National Future Farmer

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Corner Your Fencing Problems
By Horace McQueen
THERE
—
ARE right and wrong
ways—good and poor ways
to erect a fence. Generally, no
two people will agree on all points of
fence building, but nearly everyone will
agree that corner and end post construc-
tion are the most vital parts.
It takes nearly as much time, labor,
and money to build poor end and corner
post assemblies as it does good long
lasting ones—so know how to con-
struct them before you start.
Choose your corner and end posts
carefully—remember they are the backbone
of your fence. Be sure they are
of sufficient height and diameter. You
may wish to consider using steel posts.
Your advisor or local farm supply dealer
can help you make a wise decision.
After this has been done, you are
ready to start. In general, good fence
builders follow four cardinal rules in
constructing corner and end post as-
semblies. Set "em deep! Set 'em firm!
Set "em true! Then brace "em with all
you"ve got!
A properly stretched barbed or woven
wire fence e.xerts a tremendous pulling
force on the corner post assembly.
Under normal conditions—when the
fence is first stretched— this pull may
be 3,000 pounds. And. in the winter
(when the temperature causes the steel
wire to contract, or shrink) this pull
frequently reaches 4.500 pounds. So
you can readily see the need for "'the
strongest possible corner post."'
The double span assembly has two
bracing variations that make it adaptable
to almost any fencing need. The
double span with horizontal bracing
(Fig. A) is twice as strong as any
single span. And the double span with
diagonal bracing, (Fig. B) is 60 percent
stronger than the double span with
30
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horizontal bracing. Either assembly
will more than pay for the extra time
construction takes.
Tubular or angular steel braces (Fig.
C). or wood braces may be used with
either assembly. Both types of steel
braces have pre-flattened and drilled
ends and come ready to be lag bolted
to the posts. They save time on the
job. are easier to handle, and give any
assembly an attractive look when fin-
ished.
Both assemblies should be built with
pressure treated 6-inch-top posts for the
No. 1 (corner), and 5-inch tops for the
No. 2 and 3 posts. All the posts should
be 9 feet long and set 3'2 feet in the
around.
Figure D
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Sleel Corner Posts
Figure C
Steel corner posts will last a lifetime
if the assembly is properly constructed.
Weld an old disk onto the base of your
corner post and brace posts. This will
give you added anchoring support (see
Fig. D).
Dig your corner post hole with a
flared bottom. The top of the hole
should be no larger than the old disk.
This will prevent the corner post from
lifting when winter freezing and thawing
action sets in. Attach angle brace
to the corner post. Dig two flaredbottom
holes 20" X 20" to seat the
angle brace. In deep frost country, dig
all angle brace post holes at least 8
inches below the frost line.
Tamp concrete firmly as you pour.
Be sure the mix is not soupy, as a
soupy mix is weak and will not hold
the post in line. Build concrete above
the ground level and slope it away from
the posts so water will drain away.
Keep in mind that good corner and
end post assemblies will give satisfying
results for years by staying attractive
and strong— giving you more time for
other farming operations. Building
corner and end post assemblies is like
most everything else you will ever undertake:
"If it is worth doing, it is
worth doing right."
The National FUTURE FARMER