# Forum Home Renovation Fences & Screens  old farm fences

## ajm

how was the old type farm fence done? i am referring to the style you see out on the highway where they have used split logs driven into the ground with barbed wire strained through. I have heard the term "rammed earth used before but can't find anything on the internet about it (as it relates to fencing, that is). we are about to replace the gate posts in our round yard and wanted to keep to the same style - they use old power poles for all the posts. any ideas folks?

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## EagleBoy

Rammed earth refers to back filling your hole and using the end (head) of your bar to ram the earth to compact it. Kick a bit more dirt in the hole and repeat until your hole is filled.

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## toooldforthis

for that authentic look you must drill the holes for the wire with a brace and bit:

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## ajm

> Rammed earth refers to back filling your hole and using the end (head) of your bar to ram the earth to compact it. Kick a bit more dirt in the hole and repeat until your hole is filled.

  so dig hole, drop in post, put dirt back? does it have to be compacted any way?   

> for that authentic look you must drill the holes for the wire with a brace and bit:

  actually got one of these. drives me nuts as i never seem to be able to keep it straight. guess this is going to give a great deal of practice.

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## Marc

> ... actually got one of these. drives me nuts as i never seem to be able to keep it straight. guess this is going to give a great deal of practice.

  The trick is to push on the big knob with your left and stand a bit on the side for your right arm to go through the crank bendy thingy.  :Smilie:    

> so dig hole, drop in post, put dirt back? does it have to be compacted any way?

  With the back of a fencing bar or a hardwood post. 
Don't forget to buy a bit of termidor to pour around the post.

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## Bedford

> so dig hole, drop in post, put dirt back? does it have to be compacted any way?

  As others have said it needs to be rammed/compacted. 
Best way is to ram it in layers, roughly 1/3 fill with loose dirt, ram it then repeat. 
You could add a bag of cement to help but that wasn't the traditional way.

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## doovalacky

Probably the term you have heard used is post rammer.  Many farmers have an attachment for their tractor that presses or pounds the post into the ground without digging a hole first. 
As I grew up in rocky country the above would shatter the posts so a more traditional post hole digger was used. The round end of a fencing bar was then used to compact the soil as you filled it in. Often with some sump oil mixed in to deter termites which is probably illegal these days so use termidor instead.
The old brace and bit saw a lot of use in the early days but now a generator and electric drill, or even a battery drill will do the job.  You don't need a huge hole for the wire.

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## johnc

You normally brace the fence posts with a timber brace or a wire stay. Corner posts are straight forward but you need to ram in hard. for twelve months I worked for a fencing contractor knocking in the posts, four of us would do a kilometre a day which is bore the holes, put in posts ram and drill for wire. For corner posts put in two shovel fulls and ram in with the bar until the soil is that tight it almost rings, add two more shovel fulls ram, rinse and repeat. if you do it right you will have no soil left over and might even pull up short. Our bars shone like chrome from use, you might want to wear gloves.

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## Uncle Bob

Strainer or gate posts, we used to use stays and put them in deep.  
Picture is from this link, along with more good information https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/small-la...cing-beginners

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## ajm

> the crank bendy thingy.

  oooh, that must be the tradie technical name for it. :Doh:    

> You normally brace the fence posts with a timber brace or a wire stay. Corner posts are straight forward but you need to ram in hard. for twelve months I worked for a fencing contractor knocking in the posts, four of us would do a kilometre a day which is bore the holes, put in posts ram and drill for wire. For corner posts put in two shovel fulls and ram in with the bar until the soil is that tight it almost rings, add two more shovel fulls ram, rinse and repeat. if you do it right you will have no soil left over and might even pull up short. Our bars shone like chrome from use, you might want to wear gloves.

  john, what does a ram bar look like? is it a special tool or something  you made up specially for that purpose? only things i have found via  search engine (two second search, mind you) is reference to a lump of  iron at the end of a wooden post. 
also, if the round yard top rail is at 150 or 160, a 2metre gate post will be sufficient ( i think). question is, how far into the ground do i need to go? one guy i spoke to said 1 metre was sufficient. this sounds a bit light on.

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## EagleBoy

> oooh, that must be the tradie technical name for it.   
> john, what does a ram bar look like? is it a special tool or something  you made up specially for that purpose? only things i have found via  search engine (two second search, mind you) is reference to a lump of  iron at the end of a wooden post.

  One of these, turn it upside down and use the flat end to compact the dirt. Watch your chin on the upstroke  :Biggrin:  :Shock:

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## ajm

> One of these

  i was afraid that this was what john meant....

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## EagleBoy

You will certainly pay the price for a few days afterwards.

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## craka

On soft relatively flat ground a 3PL post driver can be used such as this, this one is hydraulic driven, there are also PTO driven ones  http://www.johnberendsimplements.com...r-brochure.pdf 
On harder ground a combination of a 3PL auger like these are used https://www.clarkfarmequipment.com.a...t-Hole-Diggers
a fencing crow bar, a shovel and sweat. 
For boring holes a boring chainsaw attachment is often used https://atomindustries.com/drill-attachments/  
A full end assembly is far superior to a single stay.

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