Today I learned how to put up fence corners, ends, and braces. We dug holes 48" deep, put 8' treated wood poles in the holes, then marked off the height of the three high-tensile wires we'll put on the fence: 20" high, 30" high, and 40" high.In addition to installing several poles, we learned how to do three different types of braces to hold the end and corner poles in place: the "deadman"; the "H" brace; and the diagonal brace. The "deadman" is just a stump of wood placed under the ground at the base of the pole; it's fairly easy to put in, but it only works well for 3-wire fences.
The "diagonal brace" is the next easiest to install. A log is used to "prop" up the end of the fence, with one end of the brace on the ground (on top of a concrete block), and the other end pushing against the side of the top of the pole.
The most difficult brace to build is the H-brace. You basically form a "H" shape with three logs. It looks like a generic fence that a kid would draw. But it's hard to build, because you have to dig holes for TWO posts, then slide a 10' or 12' log in between the posts and secure it with drilled holes and metal pins. Digging holes is hard work!
Complicating this whole process was my fear of crickets... crickets and grasshoppers were all over the pasture we were fencing. I confessed to a class-mate that I had a phobia of crickets and grasshoppers, and he thought it was hilarious. "I've never heard of someone being afraid of crickets and grasshoppers," he said. But he's a farm boy, so of course it seems ridiculous to him.
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