Fixing a stretch of broken barbed wire fence doesn't have to be painful—and it
can be quick. Here's how one expert fencer makes his repairs. The photographs
that follow show how Gene Hamman of Danville, Ala., makes splices in broken
wire. As the owner of
Quality Farm Fencing he has occasion to fix a strand or
two.
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Use a fence stretcher to pull together enough wire to make the
repair. Then, from each half of the break, remove any barbs for about 6
to 8 inches. Slide each wire end through one of these inexpensive
sleeves, as shown in this photo. You'll find them in any fencing store.
A package of 100 should cost less than $20. |
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Squeeze the sleeve shut with this crimping tool. The tool costs
anywhere between $50 and $100. If you care less about appearance, you
could squeeze these tight enough with a pair of pliers. |
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Hamman has a way of making the splice secure. Simply separate the
strands of the two wire ends. |
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Now wrap each wire around the barbed wire. As you can see here, one
strand (the one closest to the sleeve) is wrapped counterclockwise
around the barbed wire. The second strand makes a loop over the first
wire, securing it in place, and then it is wrapped clockwise several
times over the barbed wire. The remaining loose ends should be cut off,
and the same wraps should be made on the opposite side of the
sleeve. |
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Here's the finished repair. It took no more than a couple of minutes
to complete. |
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Another way to make a repair in broken wire is to use this sleeve,
called the Gripple. The broken ends of the wire are pushed through the
Gripple, which is designed so they will not pull out. These are made for
fairly speedy repairs, especially if you're making many of them. You
don't need a crimping tool, but these sleeves are pricey, about $1.25
each. They come in four sizes. For more information go to
www.gripple.com. |