Fencing seems to be a task carried out intermittently which
means that it can be a challenge to remember all the bits and pieces to take
with us to the pale where we are installing strainer posts and stays. We appreciate
that different people have different equipment to do tasks of this nature. What
follows is what we take with us together with the logic where possibly not
obvious.
Vehicles
If it’s a full blown effort and not in the fire season we
normally take the ute and the car, both with trailers. In the fire season we
still use 2 trailers but transport them onto the site in sequence using the
ute. We don’t take the car during fire season as the catalytic converter for
ULP vehicles gets extremely hot and can cause fire. Our ute has a diesel
engine.
Trailer 1 - Contents include:
·
Brickies wheelbarrow – for transporting the mixed concrete to the posts and stays
Trailer 2 – Contents include:
· Portable generator and starter cord
Concrete mixer. We find that an ideal quantity when making
the concrete is 18 shovels of sand and gravel and 3 shovels of cement. This
suits both the mixer bowl and the wheelbarrow.
Ratchet straps and a rope for anchoring the concrete mixer
and generator on the trailer
Ute – Equipment taken on the back of the tray
Extension cord – from the mixer to the generator
Old towel – for hand wiping and cleaning up the top of the
strainer post after making the concrete cap at the top
Spirit level – for ensuring that the strainer post is in
fact vertical and not on an angle
Crow bar – for digging the holes and in some cases as a lever
to get old fencing out of the way.
A few star posts – for keeping old fencing out of the way,
levering the bottom of the strainer if not centred properly and for temporary
stays while the concrete sets
Hammer – for hitting in the star posts
Bags of General Purpose cement. The mix ratio is one shovel
of cement to six shovels of sand and gravel
(pocket) Knife – for cutting open the bags of cement. Norma
practice is to lay the bag down and cut on one side across the centre. This
then allows for the centre to be pulled up exposing 2 halves – from which to progressively
shovel out the contents.
Half a dozen bricks or so – for placing under the ends of
the stays to get them the right level from the ground. Also for chocks for the
trailers and mixer if the ground’s not level.
Full 20 litre plastic water containers. About 6 or so. For
adding to the cement, sand and gravel in the mixer; cleaning the mixer, shovel
and electric fencing posts; and for other general washing.
Shovel – for filling the concrete mixer, sticking into the
wet concrete around the post and stays to ensure gaps are filled, and for smoothing
the surface of the wet concrete.
A round 42 litre flexible multi-tub aka horse feed bucket.
Good for left over cement until next time.
Fuel – for the generator
Leather gloves – for when digging and also good for the starter
cord pulling hand with the generator
Ratchet straps – for tightening the stays against the
strainer until the concrete sets. See photo.
8 inch soil auger – for the strainer post hole and end of
the stays.
Mattock – helps in making the trench for the stays.
Drinking water and other sustenance
