Equalizing Tension in Barbed Wire Fence | Engels Coach Shop

[@jdcamc]

The wooden fence at my parents house was over 20 years old and had seen better days (the old cheap builder's grade). They never got around to replacing it and when my dad passed away so I decided to replace it myself knowing my mother would never be able to get it done. I had never built a fence before but I did remember how my dad did it many, many decades ago. I am so grateful for all of the knowledge my dad left me, even if he didn't know it! Miss you, Pa! ♥Thanks for sharing, Dave!

[@neilcurson4505]

I admire a man who identifies a need and then can cobble together some unrelated bits and bobs to find a solution, a man after my own heart.

[@clearviewtechnical]

Dave thinks everything through beforehand and makes a plan in his head. Exactly how all projects should proceed.

[@dianeengel4155]

I'll tell Dave.

[@macw2234]

🎶Goodness Gracious Great balls of wire🎵 Great job done

[@legend7ify]

......G'day Dave, thank you for the logic and free thinking, things not taught in schools today. I built 50 miles of barbed-fence on Douglas River Station, Northern Territory, Australia in 1965. Swinging panels in the creeks were the most difficult. Cheers, Malcolm

[@dianeengel4155]

That's a lot of fencing.

[@douglasjones6248]

Learned something new! That’s is normal when watching Dave’s channels!

[@markwatson9816]

@8:25 I've owned a pair of Craftsman Fencing Pliers for 40 years and this is first time I've seen how they're used! Thanks for that. Unlike another poster who said he'd used them many times I guess I'm a "city slicker" 😂

[@richardcorwin1828]

Thank you for sharing Dave. Stringing fencing brings back some good memories when I was a boy. One of my favorite jobs was just riding the fence line to see what needed fixing. You know what an honest days work was.

[@johnbucher3009]

Great memories, every spring I’d help my Grandfather check all the fences. Particular attention was given to the line and pasture fences. He’d harness up “Babe” a large Belgium horse and have a wagon set to go with all the tools and everything we would need. Grandma would bring out a large wicker basket with our lunch. We would return just about four to start the evening chores and milking. It was work, but it’s my best memories of My Grandad and the farm life. Enjoy.

[@thirzapeevey2395]

I watched my neighbor build a five strand barb wire fence forty years ago. He was hanging it on eastern red cedar posts. He did it pretty much the same way you are, except that he had a "story stick" the height of his posts, and he had cut a saw kerf into it at the height he wanted each wire. As he came to each post, he would put each strand in a saw kerf, set the stick against the ground and against the post, and staple it in. It worked really nicely to get everything spaced right. I guess with the metal posts, you don't need that. You've got the little metal nubs to tell you where to put it.

[@normmcrae1140]

My Dad always taught me that the day is wasted if you don't learn something...... Today, Dave taught me how to splice Barbed Wire! I'll probably never use the knowledge, but I learned it! And the Barbed wire reel is a GENIUS solution! I bet the cowboys who strung wire back 150 years ago would be jealous as hell of that!

[@johnbucklerfarms]

I farmed for 40 years and never saw anyone make that neat Mend together!👍👍👨‍🌾👨‍🌾🇺🇸😊

[@robertcannell9865]

Great little fencing cart, Dave! Always thinking and building.. Works a charm. Maybe share Diane's potato salad recipe next week?

[@tombuffumjr1509]

I have watched a lot of fence building and you are the only one that does it rite and also the wire splice too a lot of young bucks did not lessen to there granddad very good there is a lot of new stuff that still needs enproved on but fencing I think we have got that one down. Thank you I do like your videos there is still a lot to learn about the past that need to be learned today

[@chrisbartrum3201]

This is the definitive guide to barbed wire fence.

[@trottermalone379]

Great technique for getting an even tension in all the wire runs! And you supplied the answer to my problem with the tee-posts pulling out of the ground at the low spot in the fence every spring when the ground softens… Sink a monster tie at the bottom of the draw!!

[@chrissometimes7473]

I see you have that most important of barbed wire fence tools - good gloves! Also useful for thorn bushes where I live.

[@ao6364]

That land and that sunshine, at all looked rather beautiful.

[@Reziac]

Well, now you've got to have a vid on how to make Diane's potato salad!

[@iqoverlord]

I never thought of doing that way.. I personally was pulling and anchoring ever 10 to 15 post. I was never able to get the tension equal between strands ler alone all the way down the fence. I love your insight and wisdom you love to share..😊😊

[@petert3355]

On the farm growing up we always used to have fencing 100, 150, even 200 meters between "strainer" posts. The longer the run the better strain you could get on the wire. One other thing, we would tie the wire to each end and then strain in the middle of the middle of the fence "panel".

[@robertdraper7258]

I remember my Grandparents having Barb Wire ar their Home and me larning at a very young age that it bites, LOL. I never saw the Barb Wire Fence going up or how it was tensioned but your methods seem very much like how my Grandmother described the process. Thank you for awaking those precious memories of my childhood over a hakf century ago!

[@andrewmacomber1638]

Oh boy! I was scratching my head on that one! But as always Dave’s a man with a plan! I like it. ✌🏻❤️🇺🇸🙏🏻

[@RH-xr8ms]

Hi Dave My Grandpa taught me in the late 1940's ( I'm 82 ), how to attach barb wire or any kind of fencing to wood post to eliminate steeples because they always work out of the post over time. We always drilled a 5/8" hole in the post at all the wire locations. Then take a length of smooth wire long enough to double and go over the barbwire like a steeple and push the two ends through the post. then bend the tie wire both ways around the post and twist around the fence wire. That way the fence will stay up until it is purposely taken down, no steeples to work out ! The worst thing about that method was drilling all those holes with a brace & bit. Boy, things changed after we got a Honda generator !!!

[@Reziac]

I've seen it fastened by just running wire around the post, no hole involved, drive a nail to keep it from sliding down. Not as secure but it worked.

[@bigredc222]

That was the kind of cordless drill that put arms on you. The post would have to rot away before that wire comes down.

[@chemcody5119]

I really enjoyed this episode. I would have liked to see how you tied off the wire at the end post too. Maybe next time? Thanks for sharing it with us.

[@brw3079]

Like Matt, from Matt's Off-road Recovery says, "I don't know if that's the best way to do it, but it's the way we did it, today."

[@stephenhenion8304]

I admire your approach to all things. Im no Fence builder, but watching you set everything in place is genius. Thanks

[@doctwiggenberry5324]

I as a youth used to go out to the salt blocks and lick the very smooth places were the cows had licked. Never hurt me a bit. Salt blocks were important in SW Idaho.

[@rodmills4071]

Nice job .... I used a disc plow blade where you have the blue disc. Worked a treat.🤔😎🇦🇺👌

[@pebrede]

Long ago when I was fencing and we used a twitcher, a short piece (4 to 6 inches) of flat bar with a suitable hole to spin plain wire when joining or tying off wire to a stretcher, and when at a corner post we would join a piece of plain wire to the barbed and use that to tension and just loose wrapped some barbed wire over the plain. A twitcher for barbed wire was a piece of round bar or larger flat stock with a hook cut into the end to twist the barbed wire tail into a closed loop or a fisherman’s knot on to plain wire. As you said everyone makes potato salad differently. Take care.

[@davidquirk8097]

I learnt my fence hanging from the old Farmer I worked for three decades ago. I asked him where he'd learned it (thinking he'd say from another old timer) and he told me that he learned from a young New Zealander who'd come and done some fencing work for him. He was so impressed by the ways that the guy from NX did the job that he decided to forget all he'd been shown and just use the NZ way. He told me that it made sense as the NZ farms are predominantly Dairy and sheep and you need good fences for both. When we started to build 'box strainers' for the ends of the fence runs, and I looked at the physics of them, they made made great sense, forces all resolved into straight, horizontal pulls, not tending to pull the top of the strainer over or allowing it to lift out of the ground. Where we put angles strainers in (for changes in the run of the fence) we used diagonal braces, set no more than a third of the wy up the post, again, to prevent the post from lifting up out of the ground.. The NZ guys used to start hammering the staples in but would then drop an additional staple over the top of the staple (hanging down like an inverted U) to prevent the wire from touching the post. They said that the CCA preservative (we used wooden posts) rotted through the galvanising really quickly if the wire was in direct contact with the post. They also made a point of offsetting the staples so that adjacent staples weren't in the same grain line to prevent splitting.

[@thisolesignguy2733]

I think the most impressive thing about this is that for eyeballing the posts, those are pretty dang straight! I was surprised when you changed views and was looking down the line of posts, the first thing that caught my eye was "good lord, that's straight as an arrow" nicely done, if it was me that fence would look like a dog's leg 😅

[@ron.v]

It seems, sometimes, that Dave's ability to "eyeball" something is more accurate than anything we could do with the finest instruments and a team of engineers.

[@steveadams4009]

I just love how you use that Farrier's driving hammer for everything.

[@jjbode1]

A craftsman in all you do.

[@CC-hl5zj]

Country boy genius right there folks! Need to nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize!!!

[@harpintn]

Watching you do that brings back memories of helping my grandfather string barbed wire when I was young.

[@olivei2484]

Grandfather made a fencing wagon out of an old manure spreader. The beater bars held the wire, which we could lock down and tension the wire with the tractor. The rest held all the posts and fencing materials to run hot wire when the ground was thawed enough to set posts.

[@olddawgdreaming5715]

Great job on the fence cart Dave and the fencing too. Thanks for sharing with us. Sure was hoping Diane was going to share her Potato Salad Recipe. I miss the potato salad made around S E Ohio, never was able to get use to the southern version of potato salad. You all stay safe and keep up the good videos and keep having fun. Fred.

[@randallparker8477]

I hate all potato salads... but I always loved fencing of all types. You did your wire the way I was taught... perfectly. LOL

[@Kaptain13Gonzo]

Oh boy. My first job was as a kid of 12 and mending fences. All I ever used, and in later years too, was the fencing plier / hammer. I'd walk around a field and staple up wire, tension where needed and fix splices. I think I made the princely sum of 10cents an hour. I learned to drive a tractor, fertilize, mow / bale hay and tend cattle. It was a great job. This brings back all kinds of memories. Thanks for sharing.

[@louGriggs1944]

Nice video. Reminds me of when I was a teenager and worked summers and weekends for local farmers. Strung a lot of fence as a youngster. Nice one. Thanks.

[@glencrandall7051]

Now I know how to do it. Shoot me if I ever get in the position of having too. Thank you for sharing. Have a great day and stay safe.🙂🙂

[@rexmyers991]

I can’t recall ever stringing a new fence, but I sure have repaired many a fence in Colorado and one Summer in South Dakota. Nice work, Dave

[@davidbishop4015]

Great content Dave. I now know how a barbwire fence is attached to the posts. Stay safe.

[@garyluck8502]

All I can say that you are very good I will pay you the ultimate compliment enjoy watching what you do feel like you can do anything you should be a proud of yourself

[@williamclark6466]

It is so fun to watch you create. Thanks for sharing...

[@davidsellars646]

This video must be saved! Some day, someone will take a bunch of rusty parts and a few flakes of plastic to a future Dave Engels and expect him to recreate that cart. He will need this video.....

[@wileycoyotesr8623]

No such thing as a boring video from EngelsCoachShop. Diane gets mondo kudos for editing. 😊

[@bradgotschall3259]

I’m a city boy. Helped my brother who married a farm girl build fence on his 35 acres. Only a few days work but fun. Think of those days every time I see barbed wire. Satisfying to see the fruits of one’s potato salad making 😊

[@manuelsaldivar3962]

Just another day on the fence. Thanks

[@shawnnelson6146]

I remember as a kid lugging the goldenrod wire strecher. Your methos of fence building is simular to what we were using in NE Nebraska. Mostly sandy ground, still had split wood posts as late as 1980. Also encountered allot of pastures that had water running in the post hole about 10" down. In 1970's some people did have atv's but my father was a saddle horse racher. When springs were wet we used horses to check fence.

[@taj1460]

Oh so much fun I got 4 miles to put up Welding up all new H braces now 3 done 20 more to go

[@2_dog_Restoration]

when we built a 1/2 mile of new barb wire fence in the Nebraska Sand-hills back in the 1970's dad gave me a old lawn mower handle to unroll the barb wire. I stepped on rattle snake!! I was lucky and didn't get bit!! Dave with your wire un-roller. You can avoid the rattle snakes!!

[@ron827]

I helped my dad make a lot of fence as a kid on the farm in the late 50s but have never seen your splice method. I like it! 👍

[@doncc6080]

About half way through your fab I figured out what you were making. Great invention!!!!!

[@Daniel-gi3jo]

From fab, to ease of use to potato salad, yup. Dave, your one channel that helps in the world we're living in. Congrats on the calf, good to see them inspect and approve.

[@billschmitzer9159]

Thanks Dave, I’m a city boy but enjoyed how to string fence.

[@richardthornhill4630]

Clever little cart to stretch the wire out for attaching. Necessity is the mother of invention. Good looking fence.

[@Biggestfoot10209]

Fastest hammer in the west. I enjoy watching your videos.

[@patrickcolahan7499]

The wire cart works very well. Nice job. Thanks for sharing.

[@danaowen9014]

I like your variety of videos, Dave.i like how you explain what you are doing.

[@Jameson4327]

I did like the idea of the little cart.

[@Ham68229]

When I raised beef cattle, on occasion, I'd use 2 2x4 with bolts ran through them. Mainly used that to stretch woven wire but, have used it to stretch 4, 5 and 6 strand wire fence before. Tension is completely equal since all wires were tensioned as one. If that makes sense. As for the splicing of two wires, I've used several different methods and to be honest, I've seen your method done once before, never done it myself but, as you said, more than one way. Great video as always, cheers :)

[@bluehill1275]

Nicely done Dave. As someone who repairs more than a few miles of fence every spring, much of it over one hundred years old, I admire your work. I especially like your splice. There’s nothing prettier than a mile of new fence, straight as an arrow and shining in the sun. I’m borrowing your potato salad analogy if you don’t mind.😊

[@etjason1]

Now I want to know more about the potato salad. Mayo, vinegar, type of potato these are the things I come here for.

[@audiotechlabs4650]

I’m no rancher. I don’t know all the things that cattle require to be healthy. I’ve heard of salt blocks and feed and water. This barrel for minerals and protein is new. I look forward to ALL of your videos Dave! Thanks for sharing portions of your life! Love from NW Colorado. Thanxz

[@64Pete]

A comment and a like for the almighty algorithm, thank you for sharing!

[@WayneSmith-yf3fg]

I love the Potato salad analogy!

[@rayc.1396]

Dave, you are amazing, great video. I did notice something today I think I have commented on before, but, for those who haven't, Dave and I carry 2 Leatherman pliers, for most folks 1 is plenty, but if you try to take a rusty nut off a bolt or undo a nut and bolt which were put together with Nyloc good luck, that's not going to happen without the second pliers.

[@garthbutton699]

About 60 years ago my neighbor and mentor gave me a 3 part rope block fence stretcher and I've used it for everything but what it was intended for,I really enjoy your video thanks🤗😎🤗😎

[@tomoakhill8825]

Dave is using a farm vocabulary is distinct from mine. I was raised on a working farm (my family lived on the farm income exclusively). In my Michigan-farm vocabulary a _"heifer"_ is a female old enough not to be a calf, but who has not herself had a calf. Once she gives birth, she instantly becomes a _"cow"_ and we would never say, "...a heifer who has had a heifer..." as Dave did. I would say, "Over here is a cow who just gave birth to her first calf, a heifer. I purchased her a month as an pregnant heifer."

[@BCVS777]

Interesting! Would call her a first calf heifer here in the SW. In the spring we say we are calving heifers to denote the extra attention given to the first timers.😊

[@peternicholsonu6090]

Remember years ago a linesman on those huge pylons carrying major voltage. They found correct tension by whacking the tight cable with a rod....this would send an oscillation away to last pylon....he would hold the rod a given height above the cable and when the oscillation returned it would strike the waiting rod when the tension was right....the things we learn....

[@DonnaMSchmid]

I was waiting for your cattle to make a dash for it, under the wires! 😂😂😂

[@petert3355]

Even in Australia where the Barbed wire comes on a wooden spool, (used to at least), that last little bit was always a right PITA. One other thing Dave, look up a 'Figure 8 knot'. Best way ever to join both barbed wire and plain even when putting wire under strain. Uses very little wire so almost no wastage.

[@jeffclark2725]

great video, thanks for bringing us along, more to barb wire fencing than i thought

[@davemarshall2203]

Good to see your Red Brand wire , not off shore cheaper stuff.

[@johnbucklerfarms]

We Always used a Big Grape vine to Drag the Spool Behind the 4 Wheeler it was Strong and The Wire Rolled on the Ground!

[@caseyrevoir]

I feel saged in seasoned fencing knowledge.

[@Thomas-bv9mn]

An old timer told me he was hired to build a five wire fence. The landowner came there and told him to stretch the top wire first. The old timer replied ," If your building an outhouse would you start by nailing on the shingles?" I have always seen it done that the lowest wire was stretched first to establish a straight line, then the posts installed. If there were dips, Deadman were buried and each strand wired to them as the strands were added.

[@Jackielightning]

OUTSTANDING VIDEO I ALWAYS ENJOY WATCHING THANK YOU FOR WIZDOM

[@RaymondWKing-dn8wf]

Hi Dave, grate idea and way to recycle existing supplies the Cowboy way!

[@edsecorr7812]

Great job looking great keep up the great work love your videos thank you

[@hughbishopnh]

I love potato salad so would love your wife's recipe.

[@stevearehart313]

Nice to see that goldenrod stretcher manufactured in Hastings Nebraska.

[@marshallcollins3376]

Way better than two boys and a broom handle.😊

[@edricoddot]

Very good job as always, Dave

[@billj.widmann112]

Would like to have a nickel for every fence staple I pulled or driven with a fencing pliers. Must have built or moved miles and miles of fencing when growing up on the farm. Brings back a multitude of memories. Dad used to put a steel rod in the arm of the B tractor and then slide the roll of barbed wire on the rod to roll it out.

[@milt7348]

Stay safe and we'll see you next time.

[@williamjacobs236]

Another great video Dave .

[@tinachambers4887]

Learned something new Dave have a day love from TEXAS

[@CatsSleepyHollow]

Great ideas!

[@PeterWMeek]

I used to fly 4-line kites (quads) and getting equal tensions on all four lines of a line set is a similar project. You try to match sags at a variety of tensions to allow for elasticity.

[@tonychandler6550]

Just about to go to bed and this comes on so had to watch

[@dremein]

Thanks for showing us how you run a fence. But I have to say, I think my wife makes the best potato salad. 🙂

[@howardnielsen6220]

Dave very Clever cart thank you

[@joeschmo7957]

6:30 My late father, who would be 111 yo in June... if he saw you doing that, he would say, "you think you're pretty wise". Actually, he would likely come up with a similar solution, as he was no less than brilliant. I can hear him saying that, his voice never will leave me till I go where he is and reconnect. Soon, dad, soon and in short order.

[@davidadaur5163]

I have not built a barbed wire fence for many years. One spring we rebuilt seven miles of fence with all new wire and posts (wood posts) and rock jacks if we could not use an auger on the holes. Your fence looks really dood to me and I am impressed by your little wire cart. David Adair

[@qt1070]

I wanted to watch you do some T post also. But, it’s ok. I followed along anyway.

[@jayclark7237]

Tip of the hat to your prop man. Very realistic cow patties!

[@bigsouthranchin]

I’ll have to try that splice method Looks good!

[@amateurshooter6054]

Thanks Guys