Anyone else ever worked with Barbed wire?
Im doing some fencing with Barbed wire and I'll tell you what that stuff can cut you open. I guess that's why it's an effective fence
First, Really Thick Gloves! Then you will need a Wire strecher. Honest, it looks like a Big Bumper Jack. I saw it in the "Last Whole Earth Catalog", back in 1970. You use it to pull the wire tight and then staple it to the wood post or wrap it around a metal post. Good Luck.
Never really used gloves but that might be why my hands are scarred all up, and for the fence puller I just use a 2x4 with slits cut into it.
It’s come a long way but same object at end of day. Need heavy corners or make them with 3 T posts. Just avoid the barbs. Can use a truck or quad or something with a Winch. Better to do it now if can get posts in cold or frozen ground rather than when it’s hot. Wire goes on tight in cold and won’t get loose in heat instead of opposite. There is cool hardware and tools to use. Many ways of doing it. Some wrap the wire around posts some use wire or hardware. Main thing is to make it Tight because if loose animals can get right through it easily.
Nasty stuff to work with I’m mending fence every whip stitch
saw1
Loc: nor cal Windsor
I agree 100% with AD53. Otherwise, your hands get all cut up And your fence isn't as tight as it should be. Both things are very important when building a barbed wire fence.
If you don't have a fence stretcher at least get a come along to pull it tight . It may look straight right now pulling it by hand but come spring when it warms up it's gonna sag.
Yup. Make as tight as possible. Your hands don’t make it tight. You need to learn to not grab the wire much. Tools do the work. Need to have stable corners. Pull it tight. Never release the tension until it’s attached properly to ALL the posts.
Gordon
Loc: Charleston South Carolina
Can't reel in a fish with cut up hands. Become a supervisor. Get somebody else to do it. Just kidding. Id do it my self to. Be careful.
Yeah I agree that you can't pull it with hands but my 2x4 does it just fine, fenced in three fields with it. And yep strong corners are a must my 1 foot through Lucust posts take care of that, Guys I think there has been a misunderstanding I know how to fence I was more looking for stories of success or misery.
Well, Hoss: you have come to the right place! Misery fence building. First you need to hire some teenagers, then if you are stringing a 1/2 mile or more "bob" wire, you'll need very strong corner posts. Probably two in each direction, with cross braces. There is no way to stretch barbed wire by hand, you need some tools. What we used when I was a teenager was a rope and pulley affair that would eventually get the wire taut.
Our biggest problem was rocky soil. On one job we had to use a pry bar to break up the rocks first before we could dig a hole by hand using a post hole digger. The constant jarring of breaking up the rocks was so difficult that our hands would be frozen around the bar. We would have to push open one finger at a time. Today I suppose folks use a tractor with a post hold digger, and drive in metal posts by machine. People today do not appreciate "undocumented workers" for jobs like that. RJS
If you don't have welding gloves a leather welding coat and some leather horse shoeing chincs. Then don't touch that stuff. It will hurt you. Not like a grizzly bear they will hurt you then eat you. Barb wire will hurt you and it will keep hurting for awhile. The only way to get rid of that pain is to go kick a grizzly bear in the nuts. It will quit hurting real fast.
Egghead: You have to be crazy to build fence. You would have to be both dumb and crazy to kick any bear! But then again, there are people who are trying to win a Darwin award who would try both! RJS
I live in Wyoming RJS I've built miles of fence and close enuff to a grizzly bear to spit on him. But didn't have to kick him. Ive caught a bunch of My lions with my hounds even pulled one out of a tree my his tail. But never kicked the bear. And have been labeled crazy.lol. not confirmed just labeled. Oh yeah, and took one more thing of my bucket list. I did the polar plunge last Saturday.
saw1
Loc: nor cal Windsor
Dang Egg, maybe we ought to just call you Jeremiah.
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