Whether you fence your farm with woodwind instrument , electrical or another eccentric of fence , traditional techniques more often than not necessitate that you correct fencing posts directly into the soil , perhaps with the economic aid of concrete as backfill . For turning point posts in special , achieving secure contact lens with the ground is vital , especially when using tenseness fencing .
Unfortunately , soil shape are not always ideal where Post are needed . Farmers and rancher often find themselves challenge by term that are too sloughy , arenaceous or rocky to set a post in the traditional method acting . to boot , in region with cold winters , it ’s common for deep spring frosts to repeatedly bear on fencing posts up from below , stimulate major fence dilemma . Clearly , a solution is needed in these instances ; what can be done ?
Enter the Isidor Feinstein Stone crib . A Isidor Feinstein Stone crib is essentially a wooden or conducting wire coop filled with rocks that procure a fencing post without having to set it into the grease . The stone pony plainly rests on top of the primer , with a heavy loading of rocks holding the fence spot in stead .
The instruction in this undertaking are for an easy - to - build rock cot design that does n’t take long to construct and requires a lower limit of material . The exact sizing of the cribbage you build ( and therefore the number of stone it holds ) depends on your location and needs .
A corner post under tensity might want a larger number of rocks to hold it steady , while a mere bank line mail service ( as shown here ) involve few . Fortunately , it ’s an easy topic to adjust the measurements in this project to increase the size of the crib ; simply change the length of the ( 11 ) 2 - by-6s from 20 inch to perhaps 24 inches , or even 36 inches for a very large crib suitable for great - obligation needs . Treated timber lasts longer .
rock cribs are a wonderful little piece of rural ingenuity and a prissy deterrent example of using what you have — in this case , using up those piles of rocks you ’ve collected from plowing your fields and garden . It ’s easy and cheap , so why not give it examine ?
Materials You’ll Need
Step 1: Build the Crib Frames
Using 3 - inch exterior screw , combine four of the 20 - inch 2 - by-6s to create a rectangle . utilise a frame square if need to keep the corners exact . duplicate this footprint so that you have two identical frames .
Step 2: Add Floorboards
Add three additional 20 - in 2 - by-6s across one of the frames , leaving a crack of 3 1/4 inches as shown in the photos . This is the bottom of the stone crib , but it is easier to build it “ upside down ” and then riff it over . Use 3 - in screw to attach .
Step 3: Attach Corner 4-by-4s
For bestow forcefulness , short 16 1/2 - in 4 - by-4s are used on two corners of the crib . fix these with 3 - inch exterior shtup on the sides and the bottom .
Step 4: Attach Second Frame
Using 3 - column inch screws , attach the second flesh of 2 - by-6s to the 4 - by-4s . Leave a space of about 5 1/2 inch between the two frames .
Step 5: Fasten Fence Post
The Harlan F. Stone crib is prepared to the point that you could bond the fence billet it is design to brook . you could expend whatever size of it fence station you have handy and that is large enough for the job ; here we used a piece of 4 - by-6 - inch lumber .
The mail needs to be shorter than most fence posts you ’re customary to working with because it does n’t go into the ground . ( We cut ours to 6 fundament . ) utilize 4 - inch screws to sequester the post to the crib . Be particularly careful when work with the project at this point , because until the careen are added for weight unit , the stone crib is top - heavy and can easily tip off over .
Step 6: Add Angle Brackets
To increase strength , you’re able to total four angle angle bracket to help support the fencing Wiley Post to the stone crib as we did here .
Step 7: Fill With Stones
Move your empty stone crib into the location where you be after to apply it , and then fill the trot with stone . The weight of the rocks sit in the cot provides a unanimous and stable foundation to hold the fencing post , all without any digging or setting into the reason .
This story originally appeared in the November / December 2018 event ofHobby Farmsmagazine .
