The 3 secrets to ROT PROOF POSTS and how to make them
There are three crucial elements to making rot resistant wood posts that last a long time and this video discusses them each in turn.
Regular pressure treated posts are a problem as they don't last long anymore and/or use nasty chemicals. Can we make better, more durable posts using three natural steps?
If you're interested in chainsaw milling, we have written a whole book on the subject: "How to make a chainsaw mill and how to use it: The tips and tricks that will unlock the magical art of planking up fallen trees" get it here: ko-fi.com/s/dd5b46e8a8
00:00 Intro to the project
00:30 Selecting and cutting the right material for the posts. Chainsaw Milling!
08:29 Treating the wooden gate or fence posts - options and sugi sugi ban (charring)
12:04 Installation detailing - dug hole vs rammed posts and the benefits of stones and rocks.
May your timber posts last forever!
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How interesting! When I was a horse mad teen girl, part of how I supported my horse was by working for the stable in the summers. One memorable summer, the owner wanted to hang new fence, which meant putting in fenceposts. In Iowa (USA), black locust was readily available and relatively cheap. Under the hawk eye of an old ranch hand, we set roughly a gazillion posts. By hand. I'd get up early, go out and ride 2 to 4 horses (one of my own and the others were rehab cases for the stable owner... for free) in the relatively cool mornings. Then around 10 am or a bit later, we'd go to work and be paid for those hours. First we dug the post holes by hand with narrow spades. The hole was dug 6 to 8 inches/15 to 20 cm deeper than the post was going to be set. As we dug out each post hole, we piled the dirt on a tarp and then we added about 25% by volume of a high clay soil from a clay pit on the farm. We filled the extra depth with crushed rock and tamped it down with a large tamper made by welding a flat steel plate onto a piece of rebar. We'd tamp for awhile, measure the depth of the hole, throw in more gravel and tamp until the hole was at the desired depth and it didn't matter how hard we tamped, it never got lower. We'd set the pole in the hole, using a spirit level to make sure it was vertical on adjoining faces, then set a couple 1x2s wedged into place to keep it properly aligned. And then the hard part started. After the original soil and the high clay addition were thoroughly mixed, we'd throw in 2 to 3 inches/5 to 8 cm and use small tampers. We pounded on that dirt until the tamper rang like we were banging it on concrete. "Tamp 'er til she rings!" For the fiddly areas adjacent to the corners of the post, we had rebar with 1x1 inch/2.5x2.5 cm plates so that all the dirt in the hole was solidly tamped with no loose areas. Repeat until we'd tamped in all the original dirt plus 25% into the hole which was now taken up by a 6x6 inch/15x15 cm post or an 8x8 inch/20x20 cm king (corner or gate) post. The fill rose in a cone shape around the post that was about 6 inches/15 cm tall--still tamped until it rang. The last step was making little upside down V shaped roofs that were given an initial coat of paint in the shop, then tacked into place atop each post and given another coat of paint to cover the nail heads. The dirt was tamped so solidly that plants could not grow in it and the cones did not erode. About 10 years ago, my husband and I were talking and got onto the subject of the hardest task we'd ever done to make money. I told him about setting fenceposts and he was fascinated (he wasn't from Iowa and was a city boy until he met me). The next time we visited my parents, we took a little detour so we could see how the fenceposts had survived. Forty five or so years later and the original fenceposts were still there and still solid. No plants were growing on the tamped cones and the fenceposts were so solid that we could tackle them with all our weight and not move them in the least. No signs of rot under their little roofs, either. Whoever has that land now has kept up with repainting the little roofs--they were weathered but there was no peeling paint and it was obvious there were many coats of paint there.
Good evening GrainneDhu. Thanks so much for sharing that, super interesting. As I read your comment out to Sam, who once worked at the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) here in Wales, she suggested your process is very similar to a way they were making both rammed earth walls and floors. They pound and compress it enough that it becomes a reasonable concrete alternative. The ratio of clay to sand in the soil has to be just right apparently, and it makes fantastic, thermally massive walls... Did you add moisture to the clay soil mix when you did the posts? Just the right amount apparently makes it compress well, too much and it cracks as it dries. Sam and I both recon that the tamping down with our massive iron bar was probably the hardest bit in the whole process. Proper physically exhausting. Anyway, great to hear your experience - funny how it is often the most difficult things we do in life that can stick with us, and potentially enrich our experience - especially after the event ;) Peace, Bongo.
@@FloweringElbow yes, the dirt/clay mix had to be at the right moisture level or it would not tamp down tight. You could pound forever or hours, whichever came first, and you'd never hear the tamper make that ringing sound. It had to be just moist enough to compress into a tight lump if you squeezed a handful but not so much that any visible moisture beaded up on the surface of the lump (let alone drip out). Since the only relatively quick way to remedy too much water was to add dry dirt (dusty sort of dirt) and then it would all have to be tamped into the hole, we were really careful not to just toss on buckets of water! Plus, the nearest water was the creek, which was always downhill from the fenceposts. So we'd dribble the water out of the bucket like misers while 2 other girls mixed it in. Looking back on my life, it is clear that there are many experiences which are more enjoyable to recall than they were to actually do.
I wish I had horses so I could attract a fencepost setter.
@R.C. Whitehead lol!😂
@@FloweringElbow - which came first the fence or the horse or the horsey girl?
Being an avid wood worker, I thought It a shame also. Especially when I enjoy the Arts and Crafts period the most where this figure is sought after. HOWEVER, those that criticize should understand there are thousands of downed trees hundreds of yrs old people want out of their yards, fields etc that are just ripe for the taking FOR FREE. So don't complain about a man using what's available to him when you can get out and do this yourself. Get the equipment, get a group of like minded people and go get the wood. Once you do the work I imagine you'll have tremdous respect for what he's accomplished. I see hundreds of old oaks rotting, being used as fire wood, etc because we live in a lazy world. I've sourced lumber from saw mills and people's yards when I was too poor to afford to buy oak but wanted it in my house. Hauled, ripped, planned, routed. HARD WORK. Like this man. I've also poured concrete posts that I wanted to last forever. Entrance to that property looks like an industrial compound but I needed to do it in a weekend. We all have a reason for what we do and how we do it. Now, quit watching TV and go make something!
May these two people continue to experience life as magic.
Hey James, appreciate that, thanks friend :)
I don't think life gets any better than what you got going on, good for you
My old gardener had worked on the land all his life he was 90 years old when he died that was some 40 years ago. He fiting a gate for me into a woodland and it was a joy to see him work. He used our own oak that had been stored before i bought the house and it was he said about 40 years in drying out in one of the sheds. He trimmed the one side with his axe that was so sharp he could cut the hair on the back of his arm to show me. He lit a fire and slowly roasted the post in the embers which he constanly topped up for two days dug A HOLE and used 4 lage rounded stones of considerable size around the post which he rammed home with a very heavy stamper. Filled all around with smaller stones again ramming down solid. I ASKED why only rounded weathered stones ? Because the water drops away quickly .. Topped it off with soil and the placed on top of the post which he had cut at about 30% a pieces of lead and gentle shapped it with a special wooden hammer of sorts untill it look as though it was perposely made for the job. The post is still fine .. that was 46 years ago.
Good day Jack. That's a wonderful story - thanks for sharing your experience :D
Wow! That was back in the days when we had time to think about what it was we were doing! Instead of always being in a rush just making due for the time being. That's what has been lacking in American culture for a whole generation and a half. So sad to see wisdom and knowledge lost in exchange for short lived junk that thrills and excites us for the moment. Only to be thrown away next month for the new next best gadgets on the market. Todays cultures are loosing knowledge and time tested wisdom. Its sad to see the relentless dumbing down of the peoples yet it is awesome to see there are still a few of us clinging to the life blood of knowhow.👍
So the wood for that post came from a tree that was cut down almost a century ago.
We made corner and gate post in my youth. We also scorched the wood about as dark as you did to harden it and then my father had us paint a coat of boiled linseed oil from top to bottom. Those post are still there and that was 40 years ago. Yes, Oak.
Good evening TheRedhawke. Thanks for sharing, that sounds very encouraging. :D
motor oil much better than linseed and way cheaper free 2nd hand
@@papaal7014 How about waterproof lime? Calcium oxide (or possibly even builders lime) slaked with oil/fat. Motor oil is not exactly great for the environment and on that note, neither is linseed if it's GM linseed, which is becoming increasingly likely, as so much has been contaminated already through cross-pollination and the dickheads can't even test for it (or any other "GMO") with 100% accuracy...which shows that they don't intend on protecting truly natural plants, etc, from their corruptions of nature and never did.
@@Kyle-sg4rm are you serious? where did the oil come from? the ground. and there isn't enough oil residue left on the posts to hurt the environment. there are natural pools of oil lying on the surface and have no environmental impact. as for me, stay with the creosote. have used it for 50+ yrs with no toxicity and it keeps the livestock from chewing on it. being a tree hugger and an off-grid farmer just doesn't work, unless you like rebuilding every 2-3 yrs.
Nice! Mine are still standing after 15 years. I set mine in a bucket of boiling used motor oil. But..... It was old discarded soft wood posts someone threw away. So ..... Maybe i will get 20 years tops😁
I have been doing fenceposts for 13 years in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales, The main thing things I have learned has been to use crusher dust to pack in the post, which is tiny chips of basalt in conjunction with lots of rocks (crockery is a great idea though) and I wouldn't use such exacting gate latches, because usually the posts support wire under tension or gates which tend to (over time) effect the position of these latches, meaning you need to adjust the latches. We usually use chain and a little knob. Also, the time of year/ weather is important, our soils are predominantly clay, which swells in the wet season, so if you do posts in the wet, they will likely rattle in the holes in the dry season when the clay shrinks. So I save fencing for the dry times! Love your work!
Heated used motor oil, 50 years ago I had the need to treat some 6x6 pine post for a porch. Farmer suggest that I take 5 gallon can on a electric hot plate stand each post in turn up in the can and fill the can couple of inches from the top. Turn on the heat and bring the oil and post up to 230F or until the water starts boiling out of the wood. Then the whole thing cool, let it cool sucks the oil into the wood. Well last year I had to replace beam sitting on the posts. All three posts were still solid and reused. This same farmer had a another process, but it was slower. Involved 55 gallon drum with one end cut out, stand further fence post in drum pour in waste oil, let sit for a year. Now both of these methods are probably environmentally no longer appropriate. But they sure beat treated lumber of 50 years ago. Enjoyed your video.
You and your wife are a blessing to each other. Me and mine are homesteading 40 acres of high desert, 3kids 3dogs wife chickens and barn cats. Watching you two work together put a smile on my face. Keep up the good work guys!
Thank you for the kind words Michael, made us smile :D
Use clean Oil on the section that goes in the ground very well any part that touches soil or concrete . Clear all plants away from the Bottom of the posts and let the air flow around the post all the time don’t let the weeds grow to much . Every year dig back the soils a few inches and oil up a few inches of not the hole or what ever you fancy and to 8 niches out the soil or better all of it . Put a protected cover over the top ie lead or a plastic cap or cut the post into a spike makes it last a lot longer indeed . Do as much as you can to prevent the rot setting in. My oak posts have been in the ground 33 years still going strong . All of your advice was gold I admire your forestry skills and your milling I Real Man 👊🏿 great to see these days .
This Old MAN LOVES YOUR WORK AND YOUR LOVELY ATTITUDE TO LIFE , LOTS Of love TO YOU BOTH,😀💪
Hey Louis, thank you so much for the encouragement :D
I salute your dedication to factoring in COST to the environment, and not just one's own pocket. If the world at large thought like you, the future would be brighter. Power to your elbows! You are a rare treasure. ❤️
Rolls Royce of gate posts guys.. Wouldn't mind a wager they'll still be there in 50yrs.. Superb video. I thoroughly enjoy all your videos. They are made with interest and infectious enthusiasm.. Keep it up..
Hey Guy, That's really encouraging to hear, especially as they are so varied in subject matter, which I know puts some people off. Great to hear from you. Peace, Bongo.
You got a good bodyguard there buddy !
Great video and I love that you did a long experiment by adding a non charred post, so geeky but exactly what I like to do. I'm willing to wager that the non charred post will last as long as the charred ones because the way you set it in the ground, although the presence of the water trough beside it could take some years off because of extra water damage being introduced maybe?
Sweet couple, and a beautiful made video. Keep your love flaming for many years to come!!
I have a mill and I am in my late 60's. I have had 5 back surgeries, bone grafts and anchors, pins, plates and screws from ankles to neck. I often work alone and I find a few pieces of pipe act as a rollers are a lot of help. Even if I have help. Rollers under the heavy boards help a lot. BTW Great Video. I really enjoy time spent around the mill with my wife. You two are a team.
The best post making and install on you tube! Yall will be long gone before those rot!
Haha. I kinda hope so while also not :)
Great video. Charring the wood for a fence post is something I had not heard of before. When I use wooden fence posts mostly cedar since it is plentiful in South Texas and the Texas Hill Country. we cut the top of the post at a 45 degree angle with the slope of the post facing south. Any moisture will roll off the 45 degree slope and the southern sun will keep the top of the post dry.
Thats a really neat trick does it have any effect? Also what would you say to painting the top of a post? Is that a no no because moisture in the wood needs to breathe out here?
Great suggestion with the 45 degree slope . Can also use aluminum sheet stock punched out a little oversized and screwed and a bead of adhesive down on the slope . Found in snow country working with log buildings for many years, that most damage accrues during the fall and spring by the melting of snow during the day and refreezing at night where the water has sept into the checks or cracks in the logs . It literally splits the wood a little each time . This also happens with wood posts when water gets into the end grain or the top of the post .
Realised and checked out all the posts I have changed rotted exactly where the concrete was. Concrete is a sponge and soaks in water and promotes rot. Watched an article where posts where pre cut and left in old engine oil and diesel just past there buried depth, if you tar the post where it’s in the ground, not the bottom to allo water to run out and cap the top to stop it soaking again, as you did stones on bottom to allow drainage you will get a longer life out of posts. You had fantastic wood available all the tools and skills to do a very skilled job and you where both fit enough to do the job, nice Vid.
Good Evening Anthony, late reply, but none the less I wanted to say I appreciate your comment and encouragement :)
That is proba ly why my grandpa would paint tar on tbe sides..
It's not that concrete is a sponge, quite the opposite. If a post gets wet it can't dry out as the concrete is virtually impermeable. The concrete will let water run down a post and then between the post and the concrete where it will accelerate the rot. If a post is sat in a hole with rocks the water can drain away.
Beautiful Country In the Background!!!.....Excellent Work for Longevity!!!
Great site, and post setting skills; Boy, people love you, the comments are the best I've read in years, I'll be back.
Appreciate that Anton, thanks for the visit :)
In my neck of the woods, (northeast usa). I've seen fresh cut log post from the black locust tree used as post because it literally sprouts roots in the ground once its buried.
it has been said that black locust will last 3 days longer than a stone will in direct contact with the ground.
@@andybayliss2020 aye 'tis true
We here in Central America use this method also.
yes! only black locust or cedar for ground that is often wet
Osage Orange AKA Hedge lasts longer and actually gets stronger over time. I've seen them outlast all the steel fence posts next to them.
Some people drill a hole into the post at a downward slant to about the midline, fill it with petroleum oil and plug the opening, Then they will occasionally check and refill as needed. Others will take a mixture of oil and asphalt and cook the post ends in that for a day or more. this does 3 things. 1 it seals the wood; 2 it drives moisture from the wood and 3 it changes the structure of the wood such that it is practically non-ediable. One might also consider giving a sloop to the top of the posts and oiling or waxing the tops before adding the cap. Lastly, where ever there is metal wood contact the wood will suffer. That is why you used a plastic gasket on some of the hardware but this is true also for the metal pins and screws put into the posts. This can be mitigated in a number of ways. For even longer-lasting posts, after the wood has aged and dried, seal the exposed wood with something to protect it from moisture and UV damage. You are young, why replace the posts after 20 years? You may not have to do that chore again in your lifetime. I enjoyed the video. You all are doing such good work on the land. So much hard work! Congratulations.
You lost me at ediable sloop
@@anonymous-tn6ij ????. What have you done to lenghten the life of fence posts?
@@anonymous-tn6ij i couldnt find ediable in the dictionary. I dont know what ediable means either. I assume edible unless corrected
I think one would have to be very dense to not pick up the context clues .
1. I came here to see if anyone else was worried about the metal-wood contact, before I remembered that they already waxed the ends to prevent splitting (9:02). Should be fine then. 2. All that petroleum oil, the asphalt, things that make it inedible also have a large carbon footprint, both as they contaminate the ground around the post and as they evaporate into the atmosphere. It's measured in CO2-equivalent, and depending which petroleum oil you use, it's a lot or a lot more. Inedible also means non-biodegradable, which is something to avoid. The reason they didn't use metal or pressure treated wood is because it's not environmentally friendly, so of course they're not going to soak it with petroleum anything. 3. As for sealing the wood with a UV-resistant coating, it would depend on the material but probably most of them are also non-biodegradable or environmentally friendly. UV rays only cause color changes in wood, though - the collagen gets broken down (wood turns yellowish) and then washed out (wood turns grey), but the structural cellulose is unaffected. Moisture protection might do something, but it's got lots of drainage below and just the sides are exposed, so it should be fine as-is.
I am a fencer with 40 years experience. That is a top job and should be around for a long time to come. BUT, and there is a but What I saw was days of hard graft it's the type of work you go home from tired. well done you two. Jim in NZ.
Man what a beautiful countryside. Great video.
A very skilled couple here and full of energy wow. That was one huge Oak Tree and will last for years. By the way greetings from West Virginia USA. Keep smiling you both work well together.
Good day to you Mr McCracken. Thanks for your comment, made us smile :D
The copper caps on top of the nicely charred , local oak are the crowning glory of simple, yet vital parts of the land.It won’t occur to you every time you use them but each time it does, the thought and effort you invested will add to the unique glow and immeasurable feeling of satisfaction that is only available by doing things by your own hand. Glad to find channel.
Thanks PJ :)
This is a rabbit hole (ironic, since it is so well tamped down ;) - all the comments are lovely to read and suddenly it is lunchtime :0) Seeing you char the wood reminded me of your (adopted) fellow Welsh, David Nash - I love his sculptures so much! A few years ago he had a residency at Kew Gardens in London and he made some sculptures from charred hardwood and some cast in bronze and treated… and it is very difficult to tell the difference without scratching them! It is a great technique to harden the surface and I am pleased to see it come to life again in your lovely videos!
Thanks!
Great job on making your gate post. Bravo 👏 - from Texas USA 🇺🇸 👍👍👍
Thanks 👍
Nice work with the chainsaw mill but perhaps I could make a few suggestions. First , a propane torch like the ones people use for roofing tar and asphalt work. They're cheap and you won't have to pick that log up . Second, if you really want that post to last forever, next time soak it really good with antifreeze. The antifreeze will kill mold , rot, insects and keep the wood from splitting . After you have soaked it really good and given it time to dry, paint it with a 50/50 mix of roofing asphalt tar and diesel fuel. That will seal the antifreeze inside the wood and prevent water penetration. Burning is a old technique that works better than nothing but not like the ones I mentioned.
It is always nice to see a lady who doesn't cover her beauty with paints and powders. 👍
This comment was made about 100 years ago....and is an example of the space/time continum first remarked about by the genius Tesla. Time is somehow warped temporarily so that text travels through the ether and appears in the 21st Century. This blonde goddess could benefit from some colorful early Anglo Saxon tattoos.....the bloke wouldn't be harmed by some additional braincells....(Interbreeding between close relatives in the West Country was not uncommon...a few extra brain cells wouldn't do him any harm.)
Amen to that!
Your great-grandchildren are going to be sooo grateful to you!
21 years I used an Alaskan sawmill. Some people treat themselves to a new car in their later years. I bought a Woodmizer LT40. >Happy Camper = ) And yes, I shed a tear seeing that beautiful oak used as a post. I would have built two large live-edge slab oak tables. I sold my last live-edge table for $3,200 US. So with $6,400 in my pocket. I'd build stone posts and put a big down payment on a new mill. ; )
30 years ago I installed treated yellow pine posts as porch supports. I coated the below ground sections with asphalt based roofing patch and several ;ayers of aluminum foil. Perfectly intact 30 years later. Always a good idea to coat the above ground sections with a penetrating water sealant as well. I used Thompson's Water Seal
Other than the wood treatment that seems like a great solution. Not sure how well modern treated wood sans arsenic would do in that setup.
Great video. Wooden posts rot most in the first 6-12 inches both above and below the ground line, so runnig the charring well above that, plus the stone runoffs, as you did is key to longevity. My dad was a big fan of top hats for wooden posts, and our oak field gatepost put in in 1973 is still firm. Without the hat, rain runs off for the first 10 years and it seems like you don’t need a fancy top, but after that the natural cracking widens, fills with porous material and acts as a sponge, so not only does the head of the post decay but the weakening travels down most of the length of the crack. I’ve seen oak post just gently part into two.
I live in Australia on a 50ac bush block. We're generally blessed with amazing wood and there is lots of it where I live. My place is only accessible via a private farm road. I'm in regular contact with the farmer who has nearly 3000ac but I only need to traverse about 500m of his land to get to my place. Anyway this means the farmer - my neighbour, knows a thing or two about fencing since he runs Angus cattle. Fencing needs to be reasonable if you run any kind of cattle. Apparently the no.1 thing that makes fence posts last, more than all other factors, is using wood that you've cut from your property. The thinking is the wood is already adapted to the soil microbes so those microbes don't feed on the wood as they would if the wood came from another area. Of course some species of Eucalypts are better than others. Some Eucalypts in the Box group being exceptional underground with superior weathering resistance - even without caps. The gate post of the farmers corner for the road to my place is at least 130 years old and although looking pretty gnarly and leaning, it has many years of life remaining. It is Eucalyptus Melliodora AKA Yellow Box. The corner posts are always Box of some description and the other posts more common Stringybark of which there are several species in this area. Here's the thing, all the posts were just put in the soil and even the Stringybark posts last 100 years. Red Gum (E. Camaldulensis) is another absolutely amazing wood for underground and underwater too since it grows on floodplains and tolerates submersion for long periods. The Boxes are similar in weight to what you were handling I'd say but Red Gum is in some ways surprisingly light. Some Boxes category Eucalypts and Red Gum make amazing firewood. I'd say fencing lasts longer here in part due to the far drier climate, although in wet areas the fencing there lasts really well too. Oaks here grow fantastically well. Doesn't matter how hot and how long a drought goes on the Oaks seem to thrive and they haven't developed weed status like some other European trees either. There is a single Oak in a paddock not far from here and I estimate it is perhaps 120 years old. It is just amazing to sit under on a 40deg C day. It's like another world in there. The heavy lower branches almost gravity defying.
Just so you know the reason I liked and subscribed is because at the end you 2 seem so nice. The type of people a person would like to be friends with. Wishing you well.
Good day Rodney, thank you for the encouragement, means a lot to us :)
As a furniture maker I am drooling over the wood you used. I completely understand the purpose of using it and appreciate how you explained why you used it. Great video, good personality. My only thought was to also put an oil on the post to assist with preservation. Best wishes.
Thank you very much Michael. It's a good call on the oil.
8:25 fantastic shot of the dragonfly!
Hi Alexander, first person to comment on that, thanks!
Impressed, young couple not afraid of very hard work, seem to have a happy life on beautiful country property.
There is a beautiful creek!
I met a guy in France who had a joinery shop. All the windows in his house were made from oven-baked wood (which is similar to charred wood). First time I had seen this in use.
oven baking plastifies the starches and cellulose in the wood. basically almost the same thing
My dad painted the posts with sump oil 70 years ago, they are still rock hard in the ground on the farm
What is sump oil?
@@82ndAirborne15 old oil that you drain from a car , truck or tractor , to replace with new engine oil.
Agreed!! Use old sump oil. It has the added advantage of keeping termites away. Although some readers will probably ask -- what are termites.
What about standard paint eg garden fence paint I've painted some of my posts for a pig paddock with that any idea if that will prolong a posts life?
Ditto don't want to think about pollution & health risks Amazing we lived thru childhood
I really enjoy this recycling at it's best made to last and that goes for Sam and you too. Good Luck☘
wow- what a view of the landscape at the end.
He did not mention it but the burning of wood also makes it Hydrophobic. Water will bead up and roll off. Japanese have used it for the outside cladding of houses and buildings for a long time. I hope it works on the underground parts of those posts for a long time to come. Good luck to the two of you!!
Yes I use it all the time. It is pine tar., historically from Sweden. There is a cheap domestic version used by veterinarians, but the best is from Sweden. You can smell the difference. Dilute the first coats with thinners to get it to penetrate. I mixed it with linseed oil and painted both sides of the ship lap siding I used on the two storey house I am building, then painted all the exterior trim with a stronger tar mix. The siding is a lighter color than the trim which is rather black. I add Japan drier to speed up the dry time. It smells wonderful.
Hey Jeffery, Thanks for sharing! Really interesting, and I wonder what a combo of that and charring would be like? I will have to look into it... And also now need to look up 'Japan drier' ;) Thanks again, Bongo.
Excellent job. Yep, burning the ends is the answer, and simple.
I like you posting about posts and to help your youtube efforts I now post a comment. No stones required but a good comment section will make your video last for a long time.
Thanks for that Snoep Animation ;)
How many times have I told you "DON'T SWING ON THE GATES"!😉 Definitely not easy but great team work. Great work and good seeing you having some fun too. Trusting you are still healthy and living there in 50+ years be able to look back to admire and assess your labours. The bits at the end very enjoyable too, I love how cows are so inquisitive. Cheers, David.
Hey David, nice to hear from you. Thanks for the encouragement. And yeah, I DO need more reminders not to swing on the gates ;) It would be nice to see the experiment through...
Try using some 4 inch pvc pipes as rollers for moving heavy objects. Using elementary mechanisms like the wheel, inclined plane, lever etc can make life a bit easier. Great video...enjoyed watching the process. Thanks
Thanks for the video. Love the saw jig! Definitely the thing for the field! I watch stuff like this and think, "Damn! I could go out in the middle of nowhere and build a CASTLE!!!! LOL
There are more chainsaw mill vids to binge on if you like. We trust we'll be invited to the castle-warming party ;)
Love to learn these things...while watching others work so hard. Take care..❤️
Thanks for watching!
I'm glad you mention that it took you all day. I just started chainsaw milling and I was disappointed at my speed. But now I know it just takes time. Just found your channel and really enjoying your videos.
Hi Eric. As I have gained experience, things have sped up a LOT, but shifting wood, planning routes, setting up cuts, refuelling, misc tinkering and of course taking time to enjoy the process and having brakes (and in my case filming) take time. Welcome aboard btw! Hope you enjoy some of my other vids :D
What a great team, not afraid of hard work
Appreciate that Roger, thanks! :D
I love it that your mate works right along side of you. Cudos!
That timber was absolutely gorgeous!!!
Really interesting video, particularly impressed that you can mill timber so accurately with what looked like a home made chainsaw jig. Great work!
Hi Niall, thank you very much! Yep, don't underestimate what you can achieve with a chainsaw and even a primitive DIY mill attachment - Plenty more on that in my other vids if you want to learn more about milling... Thanks for watching and commenting :D
loved your video. Much like Sam (I suspect) my wife enjoys getting out there and working hard. It is a fun thing to do together. I hope the two of you enjoy it as much as it appears
I like that process of the sugar-cookie-bun... Gonna try that for sure... Good session...
painting old engine oil works for me , my main strainer posts are now 50yrs old and still strong , as an added feature i 12 inch augered the tops and filled with oil before metal capping , 20 yrs back as caps became loose i topped up the oiling , its a lifetime trick for my 12km run that has worked for me , hope its usefull to others !!!
Hi I really enjoyed watching you make and install those fence posts. Your both nuts by the way but nuts in a good way. Please keep doing what you're doing.👍👍
That was absolutely fantastic. I loved the way you did it all and especially how you work together. You are a wonderful couple and you are showing the world what life should be like. God Bless you both.
Thank you so much!
First time here. Nice gate posts and surely your great-grandchildren will still be enjoying these posts and maybe watching this video. 🤔😁
Thanks and welcome Heike! What a thought!
great job ,well done .2 years ago i cut and peeled 30 larch stakes from my own wood.let them dry for 6 months,then scorched them and soaked them with burnt oil while still hot.now i drove them with a post driver but i expect them to last a reasonable time .cheers from ireland.ps she is a great worker and georgous too.
Hey Jimmy, thanks for sharing this - I have a bunch of larch wood, and wondered about doing a similar thing. What kind of container did you use for heating/soaking the oil - old bath?
i put scrap wood into a half steel barrel and fired it up.then placed one stake at a time resting on the barrel,rolled it back and over until well scorched then put them in a narrow steel bath with burnt oil in it and covered the complete stake , the oil really soaks in when the wood is hot .cheers. my you tube debut is ...jimmy the saw ,,logging ireland.@@FloweringElbow
Small thought: if you use seasoned oak, it will last for decades. BUT, you have to cut it & leave it for 2 / 3/+ years, it get harder as it ages - you probably know. I have tried working in houses 200+ years old, and cuting / chiseling / drilling into oak is near impossible, hard as iron. If using stones to pack the post, I ram them down in turn as hard as I can adding crushed stone on the way. When putting in posts, I set them in concrete (self mixed, not 'Postcrete'), with an upstand / collar of concrete, sloping away from the post. They will last for decades. AND, I seal the top of the posts with a thick layer of Seal 'N Heal, repainted every couple of years. I expect they will still be there a LONG time after I am gone. Nice vid, that post won't need doing for a long time.
Good morning Theo. Thank you for sharing your experiences, really interesting.
Their gate posts are performing work while seasoning...
Love it, great know that there are people who care about practical skills and the environment! :-)
Thanks Duncan, appreciate that!
I've watched tons of youtube videos, BUT this has got to be one of my top favorites for all round excellent production and entertainment value even if "just" a gate post installation, the view and the sweetness and all shared! 😘🤗
Not seen work like that for a long time since my father used to make all there own posts on the farm when i was little ,good stuff folks
Thanks for the encouragement Martin, appreciate that 🙏
In France telephone poles bottom parts are coated with tar. I've heard that used engine oil makes a good protection also. I enjoyed the video which was both informative and entertaining.
In Poland the wooden post is bolted into a channel in a concrete post so no wood is at ground level. Clever communists.
I live in France and it never ceases to amaze me how poorly the poles are installed. They are often not deep enough and rarely have stays meaning the poles lean and topple over due to the weight of the cable and the 'pull on pole' caused by prevailing winds. The poles are also about one third of the size of those used in the UK. Having said that, the UK poles are substantial enough to be climbed.
Couple of things, great content and very similar method as what I use. Here in the Houston Texas because of all the rain, I use Mexican beach pebbles at the bottom of the hole, pressure treated post and concrete. The is poured about 3” above ground level and then sloped away from the post. I’ve found this last a great deal longer, & I cap the post as well. The neighbor has had to replace his fence twice thus far since I made mine. My next fence will be made with no nails or screws, it will be all timber frame joints and sliding slats.
Great, one of my pet peeves is people who set any kind of posts in concrete below ground level. They rot so fast, it would be better to just set them in dirt. And easier to replace if they did that. Like you, I always set them in concrete above ground level, and slope the concrete.
Working together always makes it more e enjoyable. Very nice.
Couldn't agree more!
I live in Wyoming the United States. The mountain burned in 1900. Some of those trees that burned in that fire are still standing tempered by the fire. Loved your video. Good job
Find a hedge tree! Problem solved. Here in the Midwest Osage Orange will last 100 years the fence around our pastures is one hedge (what most call Osage) and one steel and corners are hedge. The steel must be replaced every 30 years, but not the hedge!
Here ya go.. $650 for one log.. www.ebay.com/i/264685437495
I used Osage orange (hedge) for gates, fence posts, and corner posts. The main corner post was a piece Osage orange which my great-grandfather cut down around 1900, it was about 12" dia. at the bottom and about 10" dia at the top. The post was 10 ft. long, the hole was 5 ft deep with sandstone tamp into the hole with a piece of steel from the old car axel. Then two more posts set 5ft from large posts at the right angles with braces. Then we string barbed wire starting at the corner post then to gate post. After the large corner post is in the ground for 10 years a car at speed over 60 miles per hour hit corner post. The driver was killed and the motor block was in the front seat. But corner post was not damaged and no movement in post. The Osage orange post is still in the ground today and no rotting. If you want non-rotting posts, use limestone. Out in western Kansas, there are limestone fences standing over 100+ years in the ground.
Steven Hartney I’ll sell you all you want for half that 😀 really they grow from Texas to the Midwest in deep soil. They aren’t hard to find. I’ve cussed them for years and years they are in nearly every fence here and have bent tractor exhaust and broken windows in equipment for as long as I remember, plus given me a few bloody noses in the non cab days!
Brilliant
@@russell7489 Well said Russell. 😊🌎💖
Where I live, we get isopods and earwigs under post caps that seem to do even more damage than bird turds and rain. I've started making the tops of posts pointy instead. If nothing else, it's starting to make it look like I'm building a palisade rather than a fence.
Really enjoyed your p resent action regarding charring of the bottom of the post. You are a fun couple to watch! MO
GREAT JOB!!! I have used many a grand oak for not only firewood but fence posts and furniture. Black Oak is my favorite. I now reside in Montana (moving from California) in a 5,000 sq ft 5 bedroom log home, and continue to enjoy the nature marvel of wood. Keep up the good work!
Great to hear Geo Jeromy . Greetings from Wales 😃
the holes gonna fill with water. i like to coat them with tar and build a mound at the bottom. concrete is good i usually use a peir form so the concrete top is 3" above the soil line, I also backfill the bottom of the hole with small rocks and cement so the bottom of the post does not touch the soil. I like the idea of charing the post havent done it yet alot of folk seem to be experimenting with it and im sure it might be effective. Inted of using rock i would choose a well graded material like road base which packs down well and grade the bottom of the hole to encourage water to drain away from the post. You can also bevel the bottom of the post so there is less post i contact with the bottom of the hole which will likely be the wettest spot and wick water up into the post. I think breaking that wicking effect and haveing a base which breaks the soil level contact with the base of the post is the key to having a post that will dry out and last a long time.
I built a Corel and load shout over thirty years age using tamarack post and lots of stone around posts I’m pleased to say that yes some posts have been replaced because stock can be hard on things but good drainage is key
Enjoyed a full-watch. Have a fine week. 👍🏽🙂
You guys are so much fun to watch.
That is a sweet job. I just ran Black Locust posts along 85' of Raspberries and I like to mix clay w/ the rocks. It makes them compact even better.
I placed 6" treated fence posts in concrete with 2" cover thinking that is minimum specified to protect steel, bearing on rocks then lathered intersction at ground level with creosote 10 years and still seem solid but not really that long in scheme of things. First heard of shou shugi ban (?) a year ago and tthat is the way I intend to go for treating posts for decking project. Good vid ' rocked along with no filling out blather like most, thanks.
Good day Dog Paw, thanks for sharing your experiences, and your kind words. If you do the shou shugi ban just remember not to use treated wood - those fumes are nasty ;) Peace, Bongo.
My Father would mix used motor oil from gas/diesel tractors/cars, plus used transmission fluid from a local IH farm implement dealer. He would paint it on posts (before installing) and barn sills, barn exterior wood, and anything bugs/termites might attack. It worked AWESOME! He also used a big rock in the bottom of the hole! You have a 'hard working' wife! Best Regards from the USA!
Wow! Everything done right, including a top hat to prevent water from getting into the post. Good job!
Thanks Guy Tech!
Old timers in the Ozarks used to say that black locust lasts "about two years longer than stone!??"
My neighbor says locust posts last longer than the hole you put them in.
It warms my soul to see a young couple working together.
Good job, well-done! Greetings from Alaska. (The Gulf of Alaska coast.)
I've just watched this while sitting here, in late winter, in New Zealand in Covid lockdown. It was a real joy to watch, not just because it was really useful information, but also because of the very beautiful UK countryside scenery. Thanks. I'll bet you never thought this video would help lift people out of a funk!
So happy to hear my friend!
Hey mate I found this very interesting in my part of the world(south West Australia) we use white gum(wando). Hard as nails. All we do is knock the bark off and throw it in the ground. I have heard it said if you put the post in the ground near where it grew it will last the longest.
Evening jono. I haven't heard of that wood, wish we had more 'hard as nails' types in these parts. Fascinating about lasting long where it grows, another thing to experiment with!
Yes i have heard this too. Also the post must be put in green. something to do with the moisture balance between the soil and the timber. All i know is dry red gum that we have here in south Australia will not last, but green is good.
I hot waxed spruce with paraffin to make raised beds in my garden 20 years ago. They're still there, although not in great shape anymore.
That is some VERY impressive milling!
I have to say thanks for this video. I have a cedar post that I want to plant outside the house as a sign and needed to know how to scorch it without a blow torch as I don't have one. I had thought about the rocket stove solution so seeing you actually do it gives me confidence to go ahead.
I have my gate posts above ground bolted to rock and the gates have wheels so they dont load the posts too much. The posts are made of Spruce, untreated. This is a sub-arctic climate, it would not work in UK but here I anticipate a 20- 30 year life span; they have stood 12 years at present with no deterioration. A rock on the top helps a bit, I would not be able to use metal because condensate occurs here more frequently than rain and once wet the top would never dry. Great videography as always, thanks for sharing your good work, all the best, Lucas.
Hey Lucas! Thanks for tuning in again friend. Cool to hear about the clever way you deal with the different climate conditions you have. I guess your 'foundation rocks' must be quite huge? Do you go to the trouble of scribing the post to the rock? Or how does the bolt down detail look, I'm curious. Nice idea with the wheel too - is it sprung to allow for uneven ground, or just solid?
@@FloweringElbow Well one of the rocks is the size of planet earth (bedrock) the other is about 100 kilo I suppose. The gate is divided at the third. So one long gate and one short. The wheel is fixed and just follows the uneven ground since there is a little play in the post. Determined cows have "opened" my gate in the past, but rather that than they flatten it. We have transhumance farming here and I have two boarders with free roaming livestock in the summer, so I don't use the gate all year round. Have you seen the gates in Mallorca? They use bents (knees) as the bracing, looks great, I have copied that on the one gate. Next time I make a gate I will try it again.
@@FloweringElbow I used 4x30mm iron straps to bolt the posts, four on each. There is a good 3cm clearing between the rock and the post. My mother lives in Bredon, near Tewkesbury. She could do with new oaken posts, her gates don't get much use but they are all 50 odd years old now. It has not been so easy to get over since the flu bug thing. All the best, I have just started rambling now......
@@LucasRichardStephens I 'think' I have seen those gates but not sure - a quick google image search for "Mallorca wood gate" isn't turning up what I expected though - got an image link to what you mean?
@@FloweringElbow www.alamy.com/stock-photo/farm-gate-spain.html along the lines of some of these
Being in the construction trades I can always come across partial rolls of rubberized membrane (ice and water shield). I install two layers of this adhesive backed product around the lower perimeter with three layers on the base. The membrane runs up to about 8" above ground. Posts (soft wood) I installed 25 years ago are still good as new.
is this old style of experiment (& good fun) that real life is made of - great video! enjoy
Great use of natural resources!
Using rocks that way is an outstanding idea, IF, one has access to rocks. We haven’t many around here, so I’ve taken to soaking in boiled linseed oil, that portion or the post to be set in ground. So far, so good. Of course at my age, I’m not likely to face having to replace them again. Cheers!
i have NO access to rocks, nor a jcb digger, nor a chainsaw / diy lumber mill, nor oak trees laying in my 40ft garden
Great video, nicest gateposts I've seen in ever! I'm getting fed up of treated posts rotting off. I don't have any oak down (I hope the oaks stay up!) But I should have some sweet chestnut which needs coppicing and should do the job and won't need milling either. Charring it is a good idea though.
Hey Alastair, good to hear from you, hope you're keeping well. Yeah, sweet chestnut's just the ticket. We only have a few young s. chestnut trees on our little farm, so am actually thinking about planting some here... As always, wish I had done it 20 years ago ;) Do you eat the chestnuts?
@@FloweringElbow if we can get to them before the grey squirrels! This is my future in laws small farm, their predecessor did a lot of planting 25 yrs ago, so I'm doing thinning etc which hasn't really happened much ever.
@@FloweringElbow Never too late to plant.
Been in the middle of Kansas for forty years alongside lots of farmers/ranchers who will testify to the age defying durability of Orange Osage, some have told me corner posts, that had been installed by their great-great grandfathers as early as the mid eighteen hundreds....finding trees of that kind are a bit difficult to find now days around here, because they will go out of their way to acquire it- I have spent a considerable amount of time talking with these farmers/ranchers and they prefer it above all others....hands down.
Hey man....The boss is a Very good hand....She jumps in like a real trooper...VERY COOL. Your lucky to have such top quality help...Outstanding job....A+....