problems stretching fence

[Philip_L]

I recently installed some 47 tall red-Brand field fencing and am having trouble getting all the wires tight - the longest pull is 200? I clamped the fence between 2 pieces of angle iron, slung a chain over the top and bottom and pulled it with a 2ton come-along attached to a tractor - I pulled until it began to move the tractor. The top 3 wires are super tight and the bottom wire is tight, but the wires in the middle have tons of slack and they look bad. I tried re-clamping the fence and re-pulling, thinking the wires had slipped, but it did not help.
Any ideas on how I can take the slack out of the wires? I even tried pulling the wires individually with a come along and wire grab and it would not pull slack out the fence. I read on the net that I could weld 2 pieces of nested angle iron to the jaws of a pair of vice-grip pliers and put multiple bends in the wires to take up the slack, but it seems like all those crimps would look bad. I also found Jake's Wire Tighteners and it looks like they may work also.
I need some help!

 

[bbirder]

You might try making shorter pulls. After nailing up or fastening that section, move to the next pull. I've found that you can't pull long sections like barbed wire. They also sell a pulling tool at my local hardware, but probably won't work any better than your angle iron.

 

[chh]

I used a piece of steel sucker rod woven down thru the mesh to stretch with. Hooked a chain top and bottom to a come a long like you did. Sounds like the angle iron would work just as well though. What little I have put up I have never stretched all that tight. If I remember correctl, the instructions warned not to over stretch it or it would deform the shape of the squares.

 

[chh]

Red Brand wire has a web site with installation guides in pdf. Sorry I don't know how to post a link. I just googled Red Brand wire.

Good Luck

 

[DavidPerry]

Instead of 2 pieces of angle iron, I used 2 2x4s with bolts through them about every 6 inches. Tighten like crazy. I put angle iron at the back so the chain would pull evenly and not break the 2x4s. Tight like guitar strings.

 

[Soundguy]

They make commercial clamps that stretch woven fence.. I have use 2x4 bolted together every few inches.. the key is to attach it at more than 2 points when you pull. TSC sells them uif you want to look at one for an idea..

soundguy

 

[JESSE1]

One other thing to think about. Try to stretch the wire when the weather is warm or hot. If you stretch it when the wire is cold it's going to get slack when the weather warms up. Of course, this isn't always possible if you have to get a fence up when it's cold.

 

[yubby]

I recently installed some 47 tall red-Brand field fencing and am having trouble getting all the wires tight - the longest pull is 200? I clamped the fence between 2 pieces of angle iron, slung a chain over the top and bottom and pulled it with a 2ton come-along attached to a tractor - I pulled until it began to move the tractor. The top 3 wires are super tight and the bottom wire is tight, but the wires in the middle have tons of slack and they look bad. I tried re-clamping the fence and re-pulling, thinking the wires had slipped, but it did not help.
Any ideas on how I can take the slack out of the wires? I even tried pulling the wires individually with a come along and wire grab and it would not pull slack out the fence. I read on the net that I could weld 2 pieces of nested angle iron to the jaws of a pair of vice-grip pliers and put multiple bends in the wires to take up the slack, but it seems like all those crimps would look bad. I also found Jake's Wire Tighteners and it looks like they may work also.
I need some help!

Here is the (least labor intensive) method that I have used with field fences:

-Limit pulls to 100'
-Bend the end of the pull around a straigt t-post (make sure the bottom of the T toward the direction you are pulling
-after you have bent the fencing around the post wrap the top/bottom wires (larger) tight and leave the lighter wires just a tad loose
-Come-a-long until your tractor moves or your corner post pulls out.. (I used a 3 prong puller to attach to the t-post, a welded hook would work too)
-Attach to t-posts leaving the last t-post unattached (until your next pull)

YMMV, but could never bring myself to bolt 2x4s to the fence.

-y

 

[turnkey4099]

I recently installed some 47 tall red-Brand field fencing and am having trouble getting all the wires tight - the longest pull is 200? I clamped the fence between 2 pieces of angle iron, slung a chain over the top and bottom and pulled it with a 2ton come-along attached to a tractor - I pulled until it began to move the tractor. The top 3 wires are super tight and the bottom wire is tight, but the wires in the middle have tons of slack and they look bad. I tried re-clamping the fence and re-pulling, thinking the wires had slipped, but it did not help.
Any ideas on how I can take the slack out of the wires? I even tried pulling the wires individually with a come along and wire grab and it would not pull slack out the fence. I read on the net that I could weld 2 pieces of nested angle iron to the jaws of a pair of vice-grip pliers and put multiple bends in the wires to take up the slack, but it seems like all those crimps would look bad. I also found Jake's Wire Tighteners and it looks like they may work also.
I need some help!

That must have been one of my posts. I built that tool when I couldn't find a commercial one. It puts "v" crimps in the wire almost identical to the factory ones but a bit deeper. Looks OK but you do wind up with more than one crimp in each 'hole'. I'd post a picture but my digital just broke (permanently it seems) the other day and I haven't replaced it yet. Hoping to do that tomorrow and if so I'll try to get a shot.

The problem with stretching field fence is that any change in elevation really screws up the tensioning.

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

That must have been one of my posts. I built that tool when I couldn't find a commercial one. It puts "v" crimps in the wire almost identical to the factory ones but a bit deeper. Looks OK but you do wind up with more than one crimp in each 'hole'. I'd post a picture but my digital just broke (permanently it seems) the other day and I haven't replaced it yet. Hoping to do that tomorrow and if so I'll try to get a shot.

The problem with stretching field fence is that any change in elevation really screws up the tensioning.

Harry K

Well, I have the camera, I have the pictures already in the 'puter. Spent 2 hours this afternoon trying to send them to Photobucket. Nothing seems to be working. Can't tell if it is photobucket or my internet supplier.

I have sent them again and waiting to see if they go this time.

Harry K