The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Equipment => Topic started by: Collie26 on May 25, 2011, 05:27:20 pm
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Hi
Shortly im going to be redoing fencing around our smallholding and have got a tensioner for single strand wire but is there any tricks or tools for stock fencing??? :farmer:
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This is how we do it (if there are any 'elf and safety folk reading, I am describing not recommending ;))
We have two pieces of wood, 1" x 4" x 3ft. We've drilled them through in two places at each end. One hole at each end has a bolt and wing nut through. The other takes each end of a thick piece of rope, about 8-10ft long, with a loop tied in the middle.
We clamp the wood onto the end of the section of stock fencing, having stapled it to the far post. We then loop the rope around the quad bike tow ball and pull - then hammer away with the staples while it's under tension.
It may sound unorthodox but we've done many fences like this and they look good :)
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jaykay it is not unorthodox that is the way to tension stock fencing we use angle iron drilled and bolted tensioned with what is available even ratchet straps can be used there is a proper tensioner flat plate with big wing nuts you can also use a stob with the stock fence stapled on to it but you have to have it patterned / | \ like so happy fencing :farmer:
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.......and to attach the tensioned wire to the stock fencing buy one of those hand crimpers (and the circlips). Essential.
:farmer:
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Sorry can I just check what you mean - you attach the tensioned single strand to the tensioned stock fencing with circlips? (complete novice hoping to do some of my own fencing to save cash).
Simon
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the circlips are usually used to attach rabbit netting to tensioned line wires the stobs are used to attach the wires to every 6ft :farmer:
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Simon, we just nail, with staples, the stock fencing to wooden posts, previously hammered in about 8ft apart. Might put single strands underneath in places where the shape of the land has left a lamb-sized gap!
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id seen a version of it in NFU magazine bur couldnt find it on tinternet.
So its 1 inch thick
4 inches wide
3 foot long??
Presumably it goes down the the wire 3 ft down the wire and then tighten the bolts and pull??
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That's pretty much it - a piece either side, across the 'loose' end of the stock wire ie at right angles to the length of the stock fencing. Fasten the bolts tight, loop it round the bike tow bar and drive :)
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Brilliant thanks for the help!
What type wood did you use softwood?? Plywood ect
and then have chain/rope attatched to top and bottom of the pully and then onto im my case old battered jeep! ??
:farmer:
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and hope the strainer from the other end does not hit you on the back of the napper :o
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Things pinging loose and hitting one about the head - well that was why I was wary of the Safety 'Elf ;) First time we used the post knocker hubby was advised to wear his climbing helmet :D
We used softwood planks. You don't need to drive far, go very slowly, and have someone ready to yell 'STOP' :D Yes, rope attached to each end of the wood clamp, middle of rope to whatever you're pulling with. Could be a winch or rachet as well as a vehicle!
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Does no-one else use monkey strainers?
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???what are they
:farmer:
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a very good make of wire strainer :farmer:
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We have two bits of angle iron that we bolt together - but if I were you I'd use a chain to pull it rather than a rope cos chains dont hold elasticity and if something gives it drops to the floor whereas things attached to ropes tend to spring through the rear windscreen or smack you on the back if your on a quad :)
Saying that - half the time my posts are so out of line I just nail it to the posts infront then 'tension' it up by then nailing it to the posts that are set back - whoops.
Baz
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The zig-zag technique - deliberate of course ;) Hubby is in charge of posts so they're down to a mm. As for the stapling, which is my department, some posts have more that missed the wire than hit it :D
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Monkey strainers are for a single strand aren't they? You can actually buy a metal ready made implement as described above if you're daft enough but two bits of wood and a couple of bolts does it for me no problem.
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This is one variety of monkey strainer http://www.molevalleyfarmers.com/mvf/store/products/hayes-clamp-strainer/ (http://www.molevalleyfarmers.com/mvf/store/products/hayes-clamp-strainer/) and it provides an easy increase in tension by walking along a chain. Also makes repairs and joins easy.
Had a friend who tensioned barbed wire using a landrover. Fortunately he was inside when it snapped and whiplashed back all the way round the vehicle and digging in to the bodywork
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Hi
Shortly im going to be redoing fencing around our smallholding and have got a tensioner for single strand wire but is there any tricks or tools for stock fencing??? :farmer:
Concrete or wooden posts??
See if you can follow thins ..it is late i mucht have missed a step .
This is for wooden treated posts ... wear gloves , learn how to work in them , tanalized wood is carcenogenic and so is creosote .Even the best of us get splinted occasionaly
This method is done only using fencing pliers and another hammer , but if you are going to use a tensioner device such as a ratchet strap or chain make your anchor point quite a few feet past the last post .
.Brace all corners on both sides of the corner , make the corner post a bit thicker than the other posts , every six or seven post in a straight run brace the post either side using nothces as described later on and again make this main post a bit thicker than the rest. On the intermediate braced posts wrap the wire twice round the braced post again staple each turn at least once ... this gives you a length of wire to play with in the future such as putting in a gate or a repair to the fence without having to get silly and make it all look a mess .
Bracing the posts .. dig a narrow trench 2 foot long and 18 inches deep ..put a square cut end in the hole using a brick as a stop pad ( increased surface area ) and lean the brace back to the post cut the angle 1/2 inch longer then your marks . Notch the main post to take the brace ..refit both sides refill the holes .. use only one nail ( if needed ) tamp the brace post hole soil down . ( Or concrete them in if you feel fit enough to do it to all brace posts.)
Before starting off I'd advise you to make a simple dolly / reel/ drum for the coil of wire before you untie it. Done by using four equal lengths of lathe or board or thick sheet ply cut in to two disc , use four blocks as the spool axle or four short lenghts of pipe ... bolt it up so you can undo it for future coils of wire .
This helps stop you dropping the coil of wire and then having to pick it up with out any tangles in it it is also easy to unroll the coil if you bore out a centrral hole for a broomstick as an axle and walk out the wire with by two people . Do not be tempted to pull the wire off the coil unless it is unrolling off the spool for you will get twists galore and it all becomes rather hard work .
Two of you to walk out the wire off the drum for the length of the run .
Unwind off the reel when starting off , wrap the wire three times around the first braced post and staple it at least once in each trun .
Fold over the end to make a right angle tag , hammer this tag into the post to stop kiddies or stock poking their eyes out etc.
When making that last attachment to the final braced post do not fully hit home the staples on the posts from the last braced point , slip a staple part way in over the wire , hammer the staple in half way , use the tension pliers to jack the wire tight , knock the staple in , wrap the wire three times around the post , staple in as before , make the tag again , hammer in it in..go back and fully knock the staples in the other posts. ( This usually adds the right amount of tension on the last few spans . )
There are special fencing pliers that have an extractor , a cutter , plier grips become a hammer and have a curved head for tensioning when finishing thing off , they are not cheap but will last your life out.
Perhaps look on ebay once you know what they look like. look for fencing pliers or stock wire pliers .. I'll see if can find a picture somewhere...
[IMG]http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g24/Misterdavid/fencepliers.jpg [ IMG]
Here you are ... about a tenner off the ebay under the name of " fencing pliers " , or less for a car boot if your lucky.
Attaching other wire to the strainers .. use pig rings and pig ring pliers if possible but pig rings can be put on with standard pliers if you are careful.
Tension any chicken /stock wire by sliding a steel bar through it and use a braced post to gently pull it taught using ratchet tiedown straps attached to the bar at top and bottom