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.
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.
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.👍
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.
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. ❤️
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.
@@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😁
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.)
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.
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.
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?
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.
What an entertaining and informative video - not to mention the athletic and super helpful lady assistant. I feel confident that your gate posts will last for many years.
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!
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
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.
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 .
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!
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!
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.
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.
Truly enjoyed your video and the great comments-amazing knowledge thank you. I’m in Florida, and our water table and termite issues make any wood posts a gamble. I’m pretty sure some of the posts might remain, but in many places two feet down I find water during some times of the year! Guard rails have been installed for many many years using galvanized steel I beams. When they replace the guard rails, the i-beams are pulled out and sold as scrap. Enterprising folks are selling them for repurposed use. I was able to acquire the 6’ I beams for $10 each. I found I could affix them to 6x6 wood posts with stainless lags-two 6’ I-beams, and a 4’ 6x6 post. With 5’ buried-I used old cement broken up (no stones in Florida!)-followed by new cement, more old cement, and topped with new cement. My tamping effort was weak compared to yours! The top of the wood is angled and covered with sheet metal. My point is that even in places where wood, stone, and water fight us, we can find low-impact, low-cost solutions. I’ve never seen what galvanized I-beams look like after many years in Florida’s unfriendly earth, but As you noted, pressure treated posts are NOT the answer!
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...
I love your ideas and effort. I appreciate your philosophy of doing it once and doing it right/well. You guys are my sort of people. Wish there were more people like you!
Hey Drew, appreciate that, thanks! We at least TRY to live by that philosophy and find it makes jobs more enjoyable and satisfying. It's easy to make more compromises than you intend to on projects when you have other pressures and concerns though - so reminders like your comment are very welcome :)
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
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.
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 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.
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
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
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.
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.
@@FloweringElbow You are very welcome young lady. Stay safe and healthy. We need more good content for viewing out here. Can't find much of it anywhere these days. When I do find such as your content, I feel healthier for having seen it. Carry on with what you do, it is a blessing to others.
Soak the base of the post in hot pitch (tar). The liquified hydrocarbon will soak into the wood and harden when it cools, making it water impermeable, insect proof, and mold resistant.
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, we had oak fence posts at 4" square put in clay soil either side of a ditch which was done in 1947 and some were still there in 2010, not bad going, have used a lot of treated fencing but not worth it now, cheaper in the long run to get chestnut or oak. Good video.
@@FloweringElbow Hi, there were also gate posts like yours put in at the same time in drier ground, which didn't last any longer, I think the clay was so wet that it stopped the oxygen getting to to timber and helped to stop the rot.
We have clay soil around here and the "old timers" say to not pack rocks/gravel around the sides of the post. Reason being that the moisture moves from the clay soil and sits in the rock or gravel right up against the wood post.
im trying to find the best way of erecting a wooden fence in our hard clay soil, iv dug down just under 2 ft and the clay is almost solid which is not good as i want to have a 8-9ft high fence
@@staffysmile3325 Yes, I think packed clay is better than postcrete if you value longevity over speed and ease. All the fence contractors seem to prefer the postcrete because it can be completed very quickly.
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!
An old farmer I once knew told me he simply took a fifty-five-gallon drum full of waste oil that he kept after changing the oil in his car and tractor. He would put his fence posts in that for about a month and then take them out and build his fence. He said they were about fifty years old now. When he told me this story it was in the late sixties and he was not worried about the environment at that time. He is dead now so he won't be building any more fences!
Just thinking burning wood creates a form of creosote in a fireplace when it burns so my thought is when you char a post you are coating the post or creating the chemical out of the post itself.
Here in the center of the U.S. we have trees here called hedge, cousin to a mulberry. Hedge wood will sometimes petrify as it grows, but you can cut it green and scorch it like he did, it will still be there in 100 years
Osage orange / hedge apple is the longest lasting wood for rot resistance. It makes excellent long bows for archers. Osage burns almost as hot as does coal.
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
Good video with easy information to understand. Its definitely hard to relay the fact of how much hard work is involved in that project. You and the lady should be proud. Thanks for sharing
Love your channel, the art of preserving that oak is great. I’ve seen some documentaries on the Asian folks doing that same thing thousands of years ago. P.S. don’t worry about the idiots that are nasty to u in comments. Keep on doing what makes your world go around and not there’s. Great content and work. New fan from USA
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.
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.
G'day Bongo, it's good to see your channel flourishing. I have an old mate that owns a chicken deli I get recycled filtered veg oil from him to run in the Lucas mill slabber, the only problem I find is that at the end of the day I'm craving chicken n chips ! On our farm I use Red Ironbark for posts no burning or treating necessary as it's termite resistant tamping the soil back into the hole the first few inches are critical and grey box for rails both are good for at least one hundred years 👍🇦🇺.
Hey Ish, thanks for getting in touch :) Haha, your veg oil problem is a nice one to have! Sounds like you have access to some might durable hardwoods. Peace, Bongo.
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. ; )
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.
That was a spectacular and wonderful piece of timber you diced up for some posts there, definitely a shame, but nicely done anyway :-) I have my father's entire collection of native and exotic timbers of all sorts, some I can't even identify. Among it was some "worn out" kwila decking he salvaged at some point, some was destroyed from long term water exposure, but about half of it had good solid kwila under the outer layers. I belt sanded it down and stained/sealed it with decking oil and it looks fantastic. What I discovered with different pieces in storage in different places was that the UV light is not what discolours/ruins the decking oil finish - it's the water, and specifically just humidity was enough - some was under a friend's house off the ground and sections of that started to go bad even though they were dry. Amazing. Kwila lasts very well when treated appropriately with good drainage and so forth. I'll be using it for a small deck on our holiday pad pretty soon :-)
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.
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.
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+....
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.
This was so helpful. I need to build (from trees I split in half with a wedge and sledge) 2 tree-length bridges over a couple small ponds, and a deck over a swamp. Chain-sawed slabs for the deck-tops. I’m doing all burn-preserving but from this video I learned how to make things way more solid and resistant to things. Thanks guys! All this effort ahead of me will pay off years more tanks to you. It’s just in time that I saw this!
i have been burning my wood for a few years now, even pine which maybe a soft wood but if done well can actually last many decades itself but granted wont be ever as good as a cedar with its natural oils held in the wood. I found after much tinkering that if you burn the wood until you see the surface start to bubble and get the spider web look to it is right about the best result. Wire brush the carbon off, wash down then soft brush to make sure absolutely all residual carbon dust has been removed and then oil it up. Personally i used linseed oil, however i have friends who went the route of old engine oils. When ever the surface is broken ie you need to screw anything in at all then give it a quick burn now if you have fixed the post in then a gas bottle burner does the trick, blast it out with some water let it dry and then put in some oil followed by applying a little grease to whatever you are putting in the wood will stop the corrosion happening between wood and metal and will stop any chance of water penetrating in and starting any rot. I learnt doing this by trial and error but once i did the above found it did the best, in my mums garden where i did her fence lines i have since applied oil once, i did her fences 26 years ago and they are a bog standard pine, they have zero decay and are as strong and robust today as when they went in the ground, she has an outside dining table which i did a few years before that which i didnt get quite right first attempt, didnt give it enough burn time, re did the burn on it when i did the fence but all the same you're talking best part of 30 year old table, strong as ever, pine table again. Point is, pine i agree entirely wont last or have the longevity of a cedar or oak but if you reapply oil every 20 years , 10 for the table as it gets used and some damage does occur from dropped items etc, it will still out last many of us, it might not last hundreds of years like a hard wood can do but it can still last many decades. I guess to be fair on my final point, you will get out of the wood exactly what you put into it before hand, i sanded washed, burnt, washed, oiled, did some further burning, washed reapplied the oil and then a 2nd coat of oil, i went probably a step further than most would consider but the results speak for themselves, you get back out of it what you put in. It is a absolutely great way of looking after wood and it also looks bloody great too in my opinion so win win
Wow Ricky! Thanks so much, that is absolutely fascinating and inspiring. Very impressive for pine. It's certainly getting us thinking about treatment for outside furniture and we do have some more posts to do, so we can try the burning and oiling on the fixture holes for those. Was it boiled linseed oil or just straight up you were using? Did you say you sand before burning - what is the reasoning for that and would you still keep that step if you did it again? Curious as the texture seems to change so much when you char it. Is it for aesthetic reasons to get all the carbon off or for something else? Thanks again for the comment. Peace, Bongo
@@FloweringElbow Yes i always sand before burning, reason being for me is i have done many fences and the wood used has generally been treated of some sort which you dont want to be breathing in even when doing in the open for one and for two, it gets rid of the excessive fibres and rough texture of the wood which even if not treated when you burn can cause additional burning of the wood more so around the edges of boards or panels which is just wasting wood and doesnt help, i believe you covered it stating you only actually need to get through the first few millimetres , no need to get in deeper in the wood unless of course you have made holes deep in the wood then of course you need to reach all open wood to prevent air and bugs. With tables i do it because they often have had a varnish or similar applied which requires being removed, also as i mentioned, accidents happen and things get dropped and it takes out any small dents. I don't sand again after it's all been done and had two coats of oil ( you can if you wish sand with a really fine grit paper between coats ) then pressure washer to clean the surface is sufficient, allow the oil to dry ( 24 hours per coat applied generally using boiled ) and it wants to be properly dry before you reapply oil, oil i have mainly used is boiled yes, tbh havent used non boiled that often and oak is about the only wood you would want non boiled for and drying time can take weeks hence not often using it lol. After applying the oil leave for half an hour or so then wipe down with a dry cloth to remove any excess, you will feel a sticky feel to it. But i found when things hadnt gone right at the start it was more to do with the burn or not allowing enough dry time or not properly cleaned and lastly do it in dry weather, even if you can burn under cover higher humidity in the air means longer time to burn to get the same result. You want to get every last bit of carbon off so basically you are sealing without doubt the wood itself, removing the excess carbon from the surface layer thats been burnt to a crisp. You will still have the burnt look and effect on the wood after you have taken off the excess but not taking the excess carbon off means you are limiting how well the oil penetrates the wood rather than being absorbed by the carbon ( when good amounts of carbon are left ) so again if you have a pressure washer handy they do a cracking job of removing the carbon. It might come across as over kill and i probably come across as being anal lol, but to me it comes down to peace of mind, pride in work, walking away knowing i did my absolute best, ive done probably a handful of tables and outdoor wooden furniture and fences every year now for the past 30 years and i treated every single one as if i was doing it for myself and dont call it finished unless i am happy with it, tbf the reason i have done so many is purely through word of mouth, friends of friends , family friends of friends seen my work and wanted it done. I can honestly say hand on heart i have had just the one complaint on a job done on a table, which i could do nothing about anyway, once you take off the carbon you will find that wood will show as different levels of darkness dependant on grain and knots, knots take more burn time and dont colour the same as the surrounding other wood, despite seeing this on a table i had done which they liked when i did their table it had more knots in the wood and of course had a greater degree of difference in colour across the wood, which i believed they had already expected having seen my work.apparently not though dohhhh. So that is one thing you should expect, is worthwhile knowing ahead of time, if using highly knotted wood expect a greater degree of contrast, personally i think it makes it even better, maybe i am biased?
@@trickydicky78s3 Thanks for all the info! I'm planning on doing some DIY building in an area not likely to have high availability of big hardwood lumber, so knowing that charring and oiling can preserve softwood like pine is very useful.
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.
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.
Hey friend, thanks for watching. If you're interested in chainsaw milling, we have just finished writing 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 and you will be helping us a great deal :D Also, I want to be clear, charring the posts was/is an experiment - some posts we charred and some we didn't - let's see in 20 years how things are going... Update: There has been an interesting study published 2021 suggesting that there are NO durability benefits to charring in most wood species (see here www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/9/1262 ). I have emailed the authors to clarify a few points but friends, it looks like you're better off not spending any time charring posts!
Another excellent video with attention to detail, clarity and good humor. You clearly do your research and are thorough with your process. After going through all this myself and using a similar process it is really great to see someone making the effort to document it so well! Great job - high fives from Portugal
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
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.👍👍
