Kim Nielson, a Rocky Mountain House, Alta., farmer, needed portable electric fence post holders so he could move cattle around easily when grazing on swaths.

For a sturdy base, Nielson cut 7-ft. used grader blades into 16-in. long pieces and welded two of them together to form a "T". Next, he welded a 6-in. piece of 3/4-in. pipe near the intersection of the grader blade welds. A fiberglass electric fence post drops into the pipe.

The post holders are heavy enough to allow about an 80-ft. span between posts. Each finished base weighs between 10 and 12 lbs., depending on how worn the blades are.

Nielson first tried welding the blades in an "X" pattern but found it was too time consuming to make.

Although the bases are very sturdy and stable, they're easily moved in winter (even when frozen down) by loosening with a hammer and carrying them to the next location, according to the rancher.