how to install barb wire fencing?

[lightninboy]

If you ever want to replace T-posts one at a time all by yourself and you want to keep the wires away from your hands and the post driver, stomp a couple of pitchforks into the ground until you have them holding the wires safely away from you. Of course there has to be a little slack in the wires.

 

[Dave5264]

Just a word of caution (since you said you didn't make H braces) Did you brace the corner posts? Unless you put absolutely huge poles/posts in very deep (like 5 or 6 feet), after you tighten 4 or 5 strands of wire, the post will start to lean. I put up several sets of posts that I thought were strong enough, and after stretching the wire, I had a loose bottom strand and leaning posts. That was a rough lesson.

Besides that, the other advice is right on. Start at the bottom and work your way up. I use a cable come-a-long and pull the wire 'til it's tight. Then start all over again.

I also liked the suggestion about alternating which side of the post you wrap around then end posts. I've had that problem before, and now I think I know how to minimize it.
Good thoughts.

Take care.

Have to agree, put 3 posts in each corner with bracing between them, Id also recommend the same for any change in directionor major elevation change (ie at the top of a hill), otherwise you'll be re-doing it at some ponit

 

[lightninboy]

You might want to pry those pitchforks out of the ground with a crowbar, as pulling them out by the handles could loosen the handles. And the barbs could scratch the handles, so you might want to use old pitchforks.

 

[texasjohn]

3 posts on each end corner run.... makes 5 at a 90 degree corner.
put cross brace near top of posts... not in center for a "H"
use fence strainer/rachet on each wire.. allows easy retensioning at later date
use fence strainer for tensioning brace wire, easy to maintain tension later
use metal pipe cross brace ... wood cross braces come loose too easy
drill hole in corner posts, drive long nail/rod in so pipe can't fall down

 

[MMagis]

I'm guessing the original poster is long since finished with his fence.

 

[bpsooner]

I'm guessing the original poster is long since finished with his fence.

Good One!!!!

 

[theboman]

Link to H Brace.
Building an H-Brace Farm Folly

My daddy sure did it different. When we were lucky they'd be a hickory or oak tree at the corner! When no trees were available it was a post, then diagonal post from the top corner to the bottom of another post (usually 5-6' apart if memory ain't shorted than my hair).

Ocassionally he'd put on of these in along the way too because of soil conditions, hillsides etc., to strenthen the fence.

I've build a lot as a kid. We'd roll wire for a while, that being to the lay of the land..uphill, down hill and nail off and go again.. Nail behind the barbs so the barbs get blocked by the fence nails (staples?). I worked great. We used a fence strecher, a metal bar with a plier type jaw and us leverage to pull that wire as tight as you could while someone nailed it to a few posts. Hard stuff of a kid!

BTW, the wife keeps mentioning a pony so looks like I may have to re-read all this again!

 

[ocholagos]

how do you stretch and attach barb wire to h-brace made with steel pole

 

[VALENT]

how do you stretch and attach barb wire to h-brace made with steel pole

The H brace mentioned above is talking about the horizontal brace between the two vertical posts. However, if you make your entire corner with steel posts, you just tie the wire around the posts. Stretching, you just tie your come-a-long around the corner post.

 

[GaryBDavis]

how do you stretch and attach barb wire to h-brace made with steel pole

You use a come-a-long chained to the corner post and a wire clamp on the other end of the come-a-long. There are a couple of different style wire camps, but they all are made to slip over the wire and grab it without actually breaking or tying the barb wire to the clamp. Start with the come-a-long all the way out and start tightening the fence. When you get it tight, you will still have a bit of slack wire between the wire clamp and the corner post, but the rest of the wire will be taught. The slack at the end allows you to tie the end of the wire to the corner post taking out as much slack as you can by hand. When you have done this, let the come-a-long back out and you are done.

You might think this will loosen the wire too much, but it doesn't. A couple of inches of slack let out over a 1/4 mile of fencing won't even be noiticable. The trick is to know how much to tighten the wire. This is an experience thing and you will have to break a couple of wires before you get the feel for it. Make sure you spend the extra money for a good quality American made wire. It will stretch to a certain point where you can tell it's not stretching anymore. That's when you want to tie it off. The cheap wire will break before it quits stretching.

Plan your fence so you don't have any short sections (100' or less) as they are hard to stretch with this method and stay tight. Dito on the stretching around corners unless it's a very short section.

As far as starting at the top or bottom, it's a preference thing. Properly brace your corners and it won't matter as the top wire won't pull the post in anymore than the bottom will. I prefer three posts in my corners spaced ~8 feet apart with one horizontal 4 feet of the ground and one diagonal brace going down to about 1 foot off the ground.

Sometimes I go by a fence I've put in several years ago and pluck the wire to see it's still guitar string tight. It's a nice feeling.