stretching farm fence

[wroughtn_harv]

This subject comes up often. I do a lot of it.

These observations are my own and this is only the way I do it. I have my reasons for just about every part of the process. Some of those reasons might or might not be important to anyone else.

From a professional's point of view I like the better quality fabrics. It's better to work with and when done properly it looks and works better, especially over time.

The problem I have with the fixed knot fabrics is they've got built in stretch kinks. What this means over time is it's going to deform. Fabrics like non climb and V Mesh don't come with built in stretch kinks. But they are harder'n heck to get to roll up and down grades. Their upside is if you've got some of the horizontals tighter'n Dick's hat band as they say around here, it's tight today. And it'll be tight tomorrow.

I've made some tools for making this easier on me. The old two boards, some bolts, and a chain work. But I'm lazy. I hate losing and or buggering the bolts and nuts.

This is my friction stretcher. It's easy to make. And not hard at all to use once you get the right attitude.

The right attitude is, "if it was easy the women and kids would be doing it." We know it's going to be hard so we just buck up and do it.

If you look at the picture you will see the middle rod slides back and forth in a slot that's cut in the top and bottom plates.

Think about a belt buckle kinda sorta.

The fabric is fed in between the two verticals until it reaches approximately the end of the slots in the top and bottom plates.

The floater is pulled forward. Then comes the hard part. That's folding the fabric over the floater and pushing it down until it's flat with over the floater.

The floater is pulled back far enough where the end of the folded fabric can fit back through the verticals. Pulling on the frame will force the floater against the verticals locking in the fabric.

There is one downside of this friction stretcher. It's designed for pulling past the termination post. Then the horizontal wires are cut one at a time, staggered of course, and terminated around the post.

I will usually cut the fabric where when stretched it's foot and a half to two feet past the terminating post.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

pulled tight and working right /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Terminating.

I use and old pair of ten inch Kleins. But if you visit a local fence supplier they might have some ten inch professional fence pliers.

There is a difference between what the pros use and what everyone else has to get by with.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

For dispensing the wire I use an idea I stole from one of our TBN'rs that's much smarter than me.

I use a skid steer and I have some forks for it.

The dispensed consists of three parts. A horizontal frame that fits on the forks. It has a piece of two and a half inch (2 7/8) welded in the end. I use this for either side of the framework because the female pipe in the framwork is far enough off to one side where I can drive along the fence line. I'll be on one side and the fabric will be on the other.

The next part consists of two inch (2 3/8) pipe welded to a piece of quater inch plate. I used twelve inch by twenty four inch plate. If I was to do it again I'd use a twenty four inch diameter piece of quater inch plate.

The reason is I have to be alert to slack in the fabric getting off the plate and getting damaged, not good, extra splice, lots and lots of bad words. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

If you look a the top of the pipe you'll notice I have a loop sticking up.

The pipe and plate is placed inside of a roll of wire and the roll is stood vertical. Then the tractor is used to lower the pipe in the forks attachment over the pipe sticking out of the wire.

The third part is whatever's handy. On this job I used a large screwdriver. I prefer a piece of half inch round rod. But anything that will fit through the loop will work.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I forgot to mention stripping the verticals so the horizontals can be terminated. I like to use these nippers. You can cut either side. And with non climb or other fabrics where there's a tricky and tighter'n anything should be tie you can cut when nothing else will. Just make sure you're wearing eye protection.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

This is the part that separates the men from the boys.

In this picture the wire has been stretched tight. But since there is a roll in the grade some of the horizontals aren't tight. Now with fixed knot you wouldn't see this because the kinks would have stretched out hopefully and the tight ones. But you'd have to walk the fence and make sure. Otherwise over time the ones you missed will slack up and the fence will too.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

This is a pair of fence pliers that I've modified to take care of the slack.

I welded two short pieces of quarter inch round rod on the bottom jaw. The spacing generous for the corresponding rounding off of the upper jaw.

What I've after is the ability to put in the same kind of kink the fixed knot fabric has. And basically for the same reason, to pull slack.

I'm sorry for the poor picture.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

removing slack

A couple of notes. First, the slack is over some distance. It can't be pulled out of just one crimp. Next, it's not just one horizontal that's got the slack.

So there's a lot of crimping to do sometimes. It's another of those things like doing homework with the kiddos to make sure they do it. No way of getting around just doing it. Sorry, used the last magic bullet on a dragon. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Same view, but deslacked.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I like to stretch no more than four hundred foot pulls. But then for me it's not just a fence. It's my reputation.

Keep in mind the pliers will hurt you and then giggle when you cry.

Never ever ever pull with fence pliers. You always roll. If you're pulling and something slips they become deadly missles and you're the bombing range. My dad, fence man of fencemen, lost a couple of front teeth doing what he told me not ever to do.

I learned my lesson early. Twice in three or four posts I pulled instead of twisted tightenting some ties. Both times ten inch Cresent fence pliers landed square on the bridge of my nose. First time I saw bells and heard stars. Second time I lost all sense of pride and cried, big tears, loud boohoos too.

The will also pinch. In fact from someone who knows take it that they can do more damage with an accidental pinch than a framing hammer with a serated head can do on purpose.

Eye protection is important. Fence wire isn't the highest grade of steel. So occasionaly you'll hit a piece of hard stuff that might have been a backhoe tooth in a past life. When it cuts it's a bullet looking for a soft place to land.

The cut ends of the wire can be like petting a porcupine. In fact at the end of the first day you might remember that and think to yourself that you'd given said porcupine a full body massage with your body.

Never ever step across and or in front of the taught come a long. If at that moment something lets go your next job might be in a choir. If you're lucky it will be with one here on earth.

There are inherent dangers associated with doing fencing. And there isn't an audience to impress unless you screw up. That never happens when no one's around.

Good luck.

Welcome to my world.