I purchased a house with 5 acres and the previous owner had started a barb wire fence. Some of the T metal post are installed. So I am ready to string the barb wire and have a few questions.

Do you start on the bottom string or the top string? and when you nail the wire to your wood posts do you wrap it around and cut the wire, or should you use a continous run?

I purchased a cable hoist/puller to pull the wire.

 

I have no idea about barbed wire fencing, however, i have built horse fence before. I would start on the bottom, because, your t-posts are not 'load bearing', they just hold your wire in place vertically, but you do have support posts probably every so many feet and h-braces, etc at the corners as well. The bottom will let you get a little more tension out of it, instead of pulling on your braces from the top, furthest from the ground, potentially pulling them off level. When we did the smooth horse fence, the only part that gets wrapped is where the wire meets the h-braces. We used a winch type apparatus to get as much tension as we could, then use several big staples to hold it in. Then we wrapped the wire back onto itself several times to make it hold. After it was all tied up, we released the winch.

 

Oh Great Internet speak to us

http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-...rbed-wire2.htm

 

Start at the bottom, like ag-ford said. I use diagonials on corners instead of h-bracing, but both work the same. I only run the wire around the wood posts on the corners and the end(at a gate opening, etc). That way you can take it loose if you need to tighten it. With barbed wire, I usually space my metal posts every ten feet and put a wood post at least every 100' on long straight runs. I usually only use hog wire now because my cows keep sticking their fat heads through the barb wire and loosing it up. Hope that helps.

Jeremy

 

thanks for the info guys!
I will try starting at the bottom string and do the wrap around on the wood posts. This will take a while cause I will be doing this myself on the weekends as time permits. He had put in wood posts every 100 feet and T metal posts every 10 feet, so I will try to do the same. The local fence company wanted $4.25 a foot installed, I can save some serious dough by doing it my self.

 

First, what are you going to be fencing in? Cows seem to be "ok" with barbed wire, but for horses it's bad news. We used 4 or 5 strands for non-electric fences. On electric fences, some were just one strand, some were three with the middle one hot.

As far as running it, set your anchor posts at each end as indicated. I like to double up on the bracing, but that's just because I'm talking about it vs. doing it. I would do it like so: |-\-\ =======/-/-|

Wrap at the ends, use a puller to make it tight, and fasten it loosely in the middle to assist in the pulling. If you start at the top, the wire will pull the slack out of the posts and your subsequent wires won't cause the earlier wires to loosen. (in theory) Also, you will be "clear" of the earlier wires as well when pulling subsequent wires.

Railroad ties work mighty fine for end posts.

We had a post hole digger for our Ford NAA tractor, welded up by the old man using an old Ford differential. Worked good but in needed a reverse for them darn roots and big rocks.

Happy fencing....

 

Yep... String and tighten from the top down, else every wire you put up will tangle in the one beneath it and if you tighten from the bottom up, each wire you put up will be tighter than the one below it. If you stretch fence in the winter, it will loosen in the summer. If you stretch in the summer, it will tighten in the winter.
If you are doing hill, start at the top and go down, and when the roll gets away from you, just let it go. It will climb your leg faster than a cat going up a tree if you get in front of it.

 

Make sure you don't let go of the barbwire when you are crossing the fence.

 

I have always started at the top. When getting the post (using a post driver) I put one foot on the metal anchor. When my foot is one the ground I tap it one or two more times.

I start with the top wire about three or four prongs from the top of the post. As far as spacing I use the handle of fence pliers to space the wires.

Depends what you are trying to keep in (or out) post can be spaced up to 21 feet or so. Closer is there is more preasure on the fence.

Granted I am a bit out of practice.