The Utility Fence

New Zealand Tablet, 17 April 1924, Page 45

The Utility Fence

(Contributed.) RUNNING-OUT THE BARBED WIRE. The fourth, fifth, and sixth are strained in the same nay as the second and third. The seventh, having been used as a guide-wire, may require re-straining, the consequence of the anchor stay having embedded slightly as a result of increased pressure. We now come to the barbed wire, which is the last to be put up because it is advisable to avoid the risk of tearing one’s self or one’s clothes as much as possible,; for no matter how much care is exercised the barbs frequently “get” you in the long run. To run out the barbed coils the “jinny” is impracticable. If the ground is clear of obstructions the barbed wire may be easily run out, by one man, as follows; —Get two pieces of Sin x Tin about Bft long, on which nail crosspieces, near each end, allowing room to insert the coil between the Sin x lin pieces, at one end, as well as a little free play to permit of a collar washer being put between the coil and the side bars to prevent the coil from sticking against the bars when turning. Bore the side bars at one end with a largo enough hole to receive a l£in or l£in round stick to act as an axle. Bore this improvised axle with gimlet, at proper place, to take two nails or short pieces of wire to act as linch pins. Slip in the coil between the side bars; slip in the axle between both bars and coil; stick in collars if you have them, if not a couple of staples or. improvised linch pins will do just as well; catch hold of the other end of the cross-bar and away you go and the coil follows you paying out the wire as you go, (It is presumed the end of the wire was secured before starting out.) To secure at the anchor (end of the fence), a piece of plain wire is looped to the anchor eye, the other end of this wire is run through the hole in the distributingpost where both plain and barbed wire are knotted together. Having started at the. anchor D and run out the wire to the straining-post at A, we omit putting in any staples this time, before straining, as the barbs would not run through them. STRAINING-UP BARBED WIRE. Now put on the straining machine at the angle post P>, securing it by false wire to the post and pull up the slack from the anchor end, D. Leave the strainer on the "ire, go along the line to the anchor (D) and, returning towards the angle post staple up the wire at intervals (where necessary), just enough to make sure that it will not be too tight to he brought down to its proper place at the depressions, or lifted up at the rises. If it be too tight or too slack this may be regulated by returning to the straining machine a neb regulating the tension by tightening or slackening the wire as required. U hen the wire is adjusted as far as the angle post, put on the second straining machine at the straining post at A, and staple, strain and regulate the wire in the same way on this section of the line; then the straining is completed as soon as the wire is secured. , ~ , THE CONTINUOUS METHOD OF STRAINING. This method of employing an extra wire-strainer to assist the other and, as it were,- pass the slack wire on around sharp angles, where it wijj not run freely, may be termed the continuous method. It requires two straining machines; but for those who have much fencing to do it is nevertheless the cheaper method in the long run — the more rapid style of working, and less liability to accident, compensating for the. extra cost.' Those who have little fencing to do, and who may prefer to work with a single machine, may achieve the same result by putting a temporary stay to the angle post. A great advantage is the leaving out of just sufficient posts at the depressions when, stapling up prior ,to straining, and judging just how much tension to, put on the wire;, for there is less risk of accident in tying off a comparatively slack wire, loss chance of the wire being injured by the gripping clutches, find no chance of its snapping when the tension' is nowhere, near the breaking point. *, v (To be continued.)