Fence project

[em14]

wroughtn_harv,
Thanks for the pictures and the information. We had that same kind of soil on part of our place in Alabama when I was a kid. Fencing was all hand work ... finally my Dad tried driving bed rails and while that worked somewhat they were not the best cattle fence post. He then got a 3ph post hole digger and just worked at it until he had a hole. We used locust and cypress post and most are still good today! 40-50 years in the ground! Once again your post are always interesting to read ... thanks
Leo

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Here we have bois de arc (bo dark) trees. Little they have thorns from heck. Old they're tough. I pulled a bunch of posts this summer that had been in the ground since 1961. They're still usable unless you've got your heart set on using wood staples. Won't work. Stuff's harder than a bad girl's heart.

This is looking down a line for 276'. Ready for top rail to be welded in.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Another view

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Drilling holes can sometimes get you into the tightest of spaces.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

But when it gets this tight I get out old Roja, my favoritest friend when doing holes in tight spots.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

This is Roja with a twelve inch bit. She can drill a twelve inch hole six feet deep and has done so on may occasions. But since Iris has come into the picture Roja hasn't seen much action. But man, in the old days, we did the deed over and often.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Yesterday I mixed three plus yards of concrete and set a bunch of posts. I finished up cleaning up after dark. I went home with my tail tucked firmly between my legs.

You'd think that after all these years I'd not hurt after a day like that. Wrong. The first two hours were in agony from back cramps fighting charley horses in the legs for the most attention. They finally got it out of their system and I got a good night's sleep. But man it's a toss between which hurts the most, back cramps or charley horses.

Today I finished digging almost all the holes. I think I have five to go. So tomorrow I hope to put at least four yards through the mixer.

I think I've figured out the source for that term "dumber than dirt". They were talking about sand and gravel. I've tried and tried to teach it to jump into the concrete mixer. I'd like to have a nickel for every shovel full that I've tossed into the mixed showing them how it's done. They just can't seem to get it.

When I hire someone to help and give them the opportunity to feed the mixer I've noticed to a man they've been half shovel full tossers. I just don't get it. I use a square point and I try to have it heaping each time. It's heavier, sure, but you only have to toss have as many, right?

 

[rambler]

I've enjoyed the pics & explination Harv. Around here 'building a fence' is to keep the livestock in. Looks like you build a whole different kind of fence, money & efficiency is not the object of the person paying the bills. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif (For you the builder, it sure is!)

No one wants concrete in their fields for a cattle fence, as they will be moved some day - maybe. Materials need to last, but be very cost effective for the task at hand. 3 (or 5)-wire high tensil alternate electrified with 50' wood post spacing set in dirt has become popular. Won't see a cement bag within miles of the project. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

--->Paul

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I know what you mean about fear barriers (electric fences) Paul. We used to have an old boy here in town that had about five acres right at a pretty busy intersection. He had one hot wire around what he wanted the cows to eat. Worked fine as far as I know. But it used to blow my mind to see a couple of cows and a steer or two behaving behind just a threat of a fence. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Yesterday evening--last night we got less than an inch of rain. It turned the clay into a fine mess. I'd probably have been better off just stripping down and wallowing in it before I even hit a lick at work. Stuff got everywhere.

Of course I couldn't drive along the fence line because Lucy is the stickingest truck I've ever owned. She sees mud and she just squats and won't move. So I pulled out the long leads. There's nothing as much fun as handling two hundred foot of welding cable in gumbo mud. Pure t fun. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Here's a shot of my boots. They were like ankle weights all day long. This clay just gangs up on a boot if it gets a chance.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

One of my more serious concerns when doing a fence is keeping it on my customer's property. I really discourage putting it on the line unless both parties are paying for it. Of course most times when I'm called in to do a fence there's a problem already between the two parties. /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

In this situation they built the screen fence six inches inside their property line. I wanted ours to be a couple of inches inside each way too.

So I did this.

It covers the area without attaching to their fence or their ground.

You can see the property pin in the corner of the picture.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Here's another view.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

looking east

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Looking west.

I like to put a center brace at the corners. With the schedule forty pipe it isn't necessary. But since I'm the only one that I know who consistantly does it, well, I shall continue, on principle of course.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

This is looking down the interestingly tight section. It was a bugger bear to dig. It wasn't fun to weld in. And I look forward to putting in the wire like getting a root canal.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Looking back from the other end at the interesting section.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I've got about a hundred and fifty feet to weld in and then it's time to put up the wire. One of the things that's different about the way I do it versus the way it's commonly done around here is I put all the work into setting the posts in line and set for height. Then when it comes to welding it in it's just a matter of laying in the pipe and it's ready, all fitted up and with a joint even Ray Charles could sew up. The only cutting is done to so that all joints in the top rail are over a post. I've seen lots of broken apart joints done by weldors much better than myself. So I cheat. I make sure the joint is not only welded but it's welded to the post, insurance for the insecure you might say.

This is the last leg. It's only about a hundred feet in length.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Remember this?

Check it out now after I've put most of those twelve yards through the mixer and then into holes in the ground.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

This is a gate I did in the middle nineties, simple definition of my perspective of the customers

This fence project's customer has been great fun. I'd like to do something a little different. What I'm thinking about is the pipe gate with boulders inserted as accents.

Opinons?

 

[rambler]

I like the pic of the boots. Cow had her calf in the muddy part of a wet spring cow yard several years ago. I looked at the mud, looked at my boots - stripped all the boot, shoe, & socks off, waded in, hauled 120 lbs of squirmming mud & stuff out, and hit the showers.

--->Paul

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Did you get hosed down before you pulled them duds off? I bet so.

I know my boss woulda had me by the short hairs over not doing a little prewash before I asked her to do the wash. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

This morning that darn clay was still sticky. Take a step, grow an inch, another step, another inch, just about the time you get to find out what all those tall guys get to see your realize your feet are too heavy to move. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif