Page (woven) wire fencing: how to tighten

[frazzlehead]

Hey all,

I am working on putting up page wire fencing and no matter what I do, I cannot seem to get it tight!

I use a wire stretcher ratchet sort of thing to tighten the wire: I start on the bottom wire, pull it tight, then do it again at the top (the posts usually lean a bit when I do this so that's why I start at the bottom).

Am I doing something wrong, or is there a limit to how tight you can get this stuff? I do plan to put a row of barbed wire along the bottom to keep critters from digging under (this is sheep fencing).

Posts are metal tposts, with wood at corners. I added a wood post partway donw the line as well, to see if it would help and it did, some, but not as much as I'd hoped.

Am I missing a trick?

Thanks!

[oldmanriver]

Try stretching the top and bottom at the same time. Go to one end take a 2 by 4 just a little longer than the wire is high, Wrap the end of the wire complety around the 2 by 4. Use a chain on the 2 by 4 that you can hook on both ends /\ looks like this the wide part is the 2 by and the tip of the v is where the come along or what ever you are using to stretch with. If the span is very long I use a tractor to stretch with..Also you need a wood post for ever 4 or 5 metal post. Woven wire has little waves on the wire between the spacing these are stretch indicators You want them to start to straighen out then the wire is tight enough.. You need some rreally strong corner post as this wire is really heavy,, Hope this helps not very good at expaining things,,

[GoatsRus]

Like oldmanriver said, the best way to stretch it is to make sure both top and botton are pulled at the same time. I like his 2x4 idea. We used a piece of grounding rod and "wove" it through the holes in the fencing at the very end of the panel. We then hooked a chain to the top and bottom of the rod and pulled it with the tractor. The tractor held it in place while we stapled it to the wood posts. The only thing is you'll lose a few inches of wire each time you run the grounding rod through it and pull as it pulls that end out of shape. Oldmanriver, how do you keep the 2x4 in place at the end of the fence? do you use the staples to nail it?

[nanu]

The way I do it is about every 50 or 60 feet I put a 4x4 in concrete or use a tree if one is in the right place, in between I'll put a t post about every fifteen or twenty feet stretch the wire from 4x4 or tree to another 4x4 or tree. I use two 4 foot 2x4 on either side of the wire screwed or bolted together to keep from destroying the wire fasten it to the 4x4 or tree then attach it to your t posts.

[Jen H]

I've been using a piece of conduit to weave into the wire before pulling it with the tractor, truck, car... whatever vehicle happens to be around at the time. I like the 2x idea!

[Ross]

Your corners are built as brace panels? Two wood posts with a brace log in a "N" configuration, tied together in the opposite direction with a twisted wire stay? You could add a horizontal log on top of that bracing "N" I've done these with metal T posts between over 20 rods of flat level ground and it works fine, although some wood posts every 2-4 T's would be better. Stretching with all the wires twisted around a log and yanked tight by a tractor works best for me.

[Beeman]

Your corners are collapsing. Corners should be at least 3 wood posts with cross posts to form an H. Then that has to be diagonal wired and the wire tensioned by twisting to exert pressure to oppose the pull of your fence wire.

You shouldn't pull wire with a truck or a tractor. You can hook a fence puller to a truck or a tractor to use as a stationary object.

[Southernman]

I used two 2x4's just a little longer than the wire was tall and drilled one hole in each end then bolted the boards together with the wire in between, hook your fence stretcher to the board and pull it as tight as you like. Mine didn't distort the wire at all. important the boards are a little longer than the wire so you can bolt against the big wires at the top and bottom.

[Farmer Willy]

I also use the tractor as just a stable point to attach my stretcher. I use 1 1/2" angle iron with carriage bolts and big wing nuts on the end of the fence. Remember you want that length of fence tight---but not stapled tight to your posts. The posts are meant to hold it up, the ends meant to hold it streched. This lets the fence expand and contract with the weather and still have some spring if an animal tries to run it.