Long lasting softwood fence posts

[William G]

What’s the chance of making strainers this way. Again excuse my ignorance. Iv never held a plastic post before. Just trying to imagine what there like. Are they to flexible for strainers. Or do they break of easily if tensioned. The idea of using up silage wrap and making a post that lasts at same time has got to be an answer to two major problems. Surely with some development from those in the know a workable product can be made

 

[renewablejohn]

What’s the chance of making strainers this way. Again excuse my ignorance. Iv never held a plastic post before. Just trying to imagine what there like. Are they to flexible for strainers. Or do they break of easily if tensioned. The idea of using up silage wrap and making a post that lasts at same time has got to be an answer to two major problems. Surely with some development from those in the know a workable product can be made

If you look at the NZ site they do a 200mm x 2.4 mtr which I think would be quite suitable for strainers. Actual production is no different to the smaller sizes.

 

[tepapa]

If you look at the NZ site they do a 200mm x 2.4 mtr which I think would be quite suitable for strainers. Actual production is no different to the smaller sizes.

I think it would have to be minimum 8" to be used as a strainer. Suppose you'd have to test one to see but going by the price of smaller posts I would think strainers would be uncompetitive in price. Imo.

 

[tepapa]

I don't think you could rely on plastic to be used as struts. You would have to use galvanized metal poles.

 

[renewablejohn]

I think it would have to be minimum 8" to be used as a strainer. Suppose you'd have to test one to see but going by the price of smaller posts I would think strainers would be uncompetitive in price. Imo.

ERR 200mm or 8" ?????

Using waste plastic price is not an issue.

 

[tepapa]

ERR 200mm or 8" ?????

Using waste plastic price is not an issue.

I've looked into all this before , and the people I were talking to were asking silly money for 3-4" sized posts. They definitely saw extra value in the increased size to the point they weren't viable to use.
I hope it is possible to make a soft to staple into strong post from recycled bale wrap.
It can only be win win for farmers and agricultures green image.

 

[renewablejohn]

I've looked into all this before , and the people I were talking to were asking silly money for 3-4" sized posts. They definitely saw extra value in the increased size to the point they weren't viable to use.
I hope it is possible to make a soft to staple into strong post from recycled bale wrap.
It can only be win win for farmers and agricultures green image.

Think you might be struggling with bale wrap as farmers never keep it clean enough for recycling. But there is plenty of other plastic to go at to reduce the plastic mountain.

 

[tepapa]

Think you might be struggling with bale wrap as farmers never keep it clean enough for recycling. But there is plenty of other plastic to go at to reduce the plastic mountain.

So you need to design a machine to wash bale wrap on farm ready to be packaged. Something that will reuse the same water and let the sediment settle out. An industrial washing machine made out of Ibc's. Fill it with the days bale wrap, 1/2 hour rinse to get the mud off and self empty ready for tomorrow's bales

 

[Goweresque]

What’s the chance of making strainers this way. Again excuse my ignorance. Iv never held a plastic post before. Just trying to imagine what there like. Are they to flexible for strainers. Or do they break of easily if tensioned. The idea of using up silage wrap and making a post that lasts at same time has got to be an answer to two major problems. Surely with some development from those in the know a workable product can be made

I think purely plastic strainers might be a bit too far a jump for the nature of the material. They wouldn't be rigid enough IMO, unless you could somehow manufacture a post with a steel tubed core, to provide some extra stiffness. Thinking about it it shouldn't be impossible to extrude a plastic post with a hollow centre which you then force a steel tube into afterwards.

 

[renewablejohn]

So you need to design a machine to wash bale wrap on farm ready to be packaged. Something that will reuse the same water and let the sediment settle out. An industrial washing machine made out of Ibc's. Fill it with the days bale wrap, 1/2 hour rinse to get the mud off and self empty ready for tomorrow's bales

Not tried bale wrap for posts always thought it was wrong type of plastic.

 

[renewablejohn]

I think purely plastic strainers might be a bit too far a jump for the nature of the material. They wouldn't be rigid enough IMO, unless you could somehow manufacture a post with a steel tubed core, to provide some extra stiffness. Thinking about it it shouldn't be impossible to extrude a plastic post with a hollow centre which you then force a steel tube into afterwards.

Easy enough to mould with steel tube in but would seriously add to the cost.

 

[Mark C]

You can get a derogation to use clipex under CSS on wet ground depending on how nice your officer is

 

[Timbersupplier]

Iv never used creosote posts as I was assuming creosote doesn’t contain all the banned ingredients and therefore isn’t the same creosote it used to be. Thus making it as useless as the green treatment. However I see creosote highly recommended on here. Has my assumption of it being over priced and just as useless been wrong. Are they definitely lasting longer

Creosote used in uk used by the treaters is still the old fashioned coal tar style which has been used for years, so long as correctly treated and dried first you will still get 30 years or more desired life from it. Telegraph poles use the same treatment and last ages.

 

[organicguy]

Creosote used in uk used by the treaters is still the old fashioned coal tar style which has been used for years, so long as correctly treated and dried first you will still get 30 years or more desired life from it. Telegraph poles use the same treatment and last ages.

Why is it that the creosote posts I used 10 years ago are now all rotting off?

 

[renewablejohn]

Why is it that the creosote posts I used 10 years ago are now all rotting off?

Probably the difference between pressure treated and dipped. I know a manufacturer of pressure treated posts was most annoyed about being undercut by the dipping brigade. He argued that the posts would not last but the market could not care less as they had a cheaper inferior product. Now there starting to realise what rubbish they had been sold but its to late the pressure treated guy sold up and his plant is now a housing estate.

 

[tepapa]

Why is it that the creosote posts I used 10 years ago are now all rotting off?

I'd want to know where they were treated. Were they imported or UK treated. There are posts locally sold as creosote which I suspect are not true creosote. They are 40p/ post cheaper than any one else and go white after a year.

 

[Bury the Trash]

Why is it that the creosote posts I used 10 years ago are now all rotting off?

The wood wasnt dry enough before they were treated , correct high enough pressure treatment to get the creosote in to the wood far enough wasnt done,they were possibly on dipped in a tank.

 

[Blue.]

Would you be interested in doing a trial as I am interested in feedback from professionals used to using a post knocker in tough conditions. My local guys have it fairly easy compared to other parts of the country.

I’d be interested in trying some,got some hard going here that would test them.

 

[organicguy]

Does anyone know how far creosote treatment should penetrate the post to be up to a BS?
I have some I recently purchased where the treatment is only in millimeters!

 

[tepapa]

Does anyone know how far creosote treatment should penetrate the post to be up to a BS?
I have some I recently purchased where the treatment is only in millimeters!

I think by definition it's 6mm. The type of timber and it's location from the tree (heart or sap wood) will also effect the penetration. A pic would good and a name of supplier.