This, that, and the other

[ronjhall]

Harvey, I just found this thread. TBN really needs to give you your own forum heading.

The wood trim on the house, of the gate project, will really stand out with a big wood entrance. I'll be following the progress. I need to get started on ours since Karen started back to work, the opening and closing of the gate especially in the dark is a real PIB. I'll start on the preliminaries, finding the utility lines, and getting the materials to the property (that will take about a month). You talked about several interesting projects you have going on right now so I'll take it slow and get as much of the mundane work out of the way as possible. If you get too busy up there you might have to teach me via internet. Be sure to tell us all the size and lengths of the materials you are using as you do this project. This will be fun!

As promised, we plan on stopping by last of January early February. Would be glad to help get your project organized.

 

[GreenMtns]

As for the James Smith thing, I had an instructor in tech school that kept asking me to tell him me real name. My responce was, if I was going to use an alias, it would be more believable than James Smith.

For years I worked with a guy named John Smith. He had an awful time trying to make people believe that was his real name.

 

[ronjhall]

For years I worked with a guy named John Smith. He had an awful time trying to make people believe that was his real name.

My sister married a Smith. She has a lot of relatives with same last name.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Don,

Does this signal the beginnings of a new Don/Harvey project?

The only thing better then one of you guys posting a project is when the two of you get together!!!!!!!!

Eddie

Eddie it looks like you're going to have to clear you calender for late January/early February. I told Scott that we were talking about going down there to do his entryway And that Ron from Michigan might show up to help. Scott let me know in no uncertain terms that I could bring down the fifth wheel and he'd bring down Iris for us to use. When we were done he'd come back and get her also.

I think I feel a party coming on......we can start decking the halls with cedar......

 

[patrick_g]

Pat, not meaning any disrespect nor criticism, but you should heed your own words. The one's in blue. Avoid using the words red ones in public. They could come back to haunt you.

No offense taken, I understand what you are saying. I have only one person within a mile of me whose dog often wanders onto my property and I know the dog and Spot is no problem.

My nearest neighbor keeps her outside dog tied so it can't get out of her yard. I am putting graduated field fence on three sides of her at my expense so that there will be less of an issue regarding her dog(s) getting into my cattle operation or a newborn getting through a fence into her yard or onto the highway. Originally there was some pipe fence and some 5 strand barbed wire between us which is fine for adult cattle and larger calves but is porous regarding small calves and dogs.

What I stated was my policy regarding groups of strays or even a single dog causing a problem. In this area it is the standard rules of engagement for a dog running loose on a cattle producers property to be at least shot at (everyone isn't a marksman.) It doesn't happen every day but some of the good ole boys around here will shoot their own dog if it won't stay on their own property.

We aren't talking postage stomp lots in a housing tract. I have 160 acres which is what several of my neighbors have but larger holdings are more typical for cattle producers. As I mentioned before a significant number of dogs are dumped in this area and they are more likely to get into mischief that any of the resident dogs within a mile of me as everyone within a mile of me controls their dog(s)pretty well (now) and they do not run free.

It isn't like dogs get shot every day around here. The last pack problem I know of was 2 winters ago when a friend of mine had a cow taken down by 5 dogs. He got there in time with his scoped .243 and got 4 of them before the cow was seriously damaged and tracked the 5th through the snow and shot it.

My neighbor to the south heard a "pack" a few weeks ago sounding like they "had" something. He raced toward the sounds of battle with his 30-30 and it was only 2 dogs who had surrounded an armadillo so he just let them play. Had the object of their sport been one of his calves the story would have ended differently.

Pat

 

[txdon]

Harvey, I think the name on the entry way should be "wroughtn_harv_ville". You have been involved in building so much out here.

Party? In February? That just sounds cold, even here in central Texas. But it does sound fun. (With only 256 square feet of heated area, cabin fever is real.) Might as well freeze outside with friends.
There are a couple of family things that are still pending. I should know more in a week.

I'm thinking I need to get a cattle guard in place for the front gate. Some neighbors do and some neighbors don't have one, but I have seen a power gate malfunction which stayed open, allowing the cattle to roam on the roadway. Any thoughts on the subject?

 

[patrick_g]

Cattle guard sugestions:

1. don't put the pipes or whatever too close together. Better to make them a tad rough driving over than to have a "smart" animal get out.

2. Make them farther across than the typical ones you see to discourage a motivated animal from jumping across.

3. Dig the pit deep to discourage older calves from walking across with their feet on the ground between pipes. Do extend a drainage ditch from the pit until it meets grade if you have some slope to work with. Ditch is better than a drain pipe as it will not clog with debris so easily or often and is easier to clean out.

You can put a couple pieces of rebar or whatever in the direction of travel at the width of your vehicles and it will make the crossing smooth and still not encourage stock to get out.

4. If you have no slope such that the pit will not drain you can build a dirt ramp on both sides of the guard to get the required clearance under it and not dig a pit. The ramps need to have only a gentle slope if you want everything to clear when towing across the guard.

5. You can put fiberglass wands mounted so that gravity keeps them across the guard like a gate. Then when you drive through they are pushed out of the way and swing back into position after you pass. You can dangle pieces of poly wire from them so they are an electric fence type barrier to prevent stock from challenging your guard. Rubber tips on the wands prevent scratching paint.

I'm sure others have more experience than I have and can mentioin ideas I have never come across.

Pat

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Don, check with the local high school ag teacher. Sometimes they have their students build cattle guards as class projects. They can be had reasonably and the process helps the kids.

North of Paris Texas they make the coolest cattle guards I've ever seen. There's no need for a pit or ditch because they rise and fall with vehicle weight. They blew my mind the first time I saw and used one. I just knew I was going to high center but it wasn't a problem.

 

[txdon]

Great ideas! Patrick #3 does happen, I made that mistake with a cross fence cattle guard. I do have enough slope and a small ditch to tie into.

 

[patrick_g]

.

North of Paris Texas they make the coolest cattle guards I've ever seen. There's no need for a pit or ditch because they rise and fall with vehicle weight.

Harv, Were these activated by driving up and putting your front tires on part of the assy? I drove my pickup camper over one of those at a campground by a lake in Texas and it was really cool. Worked fine. Unfortunately this was several years prior to needing cattle guards so I didn't examine it closely.

Pat