Need Harv advice for first pipe fence

[kcir]

Well here is my first attempt at a pipe fence. To keep my wifes dog at home and the neighborhoods dogs out.

2 7/8" new pipe, 12" by 3' holes, 4 bags of crete per hole, like Harv says. This is the first section of my journey. This first line is 400', it has a little roll to it, down then back up. I am at the last 99'7'' of this section and my 8' centers is not going to come out even of course. 96' would have been perfect.

Question one I am thinking on this last 100' section coming in to 7'8" center to center, moving in 4" per pole to come out right instead of having a last pole a 4". Is this reasonable? Or better option? How is this suppose to be done?

Next I am going to be putting the top rail on, I'll have to sight a line and come back and cut them, not enough tallent to do it in one step like Harv. And this first section has this roll to it anyway. Then I was thinking a 4' high tinsle wire 6"x6" squares. I have been looking a a product from Stay Tite fence. This type of look is kind of popular over here.

Any suggestions are welcome before I get too commited.

Thanks
Rick

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I think you got it.

I always try to break down the last sections to even amounts so that I don't end up with the short section at the end. Wood fence guys do that. But then most of them are using eight foot prefabbed sections of fence so evening out the sections means a lot of wasted product.

I usually measure up close to the end. When I see I need to shorten the sections to even it out I will drop to ninety inch(seven and a half feet) increments for awhile.

I've never used the staytight product. But I've heard good things about it. I specialize in horse fencing most of the time and with horses you want the openings to have vertical measurements two inches or less.

When you start doing your rolling keep in mind that ideally your roll will start before and end after your highest point. Your highest point will be where your wire is closest to the ground. I recommend keeping the wire off the ground because that's where it will start to corrode first.

If your height irregularity is less than six inches you might consider keeping the fence level even and making up the difference in your spacing of your wire off the ground.

I hope this helps. And keep in mind if you get a fire ban for welding in your area like we will you can do a fine job of notching your pipe with a portaband.

Hope this helps, harvey

 

[kcir]

Thanks Harv that is exactly the info I was needing.

I have never tried cutting notchess with the portaband, but I think I will give a shot, testing first of course.

When I get around the property to the main entry gate I will have some more questions. It might take a while, I am sure there is going to be welding restrictions.

In front of the house area I am going to transition to a wrought iron look (square tube) with a decorative sliding gate. The transition broken up by rock columns. I'll need to know sizes and guages of tube for the gate, about 18' to 20' long.

The wife and I are exicted about doing this project and looking forward to the finshed product.

Thanks for the comments and I have really enjoyed your post and jobs you so kindly share on your web site..

Rick

 

[GabeTX]

It's interesting that you're putting the Stay-Tite stuff up on posts spaced 8' apart. One of the big advantages of the high-tensile woven wire is that you can put your posts 20-30' apart (that's why I used it) and still have a strong fence.

If you already have have your posts in 8' apart, you could put up regular 2"x4" no-climb for close to the same price (if you take tool costs into account) and have a fence that would be more attractive to future buyers (if you care about that kind of thing) because it would be unarguably horse-safe.

If you do go with high-tensile, make sure your braces are constructed to their specs (you can find them on their web site).

 

[JESSE1]

Harv- are you just cutting a V-notch in the top of the pipe with the porta-band? How well does the pipe fit in the notch? I use a steel template that wraps around the pipe and mark with chalk then cut with a torch. If there's a quicker way I'd like to hear how you do it!

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Here's a discussion about notching pipe. I use a portaband all the time for notching pipe up to four inch in diameter even though I have a couple of mechanical pipe notchers and a complete set of sure-cut templates.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30401&highlight=portaband

 

[JESSE1]

Using the Portaband would really speed up notching the pipe. Who makes those weld-on cradles and are they still available?

 

[kcir]

Well we got that 400' line of uprights finished this morning. Tomorrow I am going to try and figure out how to mark the tops so it flows but don't leave too big of a gap at the bottom where the wire fencing ends. To someone like Harv this no big thing , but to me on my first try it can be tough. I don't want it to jump up or down real quick. That really looks like crap.

I kind of need to hurry the paper this week was discussing a possible burn ban. There is nothing on the ground here but dirt, I need to hurry if i am going to use a torch to do the cutting.

Looked at some wire this afternoon, I think the 4"x4"x48" is going to do it. It comes in 330' rolls and I don't need it piano string tight just look nice.

Rick

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Using the Portaband would really speed up notching the pipe. Who makes those weld-on cradles and are they still available?

Those are available from Plano Power Equipment at 972 423 5220. Ask for Glenn Whit, he's the owner. He has an installation kit available that consists of four pairs of modified 11R Vice Grips.

One of the problems with the rings (our term for the fittings) is it's hard to align them between the post and the rail.

The modified vice grips are designed to grip the post and have an arm that supports the rail. The modification is a ramp affair. You mark your posts just below where you want the rail to contact the post. Three clamps on three posts if you're running twenty four or five foot rail and eight foot centers on your posts.

Place your rail on the vice grip tools. Then you can one at a time roll back the rail and insert a ring between the rail and post. Gravity will align the ring perfectly between the post and rail. The fourth vice grip is used to align the end of the new rail to the end of the last rail installed.

 

[rox]

Rick,

If you use the vice system Harv is talking about would you kindly post pics? I'm having a hard time visualising. thx