stretching woven wire fence

might build some woven wire fence any tips from you guys might help thanks
RICK

The old time "stretchers" that were made for those fences were 2 2x6s with several bolt holes in them. You sandwiched the wire between the boards by tightening the bolts. That was probably the best way back then and still is today. Just hook on to the boards and pull it tight.

My dad had a contraption built for the job. It had the two boards that bolted together over the end of the fence and then there were two large ratchets, kind of like a come along. Most of the time, he just chained the clamp assembly to the tractor and pulled it tight with the tractor in low gear. When it got tight, just kill the engine and it would stop right there and hold the wire tight.
Good Luck and God Bless

My cheap invention is 2 pieces of angle iron with 2 bolts to torque the iron on the wire and then pull with a chain from the crossbar of the tractor

I always kept it simple and used a fence post and a com-a-long and the truck I had out there. Hook the fence post in the fence from top to bottom and then hook the com-a-long to the truck and tighten it up

My uncle who is dead and gone used to stretch with his IH 986 when the wheels would come off the ground it was tight enough.

jimmy

rick165, I have stretched net wire many, many ways. The main type of net-wire fence is a full floating Suspension fence.
#1 requirement are Corners of pipe or Heavy cedar or what ever is the kind of wood most popular in your end of the world. 4x4s and landscape timbers ARE NOT POST!
Depth of Corner post holes need to be 5 ft deep there about to prevent post from pulling heaving out over time.
You have not indicated the length of the fence you are building so there are variables I can't account for. A longer fence is easier to get tight and keep tight than a short fence.
As the others have mentioned 2 pieces of Oak not pine (2x6s) sandwiched together is good. The reason for Oak over pine is too soft and will let the wire slip at some point of tension.
Another method (Which I prefer) A vertical pipe bolted to a tractor drawbar and braced(chained) of the Centerlink mount. Just tie the wire off hard and fast leave yourself enough slack to tie off on the end-cornerpost.
I have pulled as short as 1 roll to 6.5 rolls of 330ft net-wire. 3 or 4 rolls is the optimum pull length!
The problem with most net-wire fences is most people don't get them tight enough to begin with, and clip, tie or staple the line wires on an intermittent basis!
Using all American wire the tension needs to this....
the tension kinks need to be 1/2 to 1/4 of there pre stretch size!
I have one fence here on the place that was put up in early 1974 and has never been re-stretched to this day!
In any case having real good, H3ll for Stout Corners, preferably Double H corners. Is a MUST. My preference is 4in steel pipe corners w/ 2&5/16 brace pipes on long runs I have used all 2&5/16 in some places.
We use all steel 6.4 ft. T-post with a 2&5/16 pipe driven 3+ feet into the ground every 6 post, For line post.
After you get the desired tension and get tied off ""Clip every wire on every T-post and tie every wire to each pipe post""
If you really want to shoot yourself in the foot here just clip and tie, staple the line wires to the post on an intermittent basis!!!
Hope this helps,
Later,
John A.

rrlund is right on. The only improvement is to use two eye bolts (the kind that are used on power poles)one close to the top and one close to the bottom (I have 5' 2x6's), tighten the bolts really tight (use washers), then hook the come-a long to the bolts, hook chains to someting in line and immobile, hook the other end of the come-a-long to the chains (I use one chain for each come-a-long) and then stretch, trying to stretch to top and bottom evenly.
I've stetched lots of woven wire fence this way with on problems.

Darn, John, you took the words right out of my mouth! You know how to do it right. We had a neighbor who used three 8" wood posts sunk in 5' with a board nailed to the side at the bottom of the post, for the corners. Dad happened to buy his farm and when we removed those corner posts years later we almost couldn't get them out of the ground. Jim

I do the same but use wood, only do hingejoint that way..

I have two fence stretchers. I hook one on the top wire and one on the bottom wire. I have never clamped anything on the other wires ever. Works out for me. On 42 inch wire I tie the top and bottom wires to the corners and about 4 of the middle wires. Just cut the others off and tie them back to themselves. Been doing it for years without any problems that I can see.