How sharp a point for fencing accuracy?

[Will May]

Re-fencing a horse arena, but instead of using treated softwood which will only last 5 minutes, going to use oak. Getting some 2.4m 10"x5" greenoak sleepers and will cut them down to create three 3"x5" posts from each. Works out about a pound more per post than softwood.
Questions is what point to put on to give the best accuracy when driving them in with a protech post rammer?
Cut a point on 2 sides or 4?
Sharp or relatively blunt?

 

[Jameshenry]

Definetley point 4 sides and i would try and leave a 1" square flat point to them, if you point them too sharp they will mushroom too easy if you hit a stone

 

[S J H]

I'd put them in blunt, but I wouldn't use oak, Chestnut would be better imo

 

[Nearly]

Contractor in next village puts everything in blunt, with big knocker.
He does the post and rail for local supermarket family.
'If it hits a stone it just pushes it down.'

 

[Jameshenry]

Contractor in next village puts everything in blunt, with big knocker.
He does the post and rail for local supermarket family.
'If it hits a stone it just pushes it down.'

He must be on very soft ground and have very small stones !

 

[Nearly]

He must be on very soft ground and have very small stones !

Supermarket millionaires don't buy Welsh quarries.

 

[trev7530]

I always point them, but would depend on ground conditions.
I would use redwood if it were me, wouldn’t fancy the job of ripping down green oak.

 

[Badshot]

Green oak? As in unseasoned?
Whatever you do don't put unseasoned wood in the ground, it'll rot as quick as softwood.

 

[ARW]

Unpointed

 

[Will May]

Green oak? As in unseasoned?
Whatever you do don't put unseasoned wood in the ground, it'll rot as quick as softwood.

A few people have said this to me, the sleepers have been in the yard a couple of years so will be a bit dryer than freshly cut from a tree. I can't believe that you would have to wait say ten years for an oak post to fully season before it went in the ground? I've got a couple of 8x8 oak gate posts that were put in green ish 24 years ago which are still looking good and a couple of pressure treated softwood posts that went in 4 years ago that have gone.

 

[Will May]

I always point them, but would depend on ground conditions.
I would use redwood if it were me, wouldn’t fancy the job of ripping down green oak.

Got one of these, which I bought off ebay when building my house.
http://www.makitauk.com/products/saws/circular-saws/all-circular-saws/5143r-355mm-circular-saw.html

 

[Will May]

I always point them, but would depend on ground conditions.
I would use redwood if it were me, wouldn’t fancy the job of ripping down green oak.

Got one of these, which I bought off ebay when building my house.
http://www.makitauk.com/products/saws/circular-saws/all-circular-saws/5143r-355mm-circular-saw.html

I love the smell of oak sawdust in the morning.

 

[Pilgrimmick]

I love the smell of oak sawdust in the morning.

Do believe that it is one of the worst dusts from wood in terms of damaging ypur lungs. @JLTate will know better.

 

[JLTate]

Do believe that it is one of the worst dusts from wood in terms of damaging ypur lungs. @JLTate will know better.

100%!

Oak is one of the worst for your lungs. I don't see the appeal. I hate working with Oak in general, the smell and dust is horrible.

Much nicer when we are machining Douglas Fir / Pitch Pine.

 

[Badshot]

A few people have said this to me, the sleepers have been in the yard a couple of years so will be a bit dryer than freshly cut from a tree. I can't believe that you would have to wait say ten years for an oak post to fully season before it went in the ground? I've got a couple of 8x8 oak gate posts that were put in green ish 24 years ago which are still looking good and a couple of pressure treated softwood posts that went in 4 years ago that have gone.

Couple years old is seasoned!!!
It's untreated oak, not green / full of sap.
You'll be fine with them.
If you wanted to make them last longer charring them will help stop them rotting.

 

[tomlad]

I was gonna say when does green timber because not

in my world green would be say felled in last 5 -6 month .

 

[RWG Contracts]

100%!

Oak is one of the worst for your lungs. I don't see the appeal. I hate working with Oak in general, the smell and dust is horrible.

Much nicer when we are machining Douglas Fir / Pitch Pine

Cedar

Made some cedar windows other year smelt great in workshop

 

[Will May]

100%!

Oak is one of the worst for your lungs. I don't see the appeal. I hate working with Oak in general, the smell and dust is horrible.

Much nicer when we are machining Douglas Fir / Pitch Pine.

Oh no I'm knackered then, spent many a day oak sniffing. Mostly green oak with hand tools so not too dusty.

 

[Andrew]

We put a run of post and rail on a couple of years ago, unpointed on the advice of others on here. Looks perfect and they went in easily enough. We’re on heavy clay.

 

[robo]

Re-fencing a horse arena, but instead of using treated softwood which will only last 5 minutes, going to use oak. Getting some 2.4m 10"x5" greenoak sleepers and will cut them down to create three 3"x5" posts from each. Works out about a pound more per post than softwood.
Questions is what point to put on to give the best accuracy when driving them in with a protech post rammer?
Cut a point on 2 sides or 4?
Sharp or relatively blunt?

we always have blunt drive in spot on but it does depend on you soil type