Barbed Wire

[fruity]

Hi MF, This wire is fairly heavy, I asked the shop for mid-range stuff, but, somehow, I think they gave me the wrong rolls .lol....We haven't used it yet, this afternoon had a guy come in, spotted the stack of wire , examined it carefully (as only a Thai can:) said 'same same I buy-260 baht!' He would not believe I paid 150 for it. I really do think the supplier got it wrong,(VERY BIG company) am thinking of going in Monday to buy more to put away for a rainy day:)

Have been looking at prices quoted here for concrete posts, I have priced them locally in four suppliers, the cheapest being 100 baht each (2m) this being the discounted, minimum 100 piece order price. I think this rather dear?

I only want to fence in one rai & one side of an eighty metre road, as this is near my house I'd prefer to use concrete posts as opposed to the old Yuke soaked in oil:)

[Lancashirelad]

Maizefarmer seems to know his stuff. On reading this thread i was thinking of various points to mention, he beat me to them!

Concrete posts - 1/3rd in the ground

Barbed wire tensioned from the first to last post. If threaded thru' holes in concrete posts, make sure it has free movement thru' the holes.

He even beat me to it mentioning it can be tightened carefully with a tractor.

DON'T have anybody stood near the wire run when you do this as if it snaps, it might recoil.

I was always taught to tighten & secure to last post, then fasten to intermediate posts. If concrete post this could be done with a short length of plain wire passed thru' the post hole then around the barbed wire, the ends twisted round with a pair of pliers. Plastic tie wraps might do & would be much quicker & easier, though unsure if cows might try to chew.

Wooden posts best left in the mixed creosote/diesel bath for quite a few days rather than just hours.

Edited June 9, 2007 by Lancashirelad

[Lickey]

LSLad clarifies my point about not threading BW through posts, if you have a run of 160mtrs and 1 post gets broken by a tractor or a tree falling on it, then you are going to have a hellula lot of rethreading to do, or some very untidy looking joins in the BW.

[Maizefarmer]

Fruity

I think the pricing you've been given is fairly ball park - you may be able to push a price on the posts down to Baht90. As for the wire, well - impossible to make a judegment without seeing it - but if someone is saying they pay 260, yup, sounds like what you loose on the posts is saved on the wire - so say nothing and get on with putting the fence up!

And as someone else reminds us all (I should have said it) - safety safety: if you're threading through the post holes, that's okay, but if you are going to be nailing it to wooden posts, make up some loops of plain wire, threadthe b/wire through and slip the loops over the wooden posts - it will stop the b/wire flailing all over the place if it snaps when you tension it

MF

[Gary A]

LSLad clarifies my point about not threading BW through posts, if you have a run of 160mtrs and 1 post gets broken by a tractor or a tree falling on it, then you are going to have a hellula lot of rethreading to do, or some very untidy looking joins in the BW.

Holes through the posts are a great idea, BUT not for threading the wire through. That would be a nightmare to install and as Lickey says repairing damage would be VERY difficult. If you have holes through the post, buy some heavy galvanized wire, the wire commonly used for clothesline. Cut it to the proper lengths. Bend a hook on one end and hook it to the barbed wire. Run it through the post, bend it around and then bend it around the barbed wire on the other side. Kind of like the wire clips used for steel fence posts.

[Tilapia]

Hi MF, This wire is fairly heavy, I asked the shop for mid-range stuff, but, somehow, I think they gave me the wrong rolls .lol....We haven't used it yet, this afternoon had a guy come in, spotted the stack of wire , examined it carefully (as only a Thai can:) said 'same same I buy-260 baht!' He would not believe I paid 150 for it. I really do think the supplier got it wrong,(VERY BIG company) am thinking of going in Monday to buy more to put away for a rainy day:)

Have been looking at prices quoted here for concrete posts, I have priced them locally in four suppliers, the cheapest being 100 baht each (2m) this being the discounted, minimum 100 piece order price. I think this rather dear?

I only want to fence in one rai & one side of an eighty metre road, as this is near my house I'd prefer to use concrete posts as opposed to the old Yuke soaked in oil:)

Hi Fruity.

How many posts do you need ? I have some, that I dont use and you are welcome to have a look at them.

Tilapia.

[whitevan73]

I thought that barbed wire was not too dificult to repair if you have the right tools. One main advantage for us to run it through the holes, would be that it will be much harder to steal if you have to thread it through the post. If youre going the wrap it around strands of wire, then you may as well buy the biulding post that most people seem to use when they dont bother putting the wire under tension. I have not seen any wire under tension nr my wifes plantation, it all just drapes from one biulding post to the next.

[Maizefarmer]

Yes Whitevan73 - good observation: run it through the holes if they are big enough to see the barbs through - then plug the post holes.

In concreate, mix up some slush and push it into the holes, and in wooden posts, hammer in some dowling - it will stop thieves from pulling it back through holes - and discourage theft as short sections of barbed wire ain;t much good to anyone.

MF

[slapout]

The barbed wire here is not the best so it has to be re-stretched on a regular basis. If you put in corner posts and brace post( the latter about every 250 or 300 meters) It will still require some tightening. This is not real handy if you put cement or wooden dows in the posts to keep wire in place. The use of cement post with wire through hole in them make me question how you stretch wire and keep it straight in relation to the posts. If you are fencing for cow and calf a 5 wire fence will work. If Goats sheep or pigs use woven wire on bottm and 2 barbed wire on top. I noticed some of the Thai's even use barbed wire around horses, when I mentioned this might not be too good a practice I was told not same as foreign horses. Not my horses so let them pay vet bill. Still like steel posts with wooden posts for corners and bracing, but I am old fashioned.

[whitevan73]

We are having trouble sourcing an auger..We have contacted the two links from this site. One says they cant get them (even though they have a pic of one on thier site) the other one which has a pic of a very proffesional looking bit of kit, with changable drills. They say 65`000 baht and a two month wait because they need to import the steel from Italy..

We need one one in four weeks time and are looking to source one from anyware Bangkok up to Khon Kean. We will have an empty pick up so can collect on the way upto the inlaws.

Does anybody have any links or contact tel no.s so that we can try to track one down and reserve it for when we arrive in LOS????

Back on the barbed wire subect, thanks for all your help. Just one more question. Do we need to order concreate post with holes in or do people carry them as stock?

many thanks Paul & Da

[fruity]

Whitevan, personally, have never seen posts with holes for the wire to run through here, seemingly, they are all of the type with five grooves & wire for fastening. We managed to get some @B75 each, some roadside guy making posts, rings etc; he asked 80, wife, bless her, knocked him down 5 baht per piece:) Thanks Tilapia for the offer, just seen your post now, too late I'm afraid. We bought 60 @75b=4,500, the wire 3,000, giving two guys 2,500 to dig holes(60 deep) & erect the fence; nearly finished, OK when complete for B 10,000.

[Lucifer]

The title reminds me of Barbed wire love, by Stiff Little Fingers. 1979 I think.

[ozzydom]

We are having trouble sourcing an auger..We have contacted the two links from this site. One says they cant get them (even though they have a pic of one on thier site) the other one which has a pic of a very proffesional looking bit of kit, with changable drills. They say 65`000 baht and a two month wait because they need to import the steel from Italy..

We need one one in four weeks time and are looking to source one from anyware Bangkok up to Khon Kean. We will have an empty pick up so can collect on the way upto the inlaws.

Does anybody have any links or contact tel no.s so that we can try to track one down and reserve it for when we arrive in LOS????

Back on the barbed wire subect, thanks for all your help. Just one more question. Do we need to order concreate post with holes in or do people carry them as stock?

many thanks Paul & Da

Tool Pro in Udon Thani had augers recently,they carry quite a bit of english made products in the tool line, they are situated on the ring road just east of Nong Khai Rd junction.

[whitevan73]

We tried Tool Pro Plus in Udon but with no sucess, they dont have any, other people we speak to say 30/60`000 baht made to order or imported from Taiwan. I may need to go down the route of hand digging but dont fancy it as the trees are 2m high times 2400 in quantity..Any more links or suggestions are still welcome.

Thanks Paul

[Gary A]

We tried Tool Pro Plus in Udon but with no sucess, they dont have any, other people we speak to say 30/60`000 baht made to order or imported from Taiwan. I may need to go down the route of hand digging but dont fancy it as the trees are 2m high times 2400 in quantity..Any more links or suggestions are still welcome.

Thanks Paul

The Kubota dealer in Loei has augers in stock. I looked at them, he tried to sell me one. The price was 25,000 baht and they look like they were made in Somchai's welding shop. Just a bit crude but I'd guess they probably work OK.

[whitevan73]

Update

We have ordered the concrete post. 120 post, 2m high with 5 holes in each 30 cm apart and also, 4 cnr post and 8 2m post with 45 degree ends.. total for this lot 15`400 bht = 116 bht per item on average..Quite happy with that..

Still looking for an auger

Paul and Da

[whitevan73]

Update

We have ordered the concrete post. 120 post, 2m high with 5 holes in each 30 cm apart and also, 4 cnr post and 8 2m post with 45 degree ends.. total for this lot 15`400 bht = 116 bht per item on average..Quite happy with that..

Still looking for an auger

Paul and Da

Ok,,update

We are in Thailand and work has started. I have learned alot about Thai farmers/builders over the last week or so Anyway, i will post pics and things when i get back to the UK at the end of August. The reson for this posting is to ask if anybody who is in LOS and is in the area of Khon Kean, knows where to get or has got a barbed wire strecher. Please let me know. We have asked nearly all the big tool/machine places in KK and nodody has ever seen one! We even printed a picture to show. I dont want to risk the tractor method (say one thing, do something completly different)

The good news is, we found an Auger and it has been done. 2400 holes drilled in two days @ 2 bht per hole. All i can say is that it is a fab machine. It turned out that a rubber tree plantation, 3 km from my wifes land, had bought it for 20000 with thier new tractor. some things come good.

Please PM me or post any no.s of busineses that could supply us with a wire strecher..

Thanks Paul

[macan]

Are you sure that the wire is high tensile? I have a feeling that most of the wire that i have seen here is soft and would just keep stretching and thats why the local method is to roughly tension wire from post to post rather than between two strainers at either end of a run of posts. You can do the local way with a notched crowbar or even a claw hammer levering against a cluster of barbs. If you worry about stock pushing the wires apart you can always use wooden (or even bamboo) droppers between your posts.

You mention elsewhere that you have got local fencing contractors to do the job; unless they have experience of putting in straining posts, tensioning the wire will likely pull the posts over.

A rough and ready solution might be to make a big loop around your end post, get the wire as taught as possible (maybe a few people taking the strain along the line that you want to tighten) crimp or just wrap the end of the wire around itself then insert a rod or bar in the loop and spin it until the wire gets tight. We used to call it a 'spanish windmill', not sure why... i tried to attach a drawing please excuse the lack of perspective and other artistic stuff. the bottom wire is one that you did earlier. if it doesnt appear in the post i will pm it to you.

[slapout]

Update

We have ordered the concrete post. 120 post, 2m high with 5 holes in each 30 cm apart and also, 4 cnr post and 8 2m post with 45 degree ends.. total for this lot 15`400 bht = 116 bht per item on average..Quite happy with that..

Still looking for an auger

Paul and Da

Ok,,update

We are in Thailand and work has started. I have learned alot about Thai farmers/builders over the last week or so Anyway, i will post pics and things when i get back to the UK at the end of August. The reson for this posting is to ask if anybody who is in LOS and is in the area of Khon Kean, knows where to get or has got a barbed wire strecher. Please let me know. We have asked nearly all the big tool/machine places in KK and nodody has ever seen one! We even printed a picture to show. I dont want to risk the tractor method (say one thing, do something completly different)

The good news is, we found an Auger and it has been done. 2400 holes drilled in two days @ 2 bht per hole. All i can say is that it is a fab machine. It turned out that a rubber tree plantation, 3 km from my wifes land, had bought it for 20000 with thier new tractor. some things come good.

Please PM me or post any no.s of busineses that could supply us with a wire strecher..

Thanks Paul

Paul: go to a local hardware and ask for a (come along), it is a double cable strung thru two pulleys with a hook on each end and a tension lever installed in it. They are used here to pull truck, car etc out of mud. This is what I used to put up barbed wire. It is like a rubber band, not same tensel as domestic, so show them how to use and hope for the best.

[brahmburgers]

I was stringing b.w. with a friend in California for a small dairy farm which had one spirited bull; 'Nandi'

When done, we walked back across the field toward the barn, and all of a sudden my friend turns in a flash and raises the heavy tensioning tool like a weapon over his head in a threatening manner. It turns out Nandi was charging us from behind at full gallop. I didn't hear it, but luckily my friend did - and reacted perfectly. The bull litterally stopped in his tracks just two feet from our butts.

Question: I've never seen metal fence posts in Thailand - the type that are ubiquitous in the States. They come in 6' and 8' lengths and are T shaped in cross-section, and very useful for fencing and easy to pound in to the ground using a large diameter metal pipe with a cap on it.

Even so, fellas, try to use only as much b.w. as you essentially need, as there's already way too much of the ugly stuff all over Thailand.

[slapout]

brahmburgers: Have not seen steel posts here, maybe they think its another foreign idea that is precieved as "no good" Sure would be nice to have them avalible but the Thais would have to carry a stool or chair to stand on to get the driver on top of the post and use it. This would prove they were right about the crazy farong idea.