Early December 2014

[Soapweed]

Coyote hunters

Big bad truck seen in town

You been farming long?

Story time

Building windbreaks

Two hard working fellers

Moon over the rancho grande

A darker version

The shadows are long late in the day.

Windmill silhouette

Shadow of a feed outfit

Late afternoon baleyard

Late in the day

Spinners and lights

Moseying around cleaning up cake

The one that brung me to the dance.

Charlie

He and I are often at cardiac rehab at the same time.

Laurie cracks the whip and keeps us on the move.

 

[Farmerkuk]

windbreaks look nice!!

Where is the the iron coming from?

 

[gcreekrch]

Thanks Soapweed, for your tenacity in keeping us supplied with photos of another land.

I may have to tackle photobucket again and pay you back.

 

[Soapweed]

windbreaks look nice!!

Where is the the iron coming from?

The only place in western Nebraska and southwest South Dakota where I could find any windbreak steel, was, believe it or not, in Harrison, Nebraska. It is a little bitty town in the far northwestern part of the state, but Herren Brothers Hardware has a big inventory of just about anything a ranch would need. I was able to buy 40 sections of 20' steel (40 inches wide) and 40 6"x12' posts. The Kosmo Kid and his accomplice got that all put in, so I went back to Harrison last week for more windbreak supplies.

Thanks Soapweed, for your tenacity in keeping us supplied with photos of another land.

I may have to tackle photobucket again and pay you back.

That would be great, Gcreek. Photobucket isn't that hard to figure out, or I'd never be able to put up pictures. I always like to see pictures that other people post. It's like taking a ranch tour without spending much on gas.

 

[eatbeef]

How far apart do you space your posts for the windbreak panels?

 

[Kosmo1]

The windbreak sheets measure 20' 2" L by 3' 7.5" W hung. We start by setting our first post and our last post in our line making sure that they are level and the correct heighth. Then we work in sections hanging only the bottom sheet of tin the first time around. If your posts are the same height and level you can measure 3' 9.5" from the top of the post and make a mark signifying where you want your bottom sheet to begin. This accounts for 3' 7.5" of tin with a 2" gap between sheets. After phase one we have our posts 20' 2" (center to center) apart with bottom sheet hung and a hole dug (no post yet) at 10' 1" directly in the middle.

After phase one we set our middle support posts making sure they are the same heighth and level with our subsequent posts. Then using bent yellow rake teeth hooked in a chain and the loader bucket, we hang our top sheets of tin. Once the tin is against your posts; you measure the space between top and bottom (if any depending on personal preference), lag the top corners first and bottom corners last. 3" by 3/8 lags work the best as 2.5" seemed too short and 3.5" split the posts.

It is a fairly simple procedure but extremely tedious at the same time. Dad and I had differing views with his second trip to Harrison. He looked at it as a tax deduction and new, nice-looking windbreak! I look at it as a lot of cold work a month before calving season...

 

[leanin' H]

The windbreak sheets measure 20' 2" L by 3' 7.5" W hung. We start by setting our first post and our last post in our line making sure that they are level and the correct heighth. Then we work in sections hanging only the bottom sheet of tin the first time around. If your posts are the same height and level you can measure 3' 9.5" from the top of the post and make a mark signifying where you want your bottom sheet to begin. This accounts for 3' 7.5" of tin with a 2" gap between sheets. After phase one we have our posts 20' 2" (center to center) apart with bottom sheet hung and a hole dug (no post yet) at 10' 1" directly in the middle.

After phase one we set our middle support posts making sure they are the same heighth and level with our subsequent posts. Then using bent yellow rake teeth hooked in a chain and the loader bucket, we hang our top sheets of tin. Once the tin is against your posts; you measure the space between top and bottom (if any depending on personal preference), lag the top corners first and bottom corners last. 3" by 3/8 lags work the best as 2.5" seemed too short and 3.5" split the posts.

It is a fairly simple procedure but extremely tedious at the same time. Dad and I had differing views with his second trip to Harrison. He looked at it as a tax deduction and new, nice-looking windbreak! I look at it as a lot of cold work a month before calving season...

My Dad used to "let" me haul manure from the corral to the garden with a pitchfork and wheel barrow. Said it built more character than doing it with a loader tractor. I feel your pain. :wink: [/b]

Cows and wind fence looks great.

 

[DejaVu]

Nice pictures, Soap. Those grandbabies are top notch. Nothing compares to them! No comment on the first picture. Coyote hunters aren't a friend of mine. They have caused more property damage around here than the varmint they hunt. Hope they have better manners in your area.

 

[Faster horses]

It is a fairly simple procedure but extremely tedious at the same time. Dad and I had differing views with his second trip to Harrison. He looked at it as a tax deduction and new, nice-looking windbreak! I look at it as a lot of cold work a month before calving season...

Somebody has to do it..... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :wink:

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

It is a fairly simple procedure but extremely tedious at the same time. Dad and I had differing views with his second trip to Harrison. He looked at it as a tax deduction and new, nice-looking windbreak! I look at it as a lot of cold work a month before calving season...

Somebody has to do it..... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :wink:

Cold work :???:

You didn't even have ear flaps down, insulated Carharts or Felt pack boots. :roll:

Looked like summer time down there. :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Oh yea where are your mitts? :lol:

 

[[email protected]]

Hi Soap and Kosmo A few questions on the steel windbreak panels What gauge are they and can they stand up to cattle rubbing on them. How much do they cost and does anyone know where you can get them in ND or Mt.We live NW of Minot ND just inside Can. Thanks .

 

[Hereford76]

Are those what they call super Steele panels? Can you buy the same thing grain bins are made of only in panels?

 

[Soapweed]

Hi Soap and Kosmo A few questions on the steel windbreak panels What gauge are they and can they stand up to cattle rubbing on them. How much do they cost and does anyone know where you can get them in ND or Mt.We live NW of Minot ND just inside Can. Thanks .

These panels are fairly durable, but I don't know the gauge. They are 20' long and 44" wide. Each steel panel cost $130, and the 12' x 6" posts were $41 each. It works good to set a line post on the outside edge of a windbreak, next to the big post to keep cattle from rubbing on the edge. Otherwise, they seem to last pretty well. I have no idea if there are any dealers in your area. It was hard enough finding anyone around here that had any for sale. Herron Brothers Hardware in Harrison, Nebraska is where we got these.

 

[leanin' H]

Back when I used to work construction on industrial and commercial projects, they used a lot of B-Decking. Looks really similar to those panels but a tough thicker. They pour concrete over B-deck on the floors of office buildings or schools. Should last a while but I am not sure what it would cost. Just thought that may be another option

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

Hi Soap and Kosmo A few questions on the steel windbreak panels What gauge are they and can they stand up to cattle rubbing on them. How much do they cost and does anyone know where you can get them in ND or Mt.We live NW of Minot ND just inside Can. Thanks .

These panels are fairly durable, but I don't know the gauge. They are 20' long and 44" wide. Each steel panel cost $130, and the 12' x 6" posts were $41 each. It works good to set a line post on the outside edge of a windbreak, next to the big post to keep cattle from rubbing on the edge. Otherwise, they seem to last pretty well. I have no idea if there are any dealers in your area. It was hard enough finding anyone around here that had any for sale. Herron Brothers Hardware in Harrison, Nebraska is where we got these.

Maybe Archer feeds outside of Plentywood might have some. If I could find a Greeter i could get you the number.

 

[Big Swede]

We built some like that years ago and the cattle were pretty hard on them from rubbing. We took old irrigation pipe and attached that to the "valley" of the steel as a bumper to help reinforce the windbreak. Since that time the shelter belt has grown up enough so we took the windbreak down. Tree groves have much less maintainance.