JONES ACE HARDWARE

High Tensile Installation Guide      PRICING    ESTIMATING

Your first step is to determine the type of high-tensile fence required, the fence design, and whether to use an electric or a non-electric approach. A basic fence layout on paper will help you in establishing the post sizes, spacing, length of each run, and type of brace assemblies. Keep in mind though, your fence should be designed specifically for your particular containment needs.

WARNING: Wire, when over-stretched, may break and recoil causing serious injury. Caution is advised when working with any wire. Eye and hand protection should be worn when working with high-tensile wire.

Constructing the Fence

Start by driving or placing in concrete all end and corner posts in predetermined run. Keep in mind that an in-line strainer will pull 4,000 feet of high-tensile wire, however, for each friction point such as a corner, bend, dip or rise, deduct 500 feet of pull capability. Next, run out a single guide wire, which ultimately becomes the bottom wire and will assume a straight fence line. 

Figure 1. After tightening the guide wire, drive or place in concrete the remaining posts on all dips and rises. Line posts need not be more than 2 feet in the ground. In most cases, they do not require concrete. 

NOTE: Use 8-foot posts on ends, corners, turns and dips. All 8-foot posts must be placed 48 inches into the ground. When posts are not driven, concrete is required.

BRACING, end and corner assemblies

When constructing your high-tensile fence with 6 wires or less, build a single brace at corners and ends. For an installation with 7 wires or more, a double brace is required for corners and ends.

Single Brace

• Drive or concrete the end post 48 inches into the ground.

• Drive or concrete the first brace post 8 feet from the end post.

Figure 2.

• On the end post, drill a 3/8 inch hole, 2 inches deep and 44 inches up on the surface facing the first brace post. (Figure 3A below)

• Drive a 3/8 inch hole through the first brace post 44 inches up and inline with the end post.

• Drill a 3/8 inch hole 2 inches deep into one end of the top horizontal.

• Drive a 3/8 inch x 5 inch brace pin 2 inches into the end post.

Figures 3a, 3b, 4 and 5

The top horizontal is now ready to be slipped onto the 5 inch brace pin in the end post.

• Drive a 3/8 inch x 10 inch brace pin through the brace post into the top horizontal leaving 2 inches exposed. (Figure 3A)

• Drive a staple (keeper staple) at the bottom of the end post to prevent the bottom wire from shifting up the pole.

• Wrap the brace wire (use the high-tensile wire you have for the fence) around the exposed brace pin at the top of the first brace post and diagonally to the keeper staple at the bottom of the end post. Repeat this until you have two complete and tight wraps. Loop the end around the brace pin where you started and staple both ends. (Figure 4)

• On the side opposite the fence wire insert a twitch stick 2 inches between the diagonal brace wires and twist forward toward you 8 to 10 times. (Figure 5)

• Secure twitch stick to the horizontal brace post with a piece of high-tensile wire 17 to 20 inches long.

Double Brace

When double bracing is required, repeat the single brace procedure except a 10 inch brace pin is required for the first brace post rather than the 5 inch.

Dispensing the Wire

High carbon wire (high-tensile) is very strong and quite active. In order to properly contain the wire while working the fence line, a spinning jenny (dereeler) must be used. Unlike other types of fencing, you do not have to tie off at every corner. String the wire on the back side of the corner brace and then return the wire to the inside of your first line post and continue on. When pulling a non-electric wire around a corner, place a staple behind the wire over top of the holding staple to eliminate drag when bringing the wire to tension. With regard to electric wires, staple horizontally above and below the wraparound insulator. Never staple directly into the wraparound. Stop paying out wire every 165 feet (10 rods) and staple the wires from bottom to top. 

Figure 6

NOTE: Staples should never be driven "home" except when securing brace wire and twitch stick. This allows for expansion and contraction of the wire throughout the entire fence line. Should you install high-tensile Class 3 wire through drilled treated posts, regardless of the precautions taken, free standing moisture will likely settle and impair the expected life of the wire. Placing wire through drilled treated posts is acceptable yet not recommended to get long life from your Class 3 wire.

Anchoring the Wire

Non-electric wires: Wrap wire around post and onto itself. Secure with two crimping sleeves. (Figure 7)
Electric wires: Same as non-electric but use a wraparound insulator. (Figure 7)
Splicing: Unlike the placement of two crimping sleeves when the wire is looped around onto itself, a high-tensile splice requires 3 crimping sleeves. A splice can also be accomplished by using a wire link. (Figure 7)

Figure 7


Tightening the Wire

The electric system (hot wires) requires that the line post tube insulators and corner and end post wraparound insulators be put on the wires before affixing the inline strainers. The tube insulators will slide down the fence line with ease and then are stapled to the line posts. 

Figures 8 & 9


Install in-line strainers (Figure 9) and tighten the wires with the use of the strainer handle. The in-line strainers must be located near the middle of the fence line in order to achieve the same resistance factor in both directions.
NOTE: Prior to tightening the in-line strainers, a tension spring should be installed on one of the wires (generally  the second wire from the top) to indicate tension. Tighten the wires slightly (Figure 10). One crimping sleeve should be left on electric wires before anchoring to allow for electrical hookups. 

Figure 10

 

Figure 11
An extra sleeve should also be left on one hot wire at a gateway for the underground hookup. Staples should lock into the rib on the tube insulator so there will be no horizontal movement over time. Staples may be loose over non-electric wires in order to permit the wire to respond to expansion and contraction. 

Figure 12
After all the posts are stapled, return to the in-line strainers and tighten the wires to 250 pounds of tension or better (equals 2 to 3 inches of compression of the tension spring). Hand gauge the remaining wires to equal the tension of the wire with the attached spring.

To allow for posts to be set in concrete, return to the in-line strainers in a few days and tighten slowly.






Poly Spacers

Use to insure wire spacing integrity when line posts are placed more than 30 feet apart. Attach preformed spacer clip loosely with a twisting tool to each wire so as to allow lateral wire movement.

Figure 13


Grounding Fence Controller

Install at least one 6 foot galvanized or copper ground rod within 20 feet of the fence controller. Although one ground rod may work, we recommend 3 or more for maximum performance and shock intensity. Remember, additional ground rods increase shock intensity. Use ground rod clamps to attach insulated ground wire to the ground rod (clamp must bite into rod and ground wire). The wire should be 10 to 14 gauge wire and insulated from 600 to 20,000 volts. For best results, install 3 ground rods into the earth 6 feet deep, spaced 10 feet apart. If possible, install ground rods in areas of constant moisture.

Figure 14

A. First ground rod is driven within 20 feet of fence controller B. Ground rods are constructed of copper or galvanized metal driven 6 feet deep C. Ground rods are spaced 10 feet apart D. Use brass grounding clamps. They will not corrode when used with copper, galvanized or aluminum lead-out wires E. First ground rod is driven beyond the drip-line of a building's eaves.

Pricing

PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE 09/18/2005

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