What purpose does this serve in a fenceline

[woodlandfarms]

I am taking down some old sheep fence that is out in the sticks. Messy job. Wire is a PITA to get out of the grapple.

But now and then I run into something like this. I have to say this is complete ignorance. I was raised on a ranch / farm in wyoming, these were all over the place on fence lines. I just never asked why.

Anyway... Guess it is a good time to learn something new.

 

[FLHayman]

I'm assuming you're talking about the posts with the brace post on top. They're used with diagonal wire braces in an "X" pattern to strengthen the posts and allow them to hold the tension of the stretched fence wire.

Corner posts also are usually braced this way, to keep the fence wire tension from leaning the post over. On a corner brace, only one diagonal wire is necessary, oriented to 'pull' the top brace post towards the corner post to oppose the stretching force. The reason you see them in the middle of a long straight run is so that the fence isn't stretched for some huge distance all at once. The middle braces usually have an "X" of wires, so that tension will be held in either direction, making the construction of the fence easier.

I've seen out west where they use steel posts and sometimes use a single diagonal steel brace into the ground to do the same thing, but this way really holds up to a lot of pull..........normally you use a come along or a tractor to stretch the fence. This brace will hold the posts upright against the pull. Normally, all the tension is held by the braced structures, and the fence wire can even be loosely fastened to the posts in between. And if the ground has any dips or swells, it will make the fence even tighter when you lift or pull it to fasten to the standard posts after it's been stretched. I've never seen a properly built fence brace fail, even with a tractor pulling the fence wire taut...........but have seen some wire get overstretched!

 

[woodlandfarms]

Thank you so very much for the info. No cross wires on this connection, but this may be old posts they fenced over...

 

[Ridgewalker]

For what it's worth I recently removed some 3 strand bob wire by unhooking all the clips and leaving the wire in place. Once I had the wires loose everwhere I hooked one end to my drawbar and drove off parrallel to the fence line until I pulled it clear of all the "jungle" growth. Then all 3 strands were pretty easy to roll up.

 

[SteelDust]

My personal favorite is the fence "posts" and braces you see in areas where the ground is too rocky to drive or dig posts. In a lot of southern Oregon you'll see a section of 5 foot tall field fence made into a 3 foot diameter cylinder, this cylinder is then filled to the top with rocks. The fence is then strung off of this.

 

[Soundguy]

I call those 'H' braces.. IE.. 2 posts in. then one post across... ditto what the others said.. usually has brace wire diagonally across it to hlp with fence tension.. position of the cross post varies from top to middle or lower top / lower middle.. etc.

soundguy

 

[namvet69]

I call those 'H' braces.. IE.. 2 posts in. then one post across... ditto what the others said.. usually has brace wire diagonally across it to hlp with fence tension.. position of the cross post varies from top to middle or lower top / lower middle.. etc.

soundguy

I always called them pull posts and would erect them about every 300 feet.

NV