Add gate to existing barbed wire fence.

[CATMAN]

Good for you. I grew up in Iowa, hardly ever had to deal with rocks. Now, I'm south of Seattle, and have fought rocks on every post hole I have ever dug. I feel your pain, when it comes to rocks.

 

[SuperDuty335]

I agree with the previous post about the sequence of holes, posts, tack, cut. It works.

However, I wonder about the use of "H" posts. I see them all the time, but an engineer friend of mine has said "triangles are good" "squares are bad" for strength, support, stress. What is the supposed benefit of an "H" configuration of posts at the gate, as opposed to a triangle, with top of diagonal beam at top of gate post and base of next post in fence?

This is why engineers don't build livestock fencing. A diagonal brace alone acts as a fulcrum and lever. An "h" brace should be the least you build. It is better if you add two diagonals within the "h". A solid diagonal in one direction (base of diagonal pointing down in the direction of the wire) with a tightening wire in the other direction is my preference. This acts as a solid anchor that won't come out of the ground. You will bust barbed wire before the brace will give. Trust me.

 

[SuperDuty335]

Here is a fence I built for a customer. The wire was in short runs so I used an "h" brace with a solid diagonal, but no tightening wire.

 

[Soundguy]

I've layed carpet scraps over the existing wire.. or leveraged it out and drove in a tpost to hold it out of the way.. then drop your posts in.. angle then against the pull a bit, and then staple the wire and go.. have done it often with good results and no restretch. hammer claw or fence combo tool hammer makes grabbing the barbs easy..

soundguy