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Author Topic: Fencing: Where to start?  (Read 7777 times)

benkt

  • Joined Apr 2010
  • Cambridgeshire
    • Hempsals Community Farm
Fencing: Where to start?
« on: January 28, 2011, 05:29:25 pm »
I'm nearly ready now to start fencing off our new bit of land and whilst I think I'm happy with the basic techniques I was wondering if there was a best place to start. I'm using wooden posts and stock-net. First up is a roughly square paddock for some piggies in one corner of our land and fencing off the long boundary.

rough diagram:

|| +------------+-----------+-----------+    <- long boundary fence (todo!)
||  |     :pig:       |
||  |      :pig:      |
||  |               |
||  +<----------+    <---- short end with gate in one corner
LL===========   <---boundary ditch


So the question is, where should I start? With the gate? With the long boundary fence side? With one of the sides down the ditch line? Or does it not matter at all?

robert waddell

  • Guest
Re: Fencing: Where to start?
« Reply #1 on: January 28, 2011, 05:49:09 pm »
well the obvious start point  should be the top left hand corner on the diagram with a corner post that way you can go in both directions long boundary and short boundary heading to the ditch the gate should be the last bit to do easier than trying to make the fence fit  the hardest part is fitting the post at the right hand side(long boundary fence) and attaching the netting(you either put the netting right round the post or staple to one side and fold back on itself and staple again

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Fencing: Where to start?
« Reply #2 on: January 30, 2011, 01:37:42 am »
Another point is that if you are going to concrete in your strainers you might as well do them all first so it can set thoroughly.
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

robert waddell

  • Guest
Re: Fencing: Where to start?
« Reply #3 on: January 30, 2011, 08:41:13 am »
was going to mention concreting in posts but that is cheating if you can get a post chapper they can drive the posts in NOW REMEMBER DONT CUT ANYTHING OF THE POSTS AS THEY NEED TO BE IN THE FULL LENGTH TO GIVE STABILITY ONCE THE WIRE IS STRAINED

hughesy

  • Joined Feb 2010
  • Anglesey
Re: Fencing: Where to start?
« Reply #4 on: January 30, 2011, 02:32:40 pm »
Don't see much point concreting strainers in. The pull of the fence under tension will have them out of the ground anyway if they're not braced properly with struts. Then the blob of redundant concrete will be a pain in the arse. You get the odd one occasionaly that doesn't want to stay in when you strain the wire and has to be re set. I only use concrete if it's a gate post.

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Fencing: Where to start?
« Reply #5 on: January 30, 2011, 03:05:34 pm »
We live on volcanic rock with not much soil above and no post chapper works on that - strainer holes are 3 feet deep but it's murder to get them any deeper, so ok we cheat and concrete the strainers in  ;D ;D That's what the neighbours do too. Ordinary posts can be hard work too.
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

NorthEssexsmallholding

  • Joined Dec 2010
Re: Fencing: Where to start?
« Reply #6 on: February 13, 2011, 10:02:56 pm »
I've been sourcing my own wood for fencing, do you make your straining posts pointed at the bottom to drive them in the ground easier or do you leave them round?

NorthEssexsmallholding

  • Joined Dec 2010
Re: Fencing: Where to start?
« Reply #7 on: February 13, 2011, 10:04:44 pm »
another thing is, I heard some people put pea gravel i around the post bottoms to help prolong their life. Is it worth doing?

ellied

  • Joined Sep 2010
  • Fife
    • Facebook
Re: Fencing: Where to start?
« Reply #8 on: February 14, 2011, 12:22:20 pm »
I'd do all the strainers first as they're the biggest job.  Then align one wire between strainers at the required tension and chap in the stobs along the straight line of the wire..

My land is partly on old railway so can be hard to dig strainers right in but they are all propped with angle posts against any direction wire is pulling from.  I have elec top wire here then wire top and bottom of the stock fence so tend to start at the bottom wire then the top wire and net last, leaving enough to roll around the strainer and staple almost where it would touch back on itself.

PS I don't do all the physical work myself, in case that comes across as an implication - I'm not that strong ;)
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waterhouse

  • Guest
Re: Fencing: Where to start?
« Reply #9 on: February 15, 2011, 12:30:34 am »
I've been sourcing my own wood for fencing, do you make your straining posts pointed at the bottom to drive them in the ground easier or do you leave them round?
I've always dug strainers in and then bashed intermediates in with a drivall.  I don't think you can beat a hand-dug and properly compacted strainer without an ounce of concrete in sight. 

NorthEssexsmallholding

  • Joined Dec 2010
Re: Fencing: Where to start?
« Reply #10 on: February 17, 2011, 04:14:27 pm »
I've been sourcing my own wood for fencing, do you make your straining posts pointed at the bottom to drive them in the ground easier or do you leave them round?
I've always dug strainers in and then bashed intermediates in with a drivall.  I don't think you can beat a hand-dug and properly compacted strainer without an ounce of concrete in sight. 

Yes I agree, I won't be using any concrete.

 

 

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