I have been re-fencing into smaller paddocks for some time now and have had a lot of enquiries from locals about my methods. So I thought some of you may like some tips.

Firstly there are 2 types of rural fences, BOUNDRY & INTERNAL as well as yards etc.

Lets start with the fence posts. I only use timber posts and stays as they are stronger and easier to get. I use Red Gum as this is so hard that even the termites can't get into it.
The post should be 300mm or more in diameter (De-Barked) and a meter longer than you wish to have the fence above ground. The 300mm ( 1 foot) in diameter is needed to able cut a stay into it and leave enough wood for srength

The posts should be de-barked that is the bark removed, this should be done as soon as the post is cut as the longer you leave it the harder it becomes.

I then cut a keyway into the side of the post aprox 150mm from the bottom and about 75mm deep and 150mm wide. A slice out of the side of the post.
This is done as we concrete our posts into the ground and this keyway stops the post from turning and stops the post from lifting as the keyway when filled with concrete will tie the post to the concrete around it.
Then dig a hole 200mm larger than the diameter of the post at a depth of 800mm to 1 metre depending on ground conditions.

Once the hole has been dug creosote the post from it's bottom to above the ground level mark only, using gloves etc.

The post should now be placed into the hole with the keyway at the bottom in the hole.

Mix up some concrete and with the post properly orientated and placed in the middle of the hole fill the hole to within 50mm of the ground packing the concrete into the hole as needed.secure the post as needed to keep it in it's required position & Let it dry for a couple of days.Unless there is a lot of wind I find that the concrete is enough to secure the post without further restraint.
Tip: when placing the post in the hole orientate it so that any knots or bends don't interfere with stays or the attachment of gates.

when set and dry cut the top of the posts to 30mm above where you want your top wire.


more to follow from Jack at Wilja Koolies

Jack your a man after my daddy's own heart. Enough cannot be said about the virtues of good fencing.

Stays,

Stays should be cut from timber again I use red gum. they should be a minimum of 100mm in diamater and again debarked.

I always debark the stay as soon as I have cut it as the longer you leave it the harder it gets.

The Post now needs to be cut for the stay.

I will try to explain this for you.

Firstly a stay needs to be placed about halfway up the post, If it is placed at the top of the post the post will lift out of the ground and if the stay is placed at the bottom of the post it will allow the top to be pulled in.

Now trim the stay.
If you can imagine the stay when installed at 45 degrees the top of the end of the stay that fits into the post must be cut so that it is flat, the sides of the stay must be trimmed flat.

Now start by marking the area of the post to be cut. a square about 40 or 50mm deep into the post and about the same size as the stay when trimmed.
To cut this use a small chain saw or similair. A large chainsaw will tend to jump around to much.
Cut a slot aprox 40mm deep into the post at the top of the hole you wish to make (Horizontally).
Then cut a slot at the bottom of the hole but this time angle this slot up at 45 degrees. This as the stay will be enterimg the post at aprox 45 degrees.

Now cut a slot on each side of the sqaure you wish to remove again about 40mm deep remembering to cut the bottom edge at 45 degrees.

TIP: When you have finished cutting the perimeter of the hole for your stay place some vertical cuts within the area and then break the bits out with a crowbar.

Cean up the hole and fit the stay. this must be perfectly in line with the fence.
When the stay fits fit the stay into the hole and mark the ground at the other end of the stay and now dig a trench about 500mm wide across the end of the stay. that is not in line with the stay but across the stay about 500mm deep and so that the end of the stay is at the front on the trench. the stay will at this time sit on the ground above the trench and you will now need to dig a ramp into the trench so that the stay rests into the trench with air around the end of it and at least 300mm behind the end of the stay.
Now creosote the hole in the post, the end of the stay that fits into the post and the end of the stay that goes into the ground so that thwe rest of the stay can be creosoted when it is fitted.

Now fit the stay and chain it back to the post pulling the stay in tightly.
mix some concrete and concrete the end of the stay in so that the top of the concrete will be below ground level. Let this set for a couple of days before removing the chain.

When this is set and dry remove the chain and back fill the holes with dirt.

you can now fit your wires.

once wires are fittes and strained you should go back and creosote the whole post and stay.

this should if you have suitable hardwood posts last for 50 years or so.


Jack Wilja Koolies

It is great to have someone willing to share such knowledge, too often people are trying to improve and do things correctly but sourcing such information as to how to actually complete the task can be almost impossible. This forum is a great place to share all sorts of information and I can see it now...someone attempting to construct their first fence, saying...hang on I'll just go and check the koolie forum before we pour the concrete!!

Jack

Placement.

The placement of posts is as important as the posts itself.

If you have an undulating property make sure that the timber posts are on top of any rises otherwise the star pickets will pull into the ground.
If you have an area that could at times be under water I would suggest a large diameter steel pipe filled with concrete with some angle or the like welded to the sides and back filled with lots of concrete and set very deep in bad situations.

If you need to take fences off the main fence use a larger post so that the extra stays can be cut in without losing the strength of the post.

Once all posts and stays are in you should strain at least the top and bottom and middle wires before placing the star pickets.
The star pickets are best placed using a lump hammer with the picket held against the 3 strained wired and with the holes facing the side the wire is to be attached to and hit in to a suitable height.
Between the timber posts you can now place your star pickets, I set mine at 4 metre intervals on boundry fences and 6 metre intervals on internal fences.

You can when all star pickets are placed start tying the wires back to the star pickets. Never put wires through holes in star pickets this becomes a major hassle when a star picket breaks or is beyond repair. It is much esier to cut the tie wire from the affected star picket replace it and tie it back on.

I put hinge joint on my boundry fences and plain wire only on my internal fences.


With boundry fences the top 2 wires are usually barbed the rest being plain.
You must decide what wire you are going to use on boundry fences eg hinge joint and place wires on the fence so that you can tie back to them.

I use plain wire on my internal fences as they are electrified and I run the following setup. Top wire live second wire earth 3rd wire live etc down the star picket.


Jack Wilja Koolies

Thanks Jack we're just about to launch ourselves into a bit of fencing around the perimeters, the fencings getting a bit dodgy in places.
So your article couldn't be better timed.
Good one mate

Tying Wire back to star posts

When you have your wire tensioned and the star pikets in you must tie the wire back to your star posts.

This is best done in the following manner.

poke the tie wire through a hole in the star piket then bring in to the front of the wire one end over the wire and the other under the wire.

the trick now is to twist one of the tie wire ends around the main wire one way while the other twists the other way. keep twisting until the wire runs out.

The best way to spin the wires is with a wire spinner that can be made from a short bit of flat bar with a hole in one end big enough to fit the tie wire.

It is a case of putting one end of the tie wire through the hole in the wire spinner slide it up as far as you can and then just spin it around the wire until the piece of tie wire runs out.

This is an easy and fast way to tie a main wire to star pickets and if done properly looks very neat. the advantages of doing this is that there is no knot which can break because it is kinked and that this will allow the wire to slip slightly during expanding and contrating.

I have seen pro fencing people put a fence up in a day and end up with a fench that the star pickets all have a lean on them and steel posts that can't be strained from because they pull out of the ground.


Jack Wilja Koolies

A further guide to posts and gate placings

When you place post for a gate there are several things to look at.
If the gate in an external gate that is a gate out of your property it is allways a good idea to have the gate posts set so that the gate swings against a post and not between the posts this is done so that stock even if pushing agaist the gate can't move it. if the gate was between the posts the only thing holding this gate would be the latch which isn't as strong as the posts.
the hinges should then also be placed on the inside against the post.
You should keep this in mind when making or ordering gates as the size of the gate may need to be a little larger to allow through traffic.

If you are putting a gate between paddocks you can put the gate against one side of the posts or between them as this doesnt really matter as the stock can't escape even if the gate were opened.
I do think that some thought should however be placed on the fittment of gates and you must always remember that a gate should never protrude into a paddock that the stock are being moved from.
I often put these internal gates in between the posts so that they can then be turned to the side the stock are being moved to.

Another thing to remember with gates is to as far as possible put the gates in corners of your paddocks as this will made herding your stock through them much easier that if the gate was in the middle of a fence line.
I use dogs to move stock and the corner gate acts like a funnell and gives the dog more control.

A gate should always be hung from a fence with strained wire on it, that will say that the gate when closed should have it's hinges on the other side of the post than the stay that is there to hold the post against the strain of the wire on a fence.

Jack Wilja Koolies

Hi Jack

Well finally found your fencing thread, (we thought it had been lost when the forum data storages were affected by lightning strike some months ago). It is certainly a lot of good advice too good to loose.

Too right.
We haven't touched the fence since it was lost.
I guess it's back to work.

Hi All


Just a short note

I spoke in an earlier section of tie wire to tie your main wires back to star pickets etc, When I said tie wire I didn't mean any special wire as I just use the fencing wire I used for the fence.

The only time I use what is refered to as tie wire which is much lighter than fencing wire is when I tie hinge joint back to a fence wire. I still use fencing wire ti tie the hinge joint back to the star picket but use tie wire between them at short intervals.

fitting hinge joint

when you are ready to tie hinge joint to a fence many people don't know where to start so here goes.

Get one end of the hinge joint and strip the vertical wires out of the first metre or two.

The ends left over can then be tied back to the post you are starting from.
Now unroll the hinge joint so that it is past the post you wish it to go to
and stretch it so that you can determine aproximately where the end will be so that you can again strip the vertical wires out of that section ready to secure it to the post.

When this is done I usually strain each individual horizontal wire before tying it off this is a little bit more work but well worth the effort.

Once this is done tie the horizontal wires to the star pickets with fencing wire and with tie wire at intervals of a foot or so.

This will produce a boundary fence that is drum tight and will last a long time.


If anyone doesn't understand of needs assistance please ask as I am sure there are several people that could answer any question you may have I will see if I can take some photo's when I next put a post and stay in so that people can see what I am talking about.

A picture after all tells a thousand words.


Jack Wilja Koolies