Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Chatting => Design and Construction => Topic started by: Swing Swang on October 04, 2008, 22:48

Title: How do I fix fencing wires to concrete fence posts?
Post by: Swing Swang on October 04, 2008, 22:48: How do I fix fencing wires to concrete fence posts?

I want to grow fan-trained stone fruits up my south-facing fence, and need to run a series of horizontal wires to train them up. Ideally Iâ€™d like a 4â€ gap between the fence and the wires.

The fence posts are concrete and have no holes on the facing surfaces (although there are some that go through from side to side but they are obstructed by the wooden fence panels). Iâ€™m not keen on drilling holes into the concrete because Iâ€™m not sure what effect this would have on the integrity of the posts, although Iâ€™m happy to be guided on this.

The most logical solution that Iâ€™ve come up with is to attach 4â€X4â€ wooden posts to the front surfaces of the existing concrete ones, then fix the fencing wires to the wooden facing posts in the conventional pattern. Of course I still canâ€™t work out how to attach these wooden fencing posts to the concrete ones without damaging the concrete.

I canâ€™t be the only person who wants to do this, and Iâ€™m hoping that there is a commercial or DIY solution out there. For example it strikes me that a series of huge jubilee clips with eye welded to them might do the job (theyâ€™d wrap around the concrete posts and support the eye for the fencing wires to be threaded through). Guidance and advice appreciated.

Regards,

SS

(http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk141/SwingSwang/GardenPanoramaSeptember08SMALL.jpg)
Title: How do I fix fencing wires to concrete fence posts?
Post by: SnooziSuzi on October 04, 2008, 22:50: I think that drilling and using rawl plugs is really the only option to you.

That's one nice tidy plot mind you :D
Title: How do I fix fencing wires to concrete fence posts?
Post by: Knight Family on October 04, 2008, 23:19: Yep as Suzi said the only way is to drill into the post , i would think as long as you do it between the Holes that go the other way you should be fine.

I did mine a couple of months ago for a Gate post and its still there : :shock:

P.S. Very nice tidy site! wish mine was but just working out cost of doing riase beds!!! OUCH :shock: :? :shock: :?
Title: How do I fix fencing wires to concrete fence posts?
Post by: new_2_veg on October 04, 2008, 23:58: if its true fencing wire you have you can wrap it round the post and twist it off, it will get tight on the post if you go for long enough, it wont twist and shear off if its fencing wire
Title: How do I fix fencing wires to concrete fence posts?
Post by: Swing Swang on October 05, 2008, 09:03: new_2_veg

Yes, I'll be using proper fencing wire - the 2mm galvanised iron/steel stuff that comes in long rolls. The fence is 23m long, and with horizontal wires every foot or so I'm going to need 150m - 200m so it's the only cost effective way of doing it. The plastic coated wire/gripper systems (from Ken Muir etc) would work out way too expensive.

Would you wrap and twist around each upright, thus treating each 3m wide panel a seperate 'project', or would you wrap and twist around the end posts only, and drill eyes into the posts inbetween?

Regards,

SS
Title: How do I fix fencing wires to concrete fence posts?
Post by: siandc on October 10, 2008, 21:24: Be very careful, concrete posts are made from a pretty strong mix and are therefore pretty brittle, if they're old then they'll be like glass!!!! Also they have steel reinforcing rods in, it's a bit of a lottery not hitting them as well!!!
Title: How do I fix fencing wires to concrete fence posts?
Post by: shaun on October 11, 2008, 15:08: you dont need to drill them,just get a tube of gripfill and glue a length of timber onto the post,then you can use eye screws or staples into the timber and fix your wire to them
Title: Re: How do I fix fencing wires to concrete fence posts?
Post by: androsnick on April 25, 2010, 00:08: I know the thread is old but I got here through a google search so others may do the same.
I searched for suitable fixings for concrete posts, there are some commercial ones out there but they are hellishly expensive. In the end I designed something and looked around to find something suitable to make them from. I needed to fix some wires to the posts, the ones I had were the H cross sectioned posts to slide a fence panel in. So the solution:-
Metpost Metclip Type 51 52mm, I got mine from a timber yard for 45 pence each. Flatten one of the bent ends, leaving the other untouched. Re-bend the flattened end to fit around the edge of the post (using a hammer and vice) two of these brackets (one each side of the post) with a bolt through the holes already drilled works a treat. It seems very secure and takes a tensioned wire no problem. I'll post a couple of piccies later. So for less than £1 perfixing it was considerably cheaper than others I'd seen around.
I didn't have very good facilities for making them but if you have a reasonable workshop it is a doddle.
Title: Re: How do I fix fencing wires to concrete fence posts?
Post by: androsnick on April 25, 2010, 00:23: A (blury) photo or two
Title: Re: How do I fix fencing wires to concrete fence posts?
Post by: androsnick on April 25, 2010, 00:24: 2nd photo
Title: Re: How do I fix fencing wires to concrete fence posts?
Post by: androsnick on April 25, 2010, 00:26: Bracket in place.
I would recommend drilling a second hole through the bracket to take the wire but my drill bit was rubbish and wouldn't touch it!
Title: Re: How do I fix fencing wires to concrete fence posts?
Post by: noshed on April 29, 2010, 09:53: I admire your persistence!
Title: Re: How do I fix fencing wires to concrete fence posts?
Post by: savbo on April 29, 2010, 15:34: i would have just gone for cable ties!