Pipe Fence Questions

[930dreamer]

Hello everyone, I found this forum while searching for pipe fence ideas.. I have a new to me 4 acre piece of land that needs a fence in front. it's 400' across the front, I see a CL ad for Schedule 80 new pipe for $32 for 32' and 8 ' for $10. I'm trying to figure out materials needed;

400' / 8' = 50 8 ft posts minus two gates

400'/ 32' = 13 32 ft pipe(rounded up) for top rail minus two gates

18 8 ft horizontal pipes per ten posts = 90 8 ft pipes minus two gates

Am I close here?

 

[WranglerX]

Local fence company gets about a 2 -1/4 inch diameter steel oil field pipe (surplus-used) by the pallet load (actual bundle), they use it for posts and top rails and use "sucker rod" (3/4 solid bar) between post to make lower "rails" for live stock containment....

See no reason for schedule 80 new when its just going to rust over time.... Look into "salvage/surplus" sources...

IF livestock containment is more important then aesthetics (yes we want it to look good also), you can use 4X20 foot live stock panels between posts to create barrier to keep animals in.....

In the end its probably going to be cheaper to get long length and cut it to length for what you need....You probably will save enough to buy cut off saw and still save money...

I personally like the rust color country look....

Dale

 

[Vaquero]

All depends on where you are.
Dollar a foot ain't bad.

 

[stuckmotor]

Local fence company gets about a 2 -1/4 inch diameter steel oil field pipe (surplus-used) by the pallet load (actual bundle), they use it for posts and top rails and use "sucker rod" (3/4 solid bar) between post to make lower "rails" for live stock containment....

See no reason for schedule 80 new when its just going to rust over time.... Look into "salvage/surplus" sources...

IF livestock containment is more important then aesthetics (yes we want it to look good also), you can use 4X20 foot live stock panels between posts to create barrier to keep animals in.....

In the end its probably going to be cheaper to get long length and cut it to length for what you need....You probably will save enough to buy cut off saw and still save money...

I personally like the rust color country look....

Dale

Dale,
I read on some forum about how oil well pipe or stem or drill rod became radioactive from uranium in the ground. The post told how junk yards in oil country have radiation detectors (Geiger Counters?) next to the scale and won't buy the metal for scrap. Is this true where you live. As far as I know there are no oil wells in my state so I'm ignorant on the subject and can't understand why all oil products aren't radioactive.

 

[WranglerX]

I have heard that that story too, but I have yet to see any fences that glow in the dark or any of local fence workers growing third eye in forehead..... There might be some truth to the radioactive thing, but I believe with all the safety rules in place today you would be pretty safe working with responsible salvage dealers...

Dale

 

[EddieWalker]

If you can find brand new schedule 80 pipe for a buck a foot, you should buy all of it!!!! Around here, that's what used 2 3/8"s oil field pipe sells for with a poor rating. All used pipe is painted with a color coding to indicate how good or how bad it is. I forget what each color means, but it's easy enough to look up if you needed to.

Around here, pipe fences are very common and in all types of condition. Friends that build fences refuse to work with used pipe because you never know what you are dealing with, or where the super thin sport are. A lot of the do it yourselfers will buy the used pipe and hope for the best.

You didn't say what your soil is like. If you use an 8 foot post, will you be able to go down deep enough to deal with expansive soil? Do you have snow or freezing weather to deal with? Where I live, red clay, iron ore and sugar sand are the most common type so soil to deal with and usually 3 feet deep is plenty for a fence. If you go towards Dallas, the soil becomes a black type of clay that is extremely expansive and very difficult to work with. Posts need to be at least 4 feet deep with 5 feet giving you better results. It's really crazy seeing how badly some fences and power poles have moved over the years because of the soil there!!!

For doing the math, I always use graph paper and figure it out there. How many gates, how wide will they be, will there be any other interior fences? After I draw it all out to scale, it becomes real easy to work out a materials list.

 

[stuckmotor]

I have heard that that story too, but I have yet to see any fences that glow in the dark or any of local fence workers growing third eye in forehead..... There might be some truth to the radioactive thing, but I believe with all the safety rules in place today you would be pretty safe working with responsible salvage dealers...

Dale

Dale,
Thank you. Saw that information several years ago and have been curious ever since.

 

[gsganzer]

Every time I've brought pipe to the scrapyard, they check it for radioactivity.

I've always bought new pipe (actually 2 3/8" structural tubing, just because it's round, it's not always classified as pipe). That's what most folks use around here. It has a slightly thinner wall than SCH40. It costs more, but you know what you're getting and it's easier to handle, cut, drill and grind. I've had a pipe fence on my property for about 20 years. I had to modify a section earlier this week and dug up a few of the poles. They were still in good shape with minimal corrosion below ground.

 

[Streetcar]

Hello everyone, I found this forum while searching for pipe fence ideas.. I have a new to me 4 acre piece of land that needs a fence in front. it's 400' across the front, I see a CL ad for Schedule 80 new pipe for $32 for 32' and 8 ' for $10. I'm trying to figure out materials needed;

400' / 8' = 50 8 ft posts minus two

400'/ 32' = 13 32 ft pipe(rounded up) for top rail minus two gates

18 8 ft horizontal pipes per ten posts = 90 8 ft pipes minus two gates

Am I close here?

Always add one post for the starting end

 

[Fallon]

Drill pipe you can get cheap is worn out. If it wasnt, they would be still using it. I assume the color code stuff is true, at least in some areas.

Not sure if there is any truth to the radioactivity rumors, but there is plenty of salt down there & other corrosion inducing chemicals used. Even if it looks good on the outside it's likely rotting from the inside. I'd be mighty skeptical about good deals on "new" pipe, or any deals with used pipe.

 

[radios1]

good drainage around the post greatly reduces rust. and I think drill pipe would be scrapped if the threads wore out.. I had an all Aluminum chain link fence around my previous house, never a problem..

 

[jaxs]

Drill pipe you can get cheap is worn out. If it wasnt, they would be still using it. I assume the color code stuff is true, at least in some areas.

Not sure if there is any truth to the radioactivity rumors, but there is plenty of salt down there & other corrosion inducing chemicals used. Even if it looks good on the outside it's likely rotting from the inside. I'd be mighty skeptical about good deals on "new" pipe, or any deals with used pipe.

So if you don't trust people making a deal on any kind of pipe,are you ok if they raise the price or do you buy wood material instead?

 

[lowellcantrell]

Have you considered used Highway guardrails? Google guardrail fence for specs and suppliers.

 

[oosik]

I have one fence line - about 1200 feet that has four chunks of pipe. Two gates - four chunks of pipe. The pipe is old 4" oil well pipe. Almost as heavy as the railroad ties used for my other gates. Because bedrock is so close to the surface - all four are three plus feet into the bedrock. Neighbor has a BIG air driven jack hammer. Holes drilled - pipe set - followed by a mix of sand/gravel/dry cement. After the first rain - these pipes are now an anchor on the earth.

The remainder of the fence line - standard T-133 - steel posts and four strands of Ever Sharp barbed wire.

 

[joeu235]

My grandfather made fences with 2 3/8 drill stem, my father made fences with 2 3/8 drill stem, and I've made fences with 2 3/8 drill stem. All are still standing and none have rusted out. I think the used pipe issue is something everyone has heard of but no one has actual experience with.

Used 2 3/8 has been ~ $1/ft, 2 7/8 $1.5/ft, and 4.5 $3/ft around here since 2013. New sch 80 is a **** of a deal at $1/ft