# Pine fence posts



## maverickxxx (Jan 25, 2011)

How long do u think pine fence posts would last in the ground. I got a bandsawmill so making a bunch of 4x4 posts isn't a big deal. I didn't know if I tared the ends of them it would help a lot or if there was something better to put on them.


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## CSA again (May 2, 2007)

pine must be treated if it comes into contact with the ground.....
Google ..wood preservative


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> How long do u think pine fence posts would last in the ground


You'd be* lucky* if they lasted 2 years.
If you want a fence, build it RIGHT *the first time*


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## fordy (Sep 13, 2003)

.............Round posts made of treated wood do much better than square posts with 90 degree corners , as far attaching wire to the post ! Because , wire when stretched VERY tight will cut into the edges and loose some of it's 'tightness' . Telephone poles are the Ultimate in fence posts , when available . I would use roofing tar on the portion of a pine post being below ground level . , fordy


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

I used some untreated green pine tree post they lasted 1 year rotted below the ground and bugs ate above .same with the poplar the locust I put in in 1985 are still good as well as some of the red cedar


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## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

40 Years back I cut down some young pine trees, peeled off the bark and made about 100 4" to 6" post. I let them dry for a few months then they were stood up in barrels with a mix of burnt oil and diesel fuel and allowed to sit for about a month. They were put in the ground for the fence and a metal piece tack to the top of the post like a "post roof". I do not remember how many years they lasted but I know most of them lasted for a few years until be quit with cows. I am sure your square 4x4's would work for a while if they were dried then treated with something that will repel water----How long---each post will be different.

BUT, if its a fence you will want to last as long as possible I would Buy some treated post. If you spend the money, time to saw the post, you know that if the heart is not center of each post, 1/2 of them will bow, twist, warp. Then you will still need to dry them for months then treat with something and they still will not last No time compared to the treated you buy.


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## OkieDavid (Jan 15, 2007)

I would be comfortable using them as braces but not in contact with the ground. Here you would be lucky to get a couple of years with in ground untreated pine.


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## rambler (Jan 20, 2004)

Fencing is just too dern much work to try that, and get such a short return. Mill the pine into some kinda dimentional wood or board, and trade for better or treated posts.

Drying them and soaking in oil can help, but its not a real good treatment and has some EPA concerns in some locations.

Dad got old REA/ telephone poles, cut to 7-8 feet with the chain saw, and split them with the maul and wedges. He's gone now, he hasn't done any fencing since the early 90s, and some of his old posts are doing very well yet..... That was pretty low cost fence.

Paul


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## joebill (Mar 2, 2013)

Low-cost high-effort fence posts that will outlast any of us as follows;

Make 4x4 or 6x6 open top concrete forms. Leave a hole in each of the end caps. put light rebar through the holes and the length of the post form.Clamp the forms togther at the ends and bend "U" shaped brackets to put across the middle to keep the forms from bulging when full.
If you have a level concrete pad, you do not need to put a bottom in the form. Just spread heavy plastic to keep your posts from sticking to the pad and spilt concrete from making a mess.
Use a small mixer and dump the forms full and level them off after tamping to make sure they are full. There are other ways to build the forms, but that's how I do it. Unless you are fencing a LOT of land, divide the number of posts you need by 7 and make that many forms. Fill them every night after supper, and in a week you have all you need. Wet them several times a day while setting or cover them with plastic so they stay wet inside until they are cured.

I made a SL of them years ago and they were quick, cheap, strong, and a bit heavy to work with, but worth the effort in my opinion....Joe


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## maverickxxx (Jan 25, 2011)

I never thought of making concrete posts. I like that


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## joebill (Mar 2, 2013)

It used to be a cottage industry. In Tucson, one concrete company used to have trucks pull back into the lot at night with some material still in the trucks. The guys made up some forms and took turns pouring them after hours. When they sold them, the money was split up amongst the workers.

They are very cool! For corner posts, place one at the corner and two more maybe six feet back from the corner post. To brace the corner, just lean one post from the bottom of the "near" posts to almost the top of the corner post. The bracing post that's at an angle will always be trying to tighten the fence simply by it's weight. As the wire heats and cools and shifts with the seasons, the angled post will slide down and catch, making the wire always tight. 

I had one post crack through the concrete, but the rebar made it OK. Could just feel a bit of grinding as I moved it around, and it's still good 20 years later. 

I have also seen folks dig a shallow trench right beside the posthole and pour a concrete post in that with rebar, but they are UGLY!!!....Joe


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