Removing chicken wire from fenceposts

[brad_oatley]

I've got old chickenwire fastened to cedar fenceposts with "U" nails. There's gotta be 20 U nails per post. Any ideas on how to remove the wire quickly?

 

[DKinWA]

I had to do something like this and I used a coffee can, hammer, cats paw and large pair of channel locks. With the cats paw and hammer, went around the fence and pulled all the staples out a half inch or so. Then I went around with the channel locks and grabbed the staple and used the top of the channel locks as a fulcrum and rolled the staples out. Once I pulled them out, I tossed them in the coffee can. Once I got in a rythem, it went surprisingly fast. The hardest part will be picking up all the staples if you knock the coffee can over /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[OkeeDon]

I had some where the staples were really tight, driving the wire into the post. The only way I found to get those loose was to use a screwdriver and hammer - put the screwdriver against the staple at an angle and drive it into the wood behind the staple with the hammer, then "lever" them loose. Continue on from there with the coffee can method. I bought a little galvanized bucket (about 6"-8" in diameter) from Tractor Supply for a couple of bucks so I'd have a handle to carry the staples. Didn't help - they're still a bear to pick up when you kick the bucket. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Sidecutter or end nipper pliers work great for this chore.

I have a pair of Klein electrician's side cutters with an angled head that work exceptionally well for pulling nails and staples too.

Best advice I can give you is to forget "quickly" and concentrate on "done".

 

[gordon]

When I used to do metal work on travel trailers I used a pair of Snap on cotter pin pliers, a craftsman cotter pin extractor and a Snap on straight awl.

The pliers are pretty much the same as Harv described but carry a little more weight. They double as my hammer as well, to pound the awl in to a buried staple.

The Craftsman cotter pin extractor is a screwdriver handle style awl bent on a 90 degree angle with small offset in the tip. Works great for those really buried staples. This tool will come in VERY handy for alot of jobs not just staples, cotter pins or seals. It's one of those tools that you wonder how you ever lived without it.

With the above three tools and a nail apron to carry the junk staples in the job goes along at a pretty good clip.

Good luck
Gordon

 

[Slamfire]

Fence post pliers have an pointed end made for the purpose of pulling staples. You may have to take a hammer to get under some of them. An old fanny pack of large size makes a great place to put the staples after you've pulled them. Just open the zipper enough to put them into the hole so they don't fall out when you bend down. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[bgott]

I have a Matco hose radiator hose remover that would work great for staples. It's a screwdriver handled tool that makes a curved 90 degree turn with a point. It looks like a bent awl. I broke the end off doing something else it wasn't designed to do and resharpened it. I also have a $135 roofer's magnet on wheels for the cleanup. The help will collect nails and trailer screws until I am out of sight and then let 'em fly so I needed something to get the junk up. Clean up will work best if you mow any grass or weeds before you start.

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I broke the end off doing something else it wasn't designed to do and resharpened it. )</font>

I'll bet if you hadn't done any grinding or sharpening on it, the distributor would have just given you a new one for it when you broke it.

 

[bgott]

I can't really remember why I did it, I keep thinking I was doing something late at night that had nothing to do with radiator hoses and needed it. We also had gaps in Matco coverage over the years so I might have just put it back in use rather than have it sit. I have a Snap- On remover that I use for it's intended purpose. My Snap- On man will warranty anything. I knew one guy who would break off his screwdriver tips in a vise on a regular basis just because he liked new tips. Snappy Jack always changed them out, no questions asked.

 

[GSS]

If you have a large or very strong magnet, stick it to the outside of the can so all staples stay in the can if/when it gets knocked over.

I also used the crowbar/hammer method. They were deep into the wooden posts and I had to pry and dig nearly everyone out. Sometimes, if you can't get a bite on the staples, you can put the crowbar behind the fence wire and use it to pry out the staples.

- Gerald