Steel T-Posts

[Blue2Orange]

Saw a dog kennel that just used T-posts. All the corner and "gate" posts used other T-posts as braces. Wondered how they connected the posts. Guess was drill and bolt. The wedgelocs look to make life easier.

 

[tlefire]

They make fittings to do that.

 

[Lencho]

Still working on our small, raised garden. The soil is in, mulch is down and T-posts driven. Here is my question, has anyone tried to drill holes in those things. I have drilled in hot roll steel and it is tough, but these things are at a whole new level. I wanted to put in a small metal gate that is made from those decorative hook together fences. I made a hinge out of an old door hinge that turned out good. Come time to mount them and WOW! these poles are really hard to drill. I went through eight good drill bits that aren't so good now. I've used T-posts before but this is the first time drilling in one. View attachment 154622 View attachment 154623

Weld the hinges to the posts.

 

[Hoserman]

Weld the hinges to the posts.

I could if I had a welder. I don't have much call for one otherwise There would be one sitting in the garage right now.

 

[Hoserman]

I started putting the 4' rabbit fencing around the garden. What I found was trying to put some tension on the fence, it pulled the T-post inward so the fence had looseness. Scratching head,I weighed all my options to get the fence tight. OK, being an electrician I immediately thought about EMT conduit. In my opinion that stuff is the metal counterpart to duct tape. I used 1/2" EMT as a top rail to put tension against the T-posts keeping the fence stretched out. Works great. I still have two sides to do till the garden is finished. But you can see what I did and how it works.

 

[Russell King]

You can add caps to the top of the posts for some safety from scrapes and cuts. There are cheap vinyl ones that will last a year or so or heavy plastic ones that last much longer (shown below)

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/stake-safe-universal-safety-post-cap-1007g-green-1304915?cid=Shopping-Bing-Product1304915-&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shopping%20-%20All%20Products&utm_term=4585375807245420&utm_content=All%20Products

 

[Lencho]

I could if I had a welder. I don't have much call for one otherwise There would be one sitting in the garage right now.

Well, you do have a tractor. A welder is part of the tools to support it.
I made a simple lightweight gate and welded nuts to the T-posts. It keeps our dogs out of the garden.

 

[Doug DH]

I have never drilled thru T posts, so take this with a grain of salt:

For a gate, I personally would consider a chain link gate and posts, or wooden 4x4 gate posts and a wooden gate. Standard T bar is great for long runs but not very stable being used as a gate. There isn't enuf surface stiction in the ground or heft in a T bar for 90 or 180 swing with a gate. But, I could be wrong.

Try to push over a t bar that has been in the ground for awhile. You will bend it. Then try the same with a chain link post or 4x4 wooden post. Just sayin'.

I’m new to the site but maybe you could 3d print some kind of bracket to use instead of drilling your posts.
Ps. Your garden looks very nice.