Posted 9 years ago
hotairfan
(388 items)
This is a fence making tool that was used to make fences to contain small animals like chickens or ducks. It used (8) eight spools of wire that were weaved through the (2) two small holes in each of the lower (4) four sprockets, like the sprocket seen in the last picture
These wires were than tied to a sturdy post and the tool was slid close to the post. You begin by making (3) three counterclockwise rotations of the handled top sprocket. Then you would place a picket or sapling down and between the two wires in the (4) four lower sprockets. You than make (3) three clockwise rotations of the handled top sprocket. Doing this would pinch the first picket close to the first set of counterclockwise twists. You then make (3) three clockwise twists of the handle. By going clockwise this time, you took the twist out of the spools . You then placed another sapling or picket in place, and repeat the (3) three counter clockwise twists resulting in pinching the pickets and starting a fence of pickets. This repeated counter clockwise twists and clockwise twists with pickets in between created a sturdy fence that was suitable to keep your small homestead animals contained.
It leaves you with a fence similar to the ones that were often used along the northern states roads. The purpose of those fences were to keep the snow from drifting onto the roadway. They used to call it snow fencing. I haven't seen it used in years here in Pennsylvania, probably due to the cost of putting the fence up each fall and down each spring.
Anyway, if you've seen snow fencing along the rural roads, you get an idea as to how this fencing is woven onto a pickets fence.
Oh, very interesting. I was familiar with the sort of snow fence that Nicefice mentions, though it had fallen out of use by the time of my youth (1980s and 1990s - a black plastic version similar to the orange version used as a barrier on construction sites had become popular) there were rolls of it around my father's dairy farm.
they used to store the rolls on my property also. Each year the township workers would roll the fencing out and install it until April.
My wife and I just came back from shopping and I saw about 3 or 4 rolls of it along the township road. Maybe they are coming back with it.
Thanks for the comment Cloth...
Hello all, i am interested in purchasing an item like the one mentioned here. Does anyone have an idea as to where i can find one?
Thanks in advance,
R. Ramoutar
Sorry RR, I haven't seen one of these fence makers since I purchased the one that I have shown here. I bought it at an antique engine show in Portland, Indiana about 10 yr. ago It was one of two fence makers at the sales corral. I don't remember the cost, and they were both of different design. I guess that I should have bought both of them, anyway, one was enough. You can't own every antique out there, and, there is a limited amount of sheckles in my coffiers.
You might want to attend this "Tri-State Engine & Tractor show" in Portland Ind. It runs for four days during the mid to the end of Aug. They come from around the country to buy & sell odd and unusual tools as well as the normal rusty iron. If there is any of these to be found, that is a likely place to find them. ..Happy Hunting !!
RRamoutar, there were 5 of these that showed up at the Kansas Barbed Wire Collectors show a couple of years ago. I tried to buy a couple of them from the guy that bought them first. He said he wanted to restore them, so "no sale". We have several different types at The Devils Rope Museum on display. http://www.barbwiremuseum.com/