Durable fencing timbers? Do they exist anymore..

[Haironyourchest]

you could try charring the surface of whatever timber you end up using with a big felt torch, then linseed oil and let cure. Charring was an age old treatment against rot. Also put them in upside down relative to when the tree was alive, this is also supposed to retard rot.

[Woodworks]

 Bad news about the chestnut ones rotting out. You sure it's not just the sap rotting?  

 

Clippex? Yes I know its not wood but should last a good long time

Edited October 17, 2018 by Woodworks

[Matthew Storrs]

Good suggestions- although it must be said any methods that requires a lot of time treating myself isn’t going to be a feasible option. I don’t fence full time but put in about 7000 meters a year so it’d be just too time consuming- if it was on my own land it’d be different.

got to be an off the shelf option really,

Beau- I’m not against Clippex, they definitely have a place but they arnt particularly conducive to Dartmoor ground conditions- not enough mass to hold in soft Peat and when it gets really hard and a lot of granite around the pre-determined wire slots means little flexibility to adapt to ground conditions if you can’t always get them to depth etc.

 

The problem with Chestnut is the split stakes contain a fairly high percentage of sapwood- this just rots in no time so you need a good lump of heartwood to be durable, I’m reluctant to use Chestnut now unless it’s chunky stuff 4-5” minimum for stakes- another thing I noted was that as the sapwood rots of the post can become a bit loose in the hole after 5 years or so.

 

 

[woody paul]

18 minutes ago, Haironyourchest said:

you could try charring the surface of whatever timber you end up using with a big felt torch, then linseed oil and let cure. Charring was an age old treatment against rot. Also put them in upside down relative to when the tree was alive, this is also supposed to retard rot.

Interesting about upside down I was told that many years ago and thought what a load of .... But I remove a gate post and the bit in the ground was the fork of tree/ branch so upside down and then cut square and according to a local it was over 50 years old.

[LeeGray]

Only use shield stakes for customers unless they want post and rail. They have a fifteen year warranty so hopefully will last somewhere near that and through mole valley so you’d hope they’d be around in fifteen years, they still look strong at 3 years but time will tell. Some folk will always want cheapest sawmill posts but they’re knackered in 5 years so I don’t bother supplying and just do labour only on these. 

 

Creosote posts seem plentiful now but wouldn’t fancy putting thousands of those in. At home I’ve got an old oil tank filled with all the old oil and creosote which I soak stuff in if I’m fencing at home regardless of prior treatment and anything I mill myself goes into this  but customers would never pay enough to cover that cost. Larch strainer milled, dried and soaked would have to be £50! Compared to sleepers at £18, but people don’t price in the haulage, pointing and the 6 in the middle of the pack that are shagged either.

 

Hate clippex. I can see the appeal, just go out in the pick up with hundreds of post and a hammer but It just looks horrible, alright on the ranches of Australia but looks wrong in our countryside in my opinion.

[Woodworks]

2 hours ago, LeeGray said:

 

Hate clippex. I can see the appeal, just go out in the pick up with hundreds of post and a hammer but It just looks horrible, alright on the ranches of Australia but looks wrong in our countryside in my opinion.

And a roll of stock netting and barbed wire is attractive and looks OK in the countryside? No stock netting looks good and I dont give the Clippex a second glance. Looks better than a fence line that has snapped off posts and needs re doing.

 

Nicest we have on the farm is short angled wooden stakes on the top of the bank with a couple of strand of plain wire but can only do that if the banks are very good.

 

Hope you can find a solution Matt. Maybe it was just a bad batch of chestnut stakes that weren't dried first?

 

 

[LeeGray]

True, barb looks nasty and I don’t use it personally but stock net doesn’t catch my eye. Suppose anything galv stands out initially and clippex will fade in time.

 

and anything trumps pink/blue baler twine crochet ?

[LGP Eddie]

Pulled a temporary fence line out a few weeks ago, been in over 4 years with the Postsaver sleeves on.

First experience I’ve had too see how they last and all the posts were perfect.

Generally at 4 years old now many would have simply snapped off, all these were good to go again like new.

 

Eddie.

[dig-dug-dan]

2 hours ago, LGP Eddie said:

Pulled a temporary fence line out a few weeks ago, been in over 4 years with the Postsaver sleeves on.

First experience I’ve had too see how they last and all the posts were perfect.

Generally at 4 years old now many would have simply snapped off, all these were good to go again like new.

 

Eddie.

If those sleeves are used on posts that are then driven into the ground using a post driver, surely the sleeve will just come off or rip, especially in stony ground, and therefore not be effective?

[LGP Eddie]

34 minutes ago, dig-dug-dan said:

If those sleeves are used on posts that are then driven into the ground using a post driver, surely the sleeve will just come off or rip, especially in stony ground, and therefore not be effective?

They’re bitumen type things torched on I believe.

These has been in and out, were in perfect condition, the posts apart from the obvious weathering were as good as new ready to go again.

 

Eddie.