Building a Floating Brace Assembly
Step by Step Building a Floating Brace
By: Jim Gerrish
American Grazinglands Services LLC
May, ID
The Floating Brace Assembly has several advantages over the traditional "H" brace.
- Only one post to set in the ground
- Equal or greater bearing strength
- Greater side-to-side stability
- No insulators required for second post
- Less time required to build
Begin by either setting or driving a corner post. For 2 to 4 wire fences, use a 5-6' corner post. For 5 or more wires, use a 6-8' post.
Attach the first wire to the end post so the brace can be properly aligned.
The brace should attach to the corner at about 2/3rds the height of the fence. Setting the brace too high is the most common mistake made when building this corner!
Cut a notch approximately one inch deep in the face of the corner post. It should be just tall enough to accommodate the end of the brace.
Cut the upper end of the brace on a taper to fit squarely in the notch.
A seven foot brace will provide enough support for up to five strands of hi-tensile wire. Add six inches to the brace for each additional wire.
Cut a notch just the thickness of the bar on each side of the base of the brace. The cut should be parallel to the ground surface. This is to accommodate the brace wire.
Place the end of the brace on a support base. Bridge planks, flat rocks, concrete blocks, or disc blades all make good bases. This spreads the strain over more soil
The brace wire is run from the base of the corner post around the end of the brace pole. Staple it at the base of the corner post about 2-3" above ground level.
The brace wire can split a pine brace post. A piece of insultube works nicely to protect the post. Cut a notch on each side of the brace to accommodate the wire and insultube. Staple it in place.
You can also use the slice cut out of the notch on the corner post as a shield to protect the end of the brace post.
Install an in-line strainer in the brace wire. Ratchet type strainers work much better in this application than do wheel types. Use two crimping sleeves for this installation.
Tighten the brace wire just about as tight as you can get it. When the corner post starts pushing backwards, that is tight enough!
Secure the brace to the corner post with a jack fence spike or 3/8" x 5" lag bolt.
This finished brace assembly can support a 5-strand barb wire or up to 5 hi-tensile wires tightened to 250 psi each.
Tie off wires as on any other corner assembly. And, use a piece of insultube or insulator to keep the fence wire from touching the brace.
