Corner Post - best practice

[zubin6220]

Here's my problem:

In making corner posts for barbed wire fence I am using 4x9 steel posts spaced 8 foot. I need to set a diagonal 2" post for support between the two. It's always a 'hit and miss' on getting the right cope and angle between the two sizes and have wasted way too much pipe. How would the pros do this job? I've tried just using the good 'ol H configuration but it doesn't always hold up to tensioning. Certainly there has to be some sort of template one could use to get the copes right. If so any source ideas?
Your help is greatly appreciated.

[fun4now]

welcome to the site. lots of great people here with lots to share.
the easyest methode would be lay the pipe in place and scribe it.
math would be another way, a string and one of those ajustable angel guides would be another..
perfect is not needed but close like within a few degrees, shold be good enough for the weld to cover.
sorry i cant give you a pro priceing but i would suspect matereals +30% and time at your going rate.
are you using stick or MIG to atach them ??

[shade tree welder]

The easiest and fastest and cheapest(wasting pipe) way i do is save the cartoons from your sodawater or other beverage packs, cut it out to a square and roll it up to the size of pipe you are working with, tape or staple together and start cutting til you get your fit then transfer to pipe. works great for me ,and do not waste material .

[garybdavis]

Each person has their own bracing method. Here's what mine has evolved to.

I use two vertical posts 7'6" apart and a short post another 6' out. I install a horizontal rail between the two full height posts so that the top of the horizontal is 46" off the ground. This insures the brace won't be in the way of tying 4"x48" netting wire.

The short post is installed 6' out at 1' off the ground and a diagonal brace is welding on top of it with the other end butt welded to the full height post at 46" off the ground. This way, it matches up with the horizontal bracing. At a 6' spacing, a 7'6" diagonal pipe hanges off the short postby 6" to 12".

All the cuts are 90 degree saddle cuts with the exception of one end of the diagonal brace and the top of the short post. If you do the math, you will find that both these two non-90 degree saddle cuts are at the same angle. It's something like 26 degrees. The triangle it makes is is 6' by 3'.

I use a ShurKut jig for the 90 degree saddle cuts and a home-made jig for the 26 degree cuts. This jig is home made and consists of two items. The first is the jig itself. I cut in on a mill using a 2 3/8" hole saw set at 26 degrees. It slides over the 2 3/8" pipe and I guide my torch around it and clean it up with an angle grinder. The second part is a "test fit jig". It's basically a piece of flat stock cut to 26 degrees and welded to a 6" piece of 2 3/8" pipe. I can lay this jig against my angled cut and check the fit, clean it up with the grinder, check the fit again, etc.

This allows me to make accurate angle saddle cuts fairly quickly. If the ground isn't level, I've found I can vary up to about 15 degrees and still make a decent fit.

[zubin6220]

Some great information here, thanks.
On the saddle cuts you mention the ShurKut jig but I can't find any information on this. Do you know who makes it?
Thanks

[Tex]

There's a little black book called the Pipe Welder's Handbook you can get for about 20 bucks or less and it has allkinds of cool formulas that are easy to understand. It's about the size of a 4x6 card. I'm sure you could find it on amazon or half.com. Otherwise, try making a template out of manilla folders. I've got a little farm in Texas and I feel your pain....literally.

[JonnyTIG]

There is free sofeware called 'tube miter' you can download off the net, it works in metric, but is easily converted to inches. The software will give you the templates (printed) for joints of any configuration up to 3.5 inches. I use it all the time, and it is worth looking into.

[zubin6220]

I stumbled on a really good program in another forum for coping pipe which may be the one you were referring to. In any case the first link is for online viewing and the second link is the executable program for download.
Check it out...

http://www.metalgeek.com/static/cope.pcgi
http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/winmiter.html

[garybdavis]

Here is the link to the Shur-Kut jig. You can find them at good welding supply stores.

http://shurkut.net/