Fencing pliers - use of ?

[Colin Wilson]

Probably a dumb question - i`ve got some on order following some little barstewards stealing some (quite large) items from our garden - the intention is to use galvanised wire to try to tie the panels together to prevent them being lifted as easily - "binding" them by running the wire across many panels and tacking in place, so one can`t be lifted because its "tied" to both adjacent panels.

I`ve got a stack of wire staples, i`m awaiting the wire from screwfix, but i`m not sure how you`re supposed to get the wire taught :-}

I`d prefer to be able to wire the "outside" of the fence, but this might be a little too easy for them to defeat, so I potentially also run the risk of not being able to tighten it too much in case they pull off the internal corners :-}

Ideas welcome :-}

PS: i`ve already replaced the trellis they snapped off to get over initially, and added a little barbed wire :-p

Sadly the little bleeders didn`t manage to cut themselves in the process, otherwise the police were quite keen to get DNA samples !

[keith_765]

CUT

To get wire taught. Roll out the length of required, fix one end to something solid, rap the other end round a piece of timber so it wont pull off, walk back until wire is tight then pull hard, don't snatch . You should feel the wire give. this should straighten the wire. When pressure is released keep straight. Just keep tight as you staple on.

[zaax]

In article , Colin Wilson writes

Put large quantities of grease on top of the fence. After wreaking their chav cloths they may think twice.

[Chris Bacon]

You just teach it. It may be some time before it can do anything useful, though.

Fix one end, pay out the wire, staple it to a long batten of 2x2, dig one end into the ground, lever. If the run is supposed to be above the line you end up with, put something under the wire near the lever to raise it up.

Get a video camera and set it up somewhere suitable.

[Rob Morley]

That's "taut". :-) I'd have thought you don't want much tension in the wire, as it won't be running straight but kinking around each fence post. Might be easier to use a screw eye at each side of each panel, and a short length of wire to join them, or just use bits of galvanized perforated strip with a couple of screws in each end.

[usenet]

This won't work on the 'standard' galvanised wire used as the tensioner for chain link fences, there's no way you'll stretch it by pulling on it 'by hand'.

To tension 14 guage or 12 guage steel wire you need a proper tensioner of soem sort - and very sturdy posts or otehr fixings at the ends.

[Colin Wilson]

Touche - I noticed my typo after I hit "send" :-}

Thanks for the tips everyone - i`ve got an alternative method to try as well that someone suggested - wiring the panels around a post by drilling a couple of small holes in the panels themselves - might not use this as the "sole" method though...

Its the length of the garden I can see being a problem though - its about

60 foot long, and I don`t think there`s anywhere really suitable to mount a camera. I`m looking into the idea though - perhaps an outdoor camera partially hidden by the satellite dish to make it less obvious...

[jacob]

Taut? You need a fencers "turfer" - a chain ratchet tightening device as used by fence contractors. You will also need to brace the end posts or the wire will slacken as it pulls the posts inwards

[Andy Dingley]

Of course it will - they're fencing pliers, they have a curved head so you can use it as a fulcrum and use the leverage of the long handles to get enough force to strain the wire.

A "straight pull" won't do it, admittedly.

[Anna Kettle]

Has anyone ever come across a small sized version of one of these or alternatively do you have any other suggestions for putting thin stainless wire under tension?

Typically the wire is wrapped round stainless rod at one end and then fixed by wrapping round and then tightening a screw and washer at the other end. Tensioning is never very satisfactory IME cos the wire is somewhat stiff

Anna

~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England |""""| ~ Lime plaster repairs / ^^ \ // Freehand modelling in lime: overmantels, pargeting etc |____|

01359 230642

[Colin Wilson]

Hmm well the wire arrived from screwfix today, and i`m not sure its really thick / strong enough to be more than a token gesture - the scrotes could probably very easily slip something like a screwdriver through any "looped" fixing and give it a twist, and i`m sure the wire will snap.

For now, i`ve drilled a small hole in the concrete base panels at either end, and another above the bottom rail of the fence immediately above, and fed wire through the concrete, around the bottom rail, and done a bit of a pull and twist to take up slack cable and tighten / tie the panels to the concrete. While there isn`t a lot of visible / accessible wire, they could still wrangle it quite easily I think.

[usenet]

Yes, I have lots of tensioners for stranded stainless wire, it's typically used for electric fencing along with tapes etc. to make a fence dog/rabbit proof as well as cow/horse proof. Most electric fence suppliers will have these tensioners. They're typically a rather crude ratchet mechanism.

See, for example, at

look under Electric Fencing accessories.

Or:-

[Anna Kettle]

mine is just one 1mm? strand

they work. I imagined trying to use something massive and unwieldy in a tight space but at that price they can't be very big. How big are they?

Anna

~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England |""""| ~ Lime plaster repairs / ^^ \ // Freehand modelling in lime: overmantels, pargeting etc |____|

01359 230642