Fencing Part 5: D to E

You have no choice but to endure more and more posts – about more and more fencing! Its that much fun as you can see in the next 3 pictures!

We are using the first 600m as our testing ground – to work on our technique and get it right – ready for more challenging times ahead of us.

 

George and Garikai - enjoy that fence puller!

George and Garikai – enjoy that fence puller!

 

George and Garikai - enjoy that fence puller!

George and Garikai – enjoy that fence puller!

 

George and Garikai - enjoy that fence puller!

George and Garikai – enjoy that fence puller!

 

 

Tendai

Tendai

 

Burying the bottom of the fence

Burying the bottom of the fence

 

and moving stones to hold the bottom down securely

and moving stones to hold the bottom down securely

 

The bottom of the fence is bent outwards and trapped with boulders

The bottom of the fence is bent outwards and trapped with boulders

 

George and Tendai

George and Tendai

 

Bonox veld fence going up

Bonox veld fence going up

 

 

one of our early challenges

Meet one of our early challenges

 

 

Mr Artwell is actually hammering the staple sides together to make sure they are parallel and easy to hammer into the posts

Used as a tool holder

Used as a tool holder

 

 

 

George the senior fencer

George the senior fencer on THAT boulder

 

The hands that built Hornbydale

The hands that built Hornbydale

 

Garikai taking it seriously

Garikai taking it seriously

 

And these days we can’t end a post with pictures of nice poles. (Now more important than doggie pics!)

 

Beautiful poles

Beautiful poles

 

 

Need I say more!

Need I say more!

 

 

 

The pole dipping factor being decommissioned

The pole dipping factor being decommissioned

 

Fencing Part 4: Start Fencing – Section E to D

It has really arrived! The day we start putting up the 2.1m mesh fence supplied by Fence Secure of Msasa Harare and made in Zimbabwe (also termed Veld Fence or Bonox Fence).

I will post under the alphabetical boundary sections. We are starting from point E (close to the house) and heading off to D about 250m away to the east.

 

Ramius and Tendai on Day 1 of fencing

Ramius and Tendai on Day 1 of fencing

 

100m of fencing rolled out infant of the poles

100m of fencing rolled out in front of the poles

I’m sure there is a technical name for this device – ‘fence grabber’ will do for now!

Using our custom made fence grabber for the first time

Using our custom made fence grabber for the first time

 

To pull the fence tight requires the use of a fence puller. The puller is tied on to the grabber (which is temporarily screwed down onto the fence) and then itself wraps around the straining pole (right of picture below). The straining pole has extra (barbed) wire tied down to a large stone(s) buried in the ground. You can just see the barbed wire below top right.

George attaching the fence puller to the fence grabber

George attaching the fence puller to the fence grabber

As we learnt the hard way – the chain must not be twisted or else, sooner or later, the puller cannot grab any more links as they are twisted out of alignment compared to the jaws.

The chain must not be twisted!

The chain must not be twisted!

 

George happily inspecting the fence grabber

George happily inspecting the fence grabber

The whole lot is tightened using the jaws, one by one, to grab and slide over successive chain links. There is a lever coming off to left below which provides the manual driving force.

 

The fence puller jaws

The fence puller jaws

 

Manually helping the fence puller create that tension

Manually helping the fence puller create that tension

 

 

Helping the fence puller along

Helping the fence puller along

 

 

Fence held tight by the puller

Fence held tight by the puller

 

Hold the tensioned fence against each post

Hold the tensioned fence against each post

 

Nail the fence up everyone!

Nail the fence up everyone!

 

Nail it Garikai!

Nail it Garikai!

 

and repeat for 4.5 km

and repeat for 4.5 km

And if you must be tarred and feathered at least don’t do it to yourself ‘Hamletta’!

Tarred and feathered

Tarred and feathered

 

New litter of Jack Russell puppies

New litter of five Jack Russell puppies

 

New litter of Jack Russell puppies

New litter of Jack Russell puppies

And, finally, more of our home made poles ready to continue the fencing journey.

Our lovely poles

Our lovely home made poles