Removing high tensile fence wire to re-use?

[ShowroomShine]

I’ve got a 200’ section of fence with 5 strands I need to remove and I’d like to save the wire ideally. Just normal smooth high tensile wire, not barb wire.

What methods have you guys found to do this and save the wire or is it not worth it?

 

[oosik]

The "old wire" around here is low grade iron with FLAT barbs. Dates back to the homestead days of the 1890's. It's not worth saving. But the farmers roll it up - I see rolls quite often on my neighbors property. Gets it out of the way and all in one place.

I also have smooth wire. It's telephone wire. Called CopperWeld. It's way beyond high tensile wire. Made to span 600 to 800 feet between telephone poles. The only way to deal with CopperWeld - cut into 10 to 15 foot chunks - throw into bonfire. The fire will soften the steel and it can then be rolled up. Then I dig a trench - at least four feet deep - bury the stuff.

Since I've not seen any "attachment" that has been used to roll up old barbed wire - I guess they roll it up by hand. This would be a REAL job. Some of the old barbed wire rolls are quite large.

I think before you go to all the effort to "save" - look into the future. What will you eventually use this smooth wire for and is it REALLY worth the effort to save it.

 

[skipmarcy]

I just took down 10 strands, 900 ft perimeter late summer around my mini-orchard/garden area that was mounted with electric fence insulators on wooden and t-posts. I built a wooden frame that I could stake to the ground with tent stakes and used some 3/4" cpvc as spindles to wind it up into spools. I kept a couple of spools and trashed the rest.

I used a piece of plywood for the base, 2x4s for 2 uprights with holes drilled up high for the cpvc spindle to slip thru. I drilled holes in the cpvc spindle to put a 1/4" bolt thru on the outside of the uprights to keep the spindle in place while cranking, I used flat washers to keep the bolt heads from digging into the 2x4s AND on the inside of the uprights to keep the wire from getting into the wood while winding. Out towards one end of the spindle I drilled a hole to put a short piece of 3/8" rebar to use as a handle to crank the spindle. When the spindle was full, I removed the bolts from the spindle and removed one of the uprights to get the loaded spindle out. Each spool holds probably 1/3 to 1/2 mile of wire in my case.

 

[D&D]

I’ve got a 200’ section of fence with 5 strands I need to remove and I’d like to save the wire ideally. Just normal smooth high tensile wire, not barb wire.

What methods have you guys found to do this and save the wire or is it not worth it?

Spinning Jenny will work, used wire spools will work. Worth it? Are you reusing or just recycling?

 

[Rustyiron]

With today's steel prices it's well worth saving it.
It will still have some memory to it and don't try to spoil it up as tight (small) as when new and you'll want a helper or 2. Making 10' (approximate length) loops and a couple of rolls of electric tape taping as necessary to keep it under control you'll wind it up in no time.
If you cut it loose from the new end point and leave it in the staples on the posts and make your coil at the "old" end will keep you from fighting the 200' wildcat that it will be just laying on the ground.

 

[ponytug]

I just took down 10 strands, 900 ft perimeter late summer around my mini-orchard/garden area that was mounted with electric fence insulators on wooden and t-posts. I built a wooden frame that I could stake to the ground with tent stakes and used some 3/4" cpvc as spindles to wind it up into spools. I kept a couple of spools and trashed the rest.

I used a piece of plywood for the base, 2x4s for 2 uprights with holes drilled up high for the cpvc spindle to slip thru. I drilled holes in the cpvc spindle to put a 1/4" bolt thru on the outside of the uprights to keep the spindle in place while cranking, I used flat washers to keep the bolt heads from digging into the 2x4s AND on the inside of the uprights to keep the wire from getting into the wood while winding. Out towards one end of the spindle I drilled a hole to put a short piece of 3/8" rebar to use as a handle to crank the spindle. When the spindle was full, I removed the bolts from the spindle and removed one of the uprights to get the loaded spindle out. Each spool holds probably 1/3 to 1/2 mile of wire in my case.

Have any photos of your nifty gizmo?

All the best, Peter

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

This Spinning Jenny is what I use. Works best with my wife helping to keep a little back tension as I wind it up. Tye wrap the bundle and store it for reuse.

Kiwi Spinning Jenny with Brake

Kiwi Spinning Jenny with Brake - Spinning Jennies - Tools

kencove.com

 

[jyoutz]

Spinning Jenny will work, used wire spools will work. Worth it? Are you reusing or just recycling?

A spinning Jenny is the answer. This is the best way to both install and remove high tensile wire. It’s how the professional fence people handle high tensile wire. You might be able to rent one, but they don’t look too expensive.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/american-farmworks-spinning-jenny-electric-fence-wire-de-reeler-1213273?store=1619&cid=Shopping-Google-Local_Feed&utm_medium=Google&utm_source=Shopping&utm_campaign=&utm_content=Local_Feed&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD3fmFP9F-F1HxnRaSkBiKbnPkZE8&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7aXqntLlggMVuQznCh3DiAmmEAQYAiABEgK0l_D_BwE

 

[skipmarcy]

Have any photos of your nifty gizmo?

All the best, Peter

I'll try to get a couple today (Tue). I have to use my camera and then put on the computer, no smart phones here.

 

[Birdhunter1]

A spinning Jenny is the answer. This is the best way to both install and remove high tensile wire. It’s how the professional fence people handle high tensile wire. You might be able to rent one, but they don’t look too expensive.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/american-farmworks-spinning-jenny-electric-fence-wire-de-reeler-1213273?store=1619&cid=Shopping-Google-Local_Feed&utm_medium=Google&utm_source=Shopping&utm_campaign=&utm_content=Local_Feed&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD3fmFP9F-F1HxnRaSkBiKbnPkZE8&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7aXqntLlggMVuQznCh3DiAmmEAQYAiABEgK0l_D_BwE

^^THIS^^
I've put up hundreds of miles of high tensile wire and I don't recommend messing with high tensile wire without a spinning jenny or a well made home fabbed version. Taking it down it easy, just wind it back onto the jenny. I use a plastic ring that drops over mine and then wind it outside of that so that it stays more of a round coil if that makes sense. When you take the wound up coil off place either 3-4 zip ties, twisted wire wraps or tape wraps on that coil so it doesn't fly apart.

 

[skipmarcy]

Here are some pics. I dug the thing out this morning. I used hairpins instead of 1/4" bolts as I had described earlier, getting old is tough - memory not as sharp as it used to be. The uprights are screwed to the plywood with 3" deck screws from underneath. The 4 holes in the plywood are for using tent stakes to hold it to the ground or you could screw it down to something else. A good, simple tool from scraps I had lying around.

 

[jyoutz]

Here are some pics. I dug the thing out this morning. I used hairpins instead of 1/4" bolts as I had described earlier, getting old is tough - memory not as sharp as it used to be. The uprights are screwed to the plywood with 3" deck screws from underneath. The 4 holes in the plywood are for using tent stakes to hold it to the ground or you could screw it down to something else. A good, simple tool from scraps I had lying around.

I think you could wind a softer wire like smooth twisted or barbed wire that tight, but it wouldn’t work for high tensile wire. Something the makes a large loop wind like a spinning Jenny is what is needed for high tensile wire.

 

[skipmarcy]

That IS a spool of hi tensile steel wire, not aluminum wire.

 

[jyoutz]

That IS a spool of hi tensile steel wire, not aluminum wire.

Then I think it’s overwound. How does it spool out again after being wound so tight? All of that wire comes in large diameter coils to avoid kinking.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

This Spinning Jenny is what I use. Works best with my wife helping to keep a little back tension as I wind it up. Tye wrap the bundle and store it for reuse.

Kiwi Spinning Jenny with Brake

Kiwi Spinning Jenny with Brake - Spinning Jennies - Tools

kencove.com

Added this as it is what makes rewinding the wire easy. And goes along with the previous post I made.

Rewind Hoop

Kencove ships electric fence supplies and tools for high tensile, portable fence, plastic high tensile rail fence, and non-electric high tensile wire to hold and protect cattle, horses, sheep, goats, deer, elk, poultry, and gardens. Electric fence product specialists avaliable online and by phone.

kencove.com