, but I really enjoy those projects when we get them.
There was a request for pictures of H braces, or box struts as they are known everywhere else in the world. This pic is a double H with a total width of about 20'. The wire is 1775-6, and the fence was built for Bison. The strainers are 7-8"x12', with 4-5"x10' struts. The struts are pinned with 3/8' galvanized rod. We used two wraps of 180kpsi 12.5ga for brace wire, tensioned with a medium Gripple. On single braces, we generally use a single cable and large Gripple. Yes, I know that my wood posts and Gripples would burn up in a fire. lol It has already been addressed that a brace should be at least 2.5 times the height of the fence, but there seems to be a good debate on the height of the strut. We put ours at as close to 2/3 the height of the fence as we can, and we don't have brace failures. It works well for us.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

I see lots of water gaps around home that are built from panels or old pipe gates, and most of the time they are laying flat and covered in debris. We have quite a bit of timber around, as well as crop fields, so when a toad choker comes along, it brings everything that ain't nailed down with it. This is how we usually build ours, and it works well for our part of the world. The debris just slides right under, and it looks classy to boot.

 

[slick4591]

I can tell you with certainty that osage orange (our Bois d'Arc) last much longer than the 20-25 years that's stated. I remember as a kid watching my grandad build fence and setting Bois d'Arc corner posts. Most are still in place and I know they have been there 50+ years. No one that I know of uses cedar unless it's only for stays in my area as they won't last.

 

[jedstivers]

Farm Fence what general area of the country are you in?

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

Farm Fence what general area of the country are you in?

We are in SW Indiana.

 

[jedstivers]

Farm Fence what general area of the country are you in?

We are in SW Indiana.

Thanks. When you talk about ways to do things it helps to know the kind of area someone is in.

 

[RanchMan90]

Farm Fence what general area of the country are you in?

We are in SW Indiana.

Farm country there. And square hay with strings?

 

[jedstivers]

Farm Fence what general area of the country are you in?

We are in SW Indiana.

Farm country there. And square hay with strings?

All row crop here almost no cattle. No square at all.

On the pic of the water gap what's the tin attached to? Lot was done like that over the years here but no one ever attached it good.
I have some big ditches I have to do something for and soon.
Was going to use tin and a cable.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

We live where the farm ground meets the reclaimed coal mine ground and the hilly timber land. We have a few small squares around with string on them, but it's gotta be an emergency to feed them around here! Mostly big rounds, but I do have a neighbor with a big square baler.

The water gap tin is screwed to a treated 2x6. The 2x6 is bolted to gate hinges.....the kind you would use for a wooden gate, since they already have holes for carriage bolts. The female end of the gate hinge is threaded on to the cable. We usually hang the tin after the boards are hung and the cable is stretched. Sucker will get heavier than one man can handle pretty quick.

 

[callmefence]

We live where the farm ground meets the reclaimed coal mine ground and the hilly timber land. We have a few small squares around with string on them, but it's gotta be an emergency to feed them around here! Mostly big rounds, but I do have a neighbor with a big square baler.

The water gap tin is screwed to a treated 2x6. The 2x6 is bolted to gate hinges.....the kind you would use for a wooden gate, since they already have holes for carriage bolts. The female end of the gate hinge is threaded on to the cable. We usually hang the tin after the boards are hung and the cable is stretched. Sucker will get heavier than one man can handle pretty quick.

Very good idea farm fence.

Sometimes on a gap that's steep banked and requires frequent maintenance. We mount a 20.00 winch on one side so it can be lowered repaired and raised easily.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

We live where the farm ground meets the reclaimed coal mine ground and the hilly timber land. We have a few small squares around with string on them, but it's gotta be an emergency to feed them around here! Mostly big rounds, but I do have a neighbor with a big square baler.

The water gap tin is screwed to a treated 2x6. The 2x6 is bolted to gate hinges.....the kind you would use for a wooden gate, since they already have holes for carriage bolts. The female end of the gate hinge is threaded on to the cable. We usually hang the tin after the boards are hung and the cable is stretched. Sucker will get heavier than one man can handle pretty quick.

Very good idea farm fence.

Sometimes on a gap that's steep banked and requires frequent maintenance. We mount a 20.00 winch on one side so it can be lowered repaired and raised easily.

I like that idea! If my post driver is handy, I'll build mine on the ground and winch/crane them across. (I'll dig out a picture of my driver, and this will make more sense.) You just leave the winch at the gap and pack a battery to it?

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

A pic of my primary driver and a good example of the type of pasture ground we have around here.