T-Post & Welded Wire Fence

[rehric00]

Hi all,

I the next month I will be putting up a welded wire fence with metal t-posts. Originally, I was going to use wooden corner posts, but have been seeing people who use t-posts and just reinforce them with 60 degree support brackets.

Also, do any of you have this type of set up? Id be interested in seeing your set up for a gate. I am trying to this how I will set the gate up.

I was hoping this would be a fairly easy project and could be done in a couple of days after the lot is cleared, but I am starting to think it might be a bit more challenging! Any advice is appreciated!

I need a sturdy pen for my chicks Ill be getting the end of May... We will be getting
-Barred Rocks
-New Hampshire Reds
-Buckeyes
-Welsummers
- Salmon Favorelles

i had to get rid of my chickens last year due to no pen at the new house... and let me just say..

I CANNOT WAIT TO GET MY CHICKENS AGAIN

 

[User395221]

I need a sturdy pen for my chicks Ill be getting the end of May...

How sturdy? Who does it need to keep out? In my experience, it doesn't need much to keep chickens in, it's who you need to keep out that is the real issue.

Anyway, my yard is aviary mesh (wire mesh 12x12mm) attached to horizontal wire strung between star pickets (seem to be similar to your T posts?). If you hammer the star pickets in deep enough, they are fine as corners.

The gate is just hung between 2 timber posts. I didn't concrete in the posts, so the whole thing is movable and I'll be moving it soon.

I can post a picture of the gate later, if you want to see it. It's just a gate I got from somebody else's chook run.

EDIT photos added (excuse the mess, my backyard is a nightmare at the moment, but things are happening)

The aviary mesh is wired to 2 horizontal wires that go through the holes in the star pickets (easily removable)




The gate is attached to 2 timber posts (obviously don't need posts that long, but they are recycled from another purpose). The gate is quite heavy, if you used a lightweight gate, you might be able to use smaller gateposts.




I brought the wire to the gateposts and attached it on the inside with a piece of timber, screwed on, so that it is more easily removable than staples or a nailed on batten.





It is a day-time yard in a suburban backyard. The only "people" it needs to keep out is my dog, and she isn't the type of dog who wants to get in there otherwise than through the gate. The mesh is folded out at the bottom on the inside to form a skirt. I was more concerned to keep the chickens from digging holes at the fenceline than from stopping anyone on the outside digging in (there's nobody on the outside to keep from digging in, my dog is not a digger)

 

[rehric00]

Quote:
I thought about doing a wooden post to anchor the gate, but I thought that might affect the stability of the last t-post. There is a company that makes hardware that goes on t posts for gates, but I do not know how I would attach a gate to that hardware. Then, I have to worry about the weight of the gate- which I plan on doing something similar to yours. Nothing too heavy duty, but nothing too flimsy either.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Potato Chip, I like how you attached the wire to the post with screws and the wood. That is a strong attachment and it covers up the ends of the wire so you don’t snag clothing or flesh. It’s how I do mine.

Tehric, there are different reasons you might need a more substantial corner post or at least a braced corner post. If the fence is heavy material it can cause the gate to sag. If wet snow or ice sticks to it, that can add a lot of weight. Even wind can put a strong force on a meshed fence even if it is not covered in ice. If you have cattle or horses leaning on it to eat the grass on the other side they can make it sag. And of course what type of soil you have and how well the post is set makes a difference. With all that said, you probably don’t need corner posts that are that strong. There are some variables though.

I do like strong gate posts, especially the post the weight of the gate is on. They can sag from that weight to the point your closure doesn’t work anymore. It just won’t line up. To me that is probably more important than a strong corner post if all you are doing is keeping chickens in.

 

[User395221]

I thought about doing a wooden post to anchor the gate, but I thought that might affect the stability of the last t-post.

The gate and posts are basically independent of the fence. I can remove the fence and I'd have a gate sitting in the middle of my backyard. Also, my wire is NOT tensioned at all, the horizontal wires were just pulled "tight" by hand and I only wound them around a few times to hold them roughly straight and to hold the wire upright. If you are going to tension the wires, you need to do it "better". If you have ice and stuff like that that it will need to support, you won't get away with doing it the way I have.

As for the "proper" gates designed to go with the star pickets, find a rural supplies place, they'll show you how they attach, or find out their name and look on youtube. There'll be how they are attached on there, for sure, everything's on there.

Quote: Thanks. I got materials from other people. I took apart their run. They'd done it "properly", it was all stapled. I never want to remove another staple from timber in my life I also wanted to cover up those (vicious) ends of the wire. The best thing is that I only had to use a few screws, instead of securing it all the way down with lots of staples or lots of screws with washers.

 

[TLWR]

The pen we are getting ready to take down is t-posts and welded wire. The gate is a 2x4 frame with welded wire. At the last t-post, we screwed in a 2x4 and then attached the gate to that 2x4'd t-post. The gate closes against a 2x4 that is attached to the side of the shed.

 

[MeepBeep]

Here is my opinion, a decent (aka not the cheapest light weight ones) 6 foot T-post cost nearly $6, a treated 4x4x8 wood post is $8... If you do a traditional braced 4x4 wood corner for pulling the fence tight, it's going to cost you about $40 a corner vs whatever you want to tinker with trying to make the T-post sturdy, are you saving that much? This can become a penny wise dollar silly choice very easily... Same with gate post...

I did a lot of fence at my new place when I moved in 2 years ago, for long runs I did your traditional tension wired field fence corners using 5-6" round treated post, but for short runs I did this type of corner using treated 4x4s...

To save even further, since it's not ground contact the diagonal can be done with treated landscape timbers ($4 normal but can go on sale for 99 cents this time of year) and painted or sealed so it doesn't rot... i did this in a few ares to see how well it held up as it's easy enough to replace later and after 2 years there is no signs of decay... I would never expect it to be a 10 or 20 year solution but it will likely last 5 years...

And although landscape timbers are not treated well at all and certainly not for ground contact, in a pinch they will function as fence post for a few years if you paint the part sunk in the ground prior to burying and don't use concrete... Again this is if you only need a temporary fence for a year or two, if you want it to last longer invest in ground contact treated 4x4s or rounds...

 

[TLWR]

Here's how we did the t-post and gate with welded wire

 

[rehric00]

These are a little contraption from Wedge Loc, known as a gate hinge...
They allow attachment of a light weight gate to a t-post. I would like to use them, but I need to get to the hardware store and see if there are any hinges that would fit in with this. I would like to build a fence, using wood and wire fencing- then attach a hinge to the door, then to this. But I need to find something that will work. Any ideas???

 

[MeepBeep]

These are a little contraption from Wedge Loc, known as a gate hinge... They allow attachment of a light weight gate to a t-post. I would like to use them, but I need to get to the hardware store and see if there are any hinges that would fit in with this. I would like to build a fence, using wood and wire fencing- then attach a hinge to the door, then to this. But I need to find something that will work. Any ideas???

At $20 a pop that is quiet expensive... Most chain link fence hinges and agricultural hinges are the hook/pin and eye/sleeve style that will work with that hardware, you just need to pay attention to the pin size, they come in 1/2" 5/8" 3/4" and 7/8"... For a wood gate, search the hardware stores for 'hook and strap' hinges, but beware hardware stores will have limited selection you find much better selection online or at a farm supply store... I still argue it's not very cost effective vs wood post for that application... Two of these cost $5 that is a $35 savings over those hinges per gate... This is 1/2" larger ones are slightly more... http://www.menards.com/main/tools-h...448890372-c-9707.htm?tid=-1553211212860148582