How do you make a fence?

Discussion in 'Designing, building, making and powering your life' started by Nathan Edwards, Feb 15, 2006.

  1. Nathan Edwards

    Nathan Edwards Junior Member

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    Hey guys, my design for my 10 acres in Caslemaine is not really happening yet so putting up a fence maybe premature if there is to be any serious earthworks on site (no doubt their will be!). However I came upon 80 star pickets, an awful lot of high tensile galvanised barb wire and non barbed wire and treated (I know, I know) strainer posts (20 I think) from an old farmer retiring to the burbs from his cattle farm in Baxter on the Mornington peninsula. All free!!! and I'm goin' back for more in a few days. Chook feeders, troughs, sewerage quality piping and the rest. Excited!!
    Deep breath.. Anyway; how do you build a fence? :? :lol:
    Any links, tips or just the general 'well you first have to secure your winched carple Mc-jingle thingy in the hoosy-whats'it.
    Help me I'm a musician :?: :dontknow: :rock:
     
  2. derekh

    derekh Junior Member

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  3. bazman

    bazman Junior Member

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    If you are going to have horses, don't use barb wire, I can't stress that enough.

    Barb wire is only meant for cattle and their thick cowhide, horses have thin skin like us. Also if your using pickets around horses white cap them all as the tops are often shape enough to rip open a horses belly.

    Using Barb wire low on the fence will catch wildlife as it moves through your property.

    Buy/borrow a proper stake sliding hammer, rural hardware stores will have them. see if you can get a hole digging spade, they work well.

    Put some posts in the line 4 pickets 1 post, spaced 4m apart, this will make the fence stronger and use good strainers at the ends of the fences.

    Put the fence posts in a few days after good rain, the soil will be softer and easier to dig and hammer into.

    String line the fence line to get it straight too.
     
  4. teela

    teela Junior Member

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    fencing

    Hi there, well you are lucky gettin all that stuff for free!
    Fencing is not something one really learns from reading about. You'll learn from trial and error. Our first fences were pathetic, but the more we do the better we get at fencing. My advice is to start small, do a small paddock first and see how you go. Look at other peoples fences see how the wire is strained and copy them.
    Good luck
    Teela
     
  5. Nathan Edwards

    Nathan Edwards Junior Member

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    Thanks guys, that's a good start particularly the uk site and what you said bazman about the wet soil. Can I put the posts in maybe 6 star posts to 1 strong wooden one? I'd like to avoid buying too many posts but I don't want a crappy fence.
     
  6. bazman

    bazman Junior Member

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    It's up to you, 6 would work too, what are you intending on keeping in or keeping out?
     
  7. Nathan Edwards

    Nathan Edwards Junior Member

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    Dirt bike riders who are sending all the topsoil away to the waterways and I was at the block the other day and saw about 35 roos layin about. I think I wouldn't mind their presence over most of the block though. But definately not in Zone 1 and 2
     
  8. bazman

    bazman Junior Member

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    Two stands would work fine to keep dirt bike out, tie an old plastic bag on the fence so they can see it if you put a fence across an old dirtbike path.

    You might have to use a grid wire around you zone 1 and 2 as roos can easily hop under most fences, if you use grid wire, keep it an inch off the ground, so you can brush cut under it, if you want to keep the grass down. Hitting fence wire with a steel bladed brush cutter scares the crap out of me and is not good for the gear.

    If a bull wants to go over a fence they will, they would jump a 4-5 foot fence easy.
     
  9. Nathan Edwards

    Nathan Edwards Junior Member

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    Thanks for that. I must admit, don't like the idea of a big-arse roo jumpin' over into my garden but that's a way off yet cos I'm still in Melbourne doing the designing and planning while working towards moving out there. What job, how will me and the missus react to life in the country etc. But I'll be getting a fence up at least to try and get those bikes from removing the topsoil. So thanks for the tips
     
  10. bazman

    bazman Junior Member

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    I know of one or two people on the https://www.aussieslivingsimply.com.au web community who live out that way, they might be able to point you in the right direction in finding local bits of what ever.

    Might be worth a look.
     
  11. Richard on Maui

    Richard on Maui Junior Member

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    Baz, I think you are highly generous in suggesting that the dirt bike riders should have a plastic bag for a warning. Might be better for the gene pool to put up the wires without the plastic bags, ladyboy.
    Just kidding... :shock:
     
  12. bazman

    bazman Junior Member

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    And you don't think I was thinking that while typing, heh. I'll be really nice and only say I hate dirt bikes.

    Shooting at them often comes up in topics around here.
     
  13. ecodharmamark

    ecodharmamark Junior Member

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    G'day Nathan

    My, that's a BIG question, but a good one...

    Congratulations on the 'score' (opportunistic yield); fencing material is frightfully expensive. Since you had a bit of a win with the materials, might I suggest that you splash out and get yourself a decent set of fencing tools? The 'essentials' are as follows:

    Plyers: Not your average K-mart jobbies, they'll give you blood blisters enough to start a blood bank with, especially since you will be working with the high tensile stuff. What you need is a REAL pair of (Aussie made?) 'fencing' plyers. Shop around at your local farm supplies. You'll pay for a good set, but you will be rewarded by a lifetime of service.

    Strainer set: Same deal here. Imported units are shoddy, destroy your wire, and are generally ineficient at their best, and at their worst, downright dangerous (not too mention are heavily burdened with heaps of emboddied energy). You'll be applying 100's of units of force (tension) on individual wires, so it is best to get the correct tool for the job.

    Wire spinner: Essential for playing out single-strand wire (tangle free). Your local engineering firm could knock one of these up for you, or you could go the route of purchasing the 'commercial' unit. Either way, your up for about the same cost (in terms of money).

    Wedgelock (tradename): Same again. Either make it or buy it off the shelf. Essential tool if you intend to stand up and correctly tension a 'prefabfricated' (Ringlock, Hingejoint, etc)?

    I'd imagine that you're on some rather rocky ground down there in the 'Maine? And that what soil you do have is baked to the consistancy of concrete? No use trying to put up a fence this time of year, mate. Even a compressed air-driven pneumatic star-picket driver would baulk at the task, let alone trying to drive in end-posts, or even dig holes if this is the route you're taking. Best to wait til after the rain (whenever that will be?). Of course you can't build a fence in waterlogged soil, either. Especially one with the recommended levels of wire 'strain' - you end up pulling out the end assemblies and pickets! The best time to fence in our part of the world is also the samee time for bush regeneration work; at the end of the spring or autumn rains (if ever this will happen again :?: ).

    In the meantime, there are some excellent reference guides available at your local library, and the Castlemaine TAFE library (a division of Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE) will have some books on 'farm' fencing. If you can not get access to this facility (or a similar place in Melb.), let me know and I'll send you a copy. If you can (and if they exist), get out and check-out some of your nieghbouring fencelines - see how they are put together. Join your local Landcare group - someone there will be more than happy to show you the basics. Or go down to the pub and chat with an 'old cockie' (pls excuse the ageism), buy him (or her, don't want to get done for sexism too) a beer or three, and they'll gladly show you their fencing skills.

    Fencing is not difficult - once you know how. True, it is difficult to learn from a book, but some of the links I have provided will make the job just a bit easier - or at least you'll be able to dazzle your friends with your amazing fence-wire knot-tying capabilities (there are some doozies out there)! I prefer 'Gripples' myself - handy for retensioning, and for correctly straining up end assemblies.

    If you want to save on posts, use your largest diameter units for 'corners' and 'ends' (if you have them). Correctly built and positioned corner/end assemblies will enable you to span kilometers of fenceline with nothing more than (in our part of the world) 6-8 meter spaced star-pickets (also known as 'steelies', and sometimes confusingly as 'droppers') in between. True droppers don't go near the ground - rather they are attached to the wires of a mutli-wire type fence and are used for maintaining the correct distance between the horizontal lay of the individual wires. They can be made from either wire, metal, wood or plastic. Without them, stock or wildlife can 'push' through the individual wires. I can only presume that this IS the type of fence you will be errecting, as you have made no mention of using 'prefabricated' wire.

    Concerning barbed wire: My personal opinion (and I stress the word, 'personal') is that it is the worst known enemy of the entire animal kingdom (except for that single species of animal know as Homo sapian sapian).

    I'd be more than happy to come down for a Sunday drive to rave some more 'bout fencing (it is such a massive topic - and we haven't even started talking about rabbit, fox, wombat, cat, chook, goat, MOTORBIKE, etc., etc., etc. type of exclusion/inclusion fences - essential for a permie venture). I may be even able to round up a 'crew' to give you a hand come 'softer ground time' ( I know a group of C&LM students who need the practice - and you need a fence!).

    Check out these sites:

    https://www.landcareonline.com.au/

    Practical Landcare > Fencing > Fence Designs (blatently commercial, but good for ripping off their designs :wink: )

    https://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/nreninf.n ... 88826?open

    An excellent site - very comprehensive (sorry 'bout the link length :oops: )

    Let my know if I can be of any further assistance, Nathan.

    Cheerio,

    Mark.
     
  14. Franceyne

    Franceyne Junior Member

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    Hi Ladyboy,

    I think I am one of the people that Bazman is refering too...we are out at Welshmen's Reef (20km West of Castlemaine) If you want to come around and have a look at our basic fences (built by armatures to hold pet sheep) and we can give you a few tips please feel free to contact me via pm. :D

    The 'Roo's will most likely leave the block once your house and gardens and you are up in Castlemanie full time - ours did. :(

    One thing though - loose the barbed wire. There is no real need for it and you will end up harming and/or killing native animals - joeys and sugar gliders in particular.

    Cheers,
    Fran.
     
  15. Nathan Edwards

    Nathan Edwards Junior Member

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    Franceyne, yeah the barbed wire thing, it's a bit of an issue coz I didn't buy it and it was being given away. As i looked at it and got sore hands the thought crossed my mind that the main animal of exclusion were the roos and any that attempted to jump the fence would probably make it and get injured or infection as well. Is it possible that I could use plain wire on the top line and barb for the middle? I don't really want to chuck it away and I'm flat out stone cold broke at the moment. Any thoughts for good uses with the bitey stuff?
     
  16. Franceyne

    Franceyne Junior Member

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    I understand the need to use materials that are available to you.

    The wildlife shelter in Newstead had fences that had two top strands of barbed wire and they made a flattening device - a round of metal that just fit the wire and pulled it along and flattened all the spikes down...perhaps you may like to try that?
     
  17. Nathan Edwards

    Nathan Edwards Junior Member

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    I think I may try something like that. There seems to be just one major direction they come in so I'll do that first.
    After the holidays, thanks Fran, hope I get to pop over to Welshman's Reef sometime and say gudday with my head and the rest of my physical body
    Ladyboy Out
     
  18. macree

    macree Junior Member

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    Hi,
    ecodharmamark's shopping list makes a lot of sense - I'd add a pair of leather gardening gloves to it. And a good pair of bolt cutters makes cutting wire light work (hey, I'm a weakling) If you're broke though, you might be able to hook up with a local (better still a neighbour) who can give you a hand and maybe has the strainers etc (they're not cheap) in exchange for some free labour on their property at another time. (Would you're retiring farmer have second hand tools to sell?)

    In any case it's easier to fence with two people - to sight the line so you're putting the posts in a straight line and to reel out the wire (which can tangle amazingly easily!). Using a picket driver is the easiest way to put star pickets in. A neighbour/local may have a tractor with a post hole digger for wooden posts. If you only want to put temporary fencing in, using only star pickets is the way to go (and will last years anyway) - cause they're easy to pull up later if you want to - but for more permanent fences you're better off with wooden posts - on your corners at least! Pulling up wooden posts is a (not nice) job!

    If you're handling barb wire, the trick is to grab it like you mean business - handling it gingerly is when you get stuck and cut. Also, fence strainers are weird looking tools and from my experience, if someone hadn't shown me how to use them a couple of times I'd never have figured it out. The other important skill is how to tie off the wire so it holds the tension - again I'd urge you to find someone with fencing experience to show you how.

    I'd never considered barb wire in a fence a problem. Busted wire left lying in long grass or busted fences is another matter altogether though - but in that case plain wire is as bad as barbed. Short pieces that have been snipped off in the process of fencing is a problem too.

    I grew up with stock horses and barb wire fences and have never seen any native animals or horses have any problems - that's not to say they don't - just that I haven't seen any. (horse studs avoid barb wire though). Naturally the potential from injuries from plain wire has to be less, but cattle will go through 3 strand plain wire fences.

    I've seen mobs of roos either clear over the top (with room to spare) or duck under barb wire with no probs and birds perch on barb wire fences all the time. I would think there are much greater threats to wildlife (roads and habitat distruction) but a vet or carer of injured wildlife would know better than me and their opinion would rightfully carry more weight.

    Fencing is a mungrel job, but I've tried to learn guitar, and that's more complicated! Have fun!!! :wink:

    Cheers

    Ree
     
  19. Franceyne

    Franceyne Junior Member

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    No worries Ladyboy, just send me a pm when you want to visit. Good idea to keep your head and the rest of your physical body together :lol:

    Hey there Ree,

    My partner and I are wildlife carers, a sugar glider caught up in barbed wire or a joey hanging from it's pieced back leg is most likely going to be put down (if it survives the trauma) - a glider can not glide with a ripped membrane and the joey's hip joint will be so worn out and the ligaments so stretched that it will never be able to bound like the rest of it's mob.

    You are very fortunate not to have seen injured wildlife on your fences, but for a wildlife shelter it is a frequent occurrence.

    Cheers,
    Fran.
     

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