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One thing that I try to do is watch for labor savers around the homestead.
Some jobs SEEM too big to tackle on your own, but once you get creative most everything is possible.
Here are pics of some fencing I put up myself. One of the runs was around 300 feet long.
I was able to tack one end, then started rolling out on the ground. Yes at first you will have a slight twist or kink in the roll, but you can straighten this out and it's much easier to roll the fence out on the ground if you can.
Next I went along and used my good friend "cheap labor Charlie" to help hold the fence up. "Charlie" is usually a 16D nail but can be any nail that will help hold up whatever your fixing to work on. With the starting end tacked to a couple large poles of which an "X" was nailed to, and a dozen or so "Charlies" helping the fence stand up, I was ready to stretch it.
Ran the end of the wire fence just past where it was going to end. Take a fence post and tack it securely to the end or very near the end of the wire run. Now wrap your come a long cable around the fence post. This way your pulling the fence as one unit versus if you just hooked the cable to the fence, you could/probably would deform the fence. Attach the end of the come a long to anything stout- truck bumper, heavy equipment, or wrap it around around solid tree. With a tree you will probably "gird" it pulling the fence however.
Pull just a little tension at first. If I can get a vehicle or heavy equipment in the area I usually attach to that and just pull forward slightly. Remember you want to pull the same direction as the fence is running if possible. Ideally your terminating your run at another "X" juncture between two stout posts. I tend towards overkill and usually use the 2nd higher size than what most places call "corner posts" for my end posts. That's if I can't find telephone poles to cut up. A nice stout 7' telephone pole section with a diameter of 12 inches or more, dug in 3 feet and set in concrete will withstand a lot of abuse up to and including cars smashing into them. Ask me how I know :) yes it was on purpose.
Now stop for a minute and walk the fence line again and retire Mr. Charlie, pull them out all along the line. You don't need him now if you have adequate tension on the fence wire. The wire fence should stand up on it's own now.
Back to the come a long- start racheting it. There is a happy medium on how much to tighten that just comes with practice. Find that spot.
Go back along the line and nail the wire fence to your posts.
If you were able to run past your end post, then your final nailing will be at your end post. Release the tension on the come along and snip your wire fence at the termination post.
It's admittedly a lot of work for one person, but if you take it by small bites and think through certain aspects of it, it is possible. We may be on our own one day, or just everyone might be sick at the same time. It sucks but you can still get things done.
Some jobs SEEM too big to tackle on your own, but once you get creative most everything is possible.
Here are pics of some fencing I put up myself. One of the runs was around 300 feet long.
I was able to tack one end, then started rolling out on the ground. Yes at first you will have a slight twist or kink in the roll, but you can straighten this out and it's much easier to roll the fence out on the ground if you can.
Next I went along and used my good friend "cheap labor Charlie" to help hold the fence up. "Charlie" is usually a 16D nail but can be any nail that will help hold up whatever your fixing to work on. With the starting end tacked to a couple large poles of which an "X" was nailed to, and a dozen or so "Charlies" helping the fence stand up, I was ready to stretch it.
Ran the end of the wire fence just past where it was going to end. Take a fence post and tack it securely to the end or very near the end of the wire run. Now wrap your come a long cable around the fence post. This way your pulling the fence as one unit versus if you just hooked the cable to the fence, you could/probably would deform the fence. Attach the end of the come a long to anything stout- truck bumper, heavy equipment, or wrap it around around solid tree. With a tree you will probably "gird" it pulling the fence however.
Pull just a little tension at first. If I can get a vehicle or heavy equipment in the area I usually attach to that and just pull forward slightly. Remember you want to pull the same direction as the fence is running if possible. Ideally your terminating your run at another "X" juncture between two stout posts. I tend towards overkill and usually use the 2nd higher size than what most places call "corner posts" for my end posts. That's if I can't find telephone poles to cut up. A nice stout 7' telephone pole section with a diameter of 12 inches or more, dug in 3 feet and set in concrete will withstand a lot of abuse up to and including cars smashing into them. Ask me how I know :) yes it was on purpose.
Now stop for a minute and walk the fence line again and retire Mr. Charlie, pull them out all along the line. You don't need him now if you have adequate tension on the fence wire. The wire fence should stand up on it's own now.
Back to the come a long- start racheting it. There is a happy medium on how much to tighten that just comes with practice. Find that spot.
Go back along the line and nail the wire fence to your posts.
If you were able to run past your end post, then your final nailing will be at your end post. Release the tension on the come along and snip your wire fence at the termination post.
It's admittedly a lot of work for one person, but if you take it by small bites and think through certain aspects of it, it is possible. We may be on our own one day, or just everyone might be sick at the same time. It sucks but you can still get things done.
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