How Do I Connect Welded Wire With Dowels? Staple?

[chickened]

Do it once and do it right my friend , use steel T posts and wire clips pre-bent for T post. You can drivethem in with a post pounder or I use the bucket on my tractor.

 

[rebecky1305]

The t-post fence posts are a much better choice. The wooden dowels will rot in the ground and break off. Plus they are not very strong. The metal posts are much easier to put in the ground also. Can be pounded in with a post driver or sledge hammer. I would get 6 foot ones, bury one foot to make 5 foot poles and then use the extra one foot of wire fencing as an apron then use your bricks on top of the apron to prevent critters from digging into your run. And yes I would put a cover on the run with wire fencing. Hope this helps.

 

[PepsNick]

Great. To home depot I go.

 

[chickened]

Don't forget the gate 6' is hard to climb over.
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[PepsNick]

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I know. LOL.

 

[ranchhand]

Hey Nick, I think you've got dowels confused with fence posts. If you use the metal tee posts you'll be happier with the results. And much easier to put in place than a fence post! Good luck, post pics!

 

[PepsNick]

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Yep, sorry. I am a first timer at building, obviously!

I will post pics!

 

[patandchickens]

So, doublechecking here now, you are convinced not to use "dowels", yes? You are going to use either metal t-posts or Actual Fenceposts (cedar or treated) that are at least 4" diameter, yes?

If so, *whew*, your shortie dowels 6" in the ground was a serious nonstarter in terms of how it'd have worked.

Make sure you sink the posts (t or wooden) AT LEAST 18" into the ground, preferably deeper especially if your site sometimes gets strong winds (which, in Georgia, I should think you would in storms, unless it's a super sheltered area). Hardwarecloth has considerable wind resistance, and it is actually much harder to repair a busted run than to just build the darn thing right in the first place. In fact sometimes "repair" consists of basically removing the whole thing and rebuilding from scratch with new posts and now-mangled fence mesh.

I forget what you said the size would be of this run, but if it will be more than maybe 15-20' on any side, or if you are going to be wanting to get the hardwarecloth tight and flat instead of loose and woobly, then I very highly recommend using pressure-treated wood 4x4s as the corner posts. (You can still use t-posts for intermediate posts if you really insist, although the price difference is minimal unless you have a secondhand source for one or the other). T-posts do not have much resistance to tipping in under the strain of stretching a fence, unless braced in ways that you are unlikely to do. And so if you use t-posts for your corners on a long (i.e. higher wind load) or tightly-stretched fence, they will just keel over enough to slacken the fence and then you have a fence that is loose and woobly AND not the greatest resistance to storm winds.

To attach hardwarecloth to pressure-treated 4x4 posts (if you use any), use COATED OR SPECIAL HEAVILY GALVANIZED screws (the latter are hard to find, most people would just use green coated deck screws) with galvanized fender washers, or use galvanized 1" fence staples (the hammer-in kind, of a good-quality brand) and expect them to reduce the working life of the fence.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[PepsNick]

Thank you Pat!