Westonfence

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These instructions describe how to construct a Westonfence. Use them as a guide only, as you may discover a better way.

General Recommendations and Configuration:

Time spent preparing a good fenceline is an investment in the quality and integrity of the finished job.
Steel posts 10 - 15 metres apart. A more effective fence will be achieved by the closer post intervals. The majority of clients are now using 10 -12 metre spacings.
A Westonfence dropper is clipped to the steel post with two Westonfence droppers between steel posts. 2 clips per dropper.
Use good quality wire. Cheap wire may not run off spinners without tangling, adding time and frustration to the job. Use 2.8 HT wire for best results.
Most animals (including kangaroos) will try burying under a fence. To try to prevent this, we have found that the bottom wire should be no more than 100mm (4") off the ground. To achieve this, drive steel posts until bottom hole on a BHP or Cyclone star post is approx. 25 mm (1") out of ground. An even/level fence line is needed for best results.
In loamy or uneven ground, consideration may have to be given to using a leaning offset dropper with a live wire to prevent feral animals burrowing under the fence.
Droppers are available in a variety of sizes and configurations. These instructions refer to a standard 7 hole Westonfence dropper (1100 mm) but the principles are the same for other droppers.
Make the bottom and top wires, then every second wire an earth (4 total). Therefore, there will be 3 live wires in a 7 wire fence.
For an 8 wire "kangaroo fence", we recommend that there be two 7 hole droppers placed between the 8 hole droppers, and that the dropper that is clipped to the steel post is a 7 hole dropper. The 8th wire is a neutral wire.

Construction of a Westonfence using bundles or "Slab" method

Construction of a Westonfence using the trailer

Construction of a Westonfence using bundles or "Slab" method

Clear and grade an even/level fence line for best results
Put in end assemblies - no in line strainers required.
As the droppers clip to the back side of a steel post, (see picture on home page) the steel posts will be driven 25 mm off the centreline of your fence ( ½ the thickness of a dropper). It is suggested that steel posts be placed on the uphill side of the wire if there are causeways on fenceline, so bottom clip can be left off, if necessary. Decide which side of the fence the steel posts are required. Place steel post 25 mm from centre line of fence with holes away from the centre line (back side to the centre line). Drive steel post in until bottom hole on a BHP or Cyclone star post is approx. 25 mm out of ground.
Put insulators onto end assemblies. Insulate second bottom wire and every second wire thereafter. It is recommended that the top wire should be an earth so as to avoid lightning damage to energiser.
There are 30 Westonfence droppers in a pallet-sized "slab". Go along the fenceline and place a slab of droppers on a flat piece of ground where the 30th dropper will be located. The slab needs to be placed on the side of the fenceline away from the holes of the steel posts, making sure the bottoms of the droppers are nearest to the steel posts (the end which has closer hole spacings). Repeat this process every 30th dropper spacing, up to next end assembly. The last slab will need to be undone, and excess droppers removed so the correct number of droppers remains on the slab. Re-check that the exact number of droppers required to finish fenceline are on the slab. Retighten slab-binding strap. Do not undo binding straps until wires are strained.
Place wire spinner next to end assembly.
Pull wire along fenceline. At the first slab, using a Westonfence threading needle, thread the wire through the bottom hole of the slab of droppers. Continue to next slab of droppers and repeat process and so on until end assembly is reached. Tie off at end assembly.
Go back to start and repeat process with next wire, making sure correct hole is threaded at each slab. Wires must be threaded through the holes with the binding straps still in place.
If two wire spinners are available, it will be more efficient to place a spinner at each end of the section so as to avoid an "empty" walk back to the start.
Once all wires have been run, strain wires with slabs still lying on ground. If a wire needs to be joined mid line, do not knot or strain this wire until the droppers have been moved to their correct position.
At each slab, lift the strained fence up and hook the second top wire in the groove on the top of the steel post.
Go to last slab, cut and remove binding straps. Move the slab along fenceline leaving a dropper at the correct interval. Continue moving 'slabs' along fence, until all droppers are placed at appropriate spacings.
Using a Westonfence clipping tool, attach droppers to steel posts and fix freestanding droppers in place using relevant clips. The top and bottom wires should be attached to the steel post (the clip must be threaded through the matching hole in the steel posts) while the freestanding droppers can be attached using 3rd bottom and top wire. Clips are attached by holding clip around dropper and along relevant wire. Place clip spanner between wire and clip tail. Then roll the spanner around the wire approximately 1½ turns until the spanner is released. Repeat process to the other tail of the clip. It is easier to "plumb" droppers by attaching bottom clip first, plumb the dropper and then attach top clip. The bags containing the clips can be used as "handbags" to carry clips. Care should be taken when removing clips from bag as to avoid a tangle of clips. Caution is required when handling clips as they can have sharp ends - protective clothing and eye protection should be worn.
For best control of feral animals, the sooner the fence is electrified the better. Earth stakes should be put at approximately 1 km intervals. Putting an earth stake in a causeway or moist area will give the best earth. All live wires and all earth wires should be bridged at these points and end assemblies, using high conductive insulated lead-out cable to maximise current. Cut tails off all knots so as to avoid shorts. More details may be obtained from electric fence manuals.

Points to consider:

When placing an order for droppers, please keep in mind that 2 weeks may be required to manufacture the droppers and ensure their delivery.
A "slab" of droppers is easier to handle when folded in half.
A maximum of 1020 droppers and 2040 clips fits on a pallet.
Westonfence retains the right to change product lines or prices without prior notice.

Please do not hesitate to contact us for further information.

Construction of a Westonfence using the trailer: (includes 6 wire spinners)

Clear and grade an even/level fence line for best results.
Put in end assemblies - no in line strainers required.
As the droppers clip to the back side of a steel post (see picture on home page), the steel posts will be driven 25 mm off the centreline of your fence ( ½ the thickness of a dropper). It is suggested that steel posts be placed on the uphill side of the wire if there are causeways on the fenceline, so bottom clip can be left off, if necessary. Decide which side of the fence the steel posts are required, as this will determine which end assembly is your starting end. Go to the end assembly that, when looking along the fenceline, will place the steel posts to the left of the centre line. This is your starting end.
From the starting end, tie off and run a sighter wire to align steel posts. Tie a rag to any knots (if a coil was finished mid line). Strain sighter wire from finishing end of fence. Tie off wire so it can be undone and leave approximately 1.5 metres of extra wire or leave strainers on wire.
Place steel posts 25 mm from sighter wire with holes away from the wire (back side to the wire). Drive in steel post until bottom hole on a BHP or Cyclone star post is approx. 25 mm out of ground (applies to standard 7 wire fence).
Undo sighter wire at strained end.
Arrange wire spinners on vehicle so as to allow for tangle free operation. Back trailer to approx. 5 metres from starting end assembly on the sighter wire side of the fenceline. Sighter wire should be between steel posts and left hand side of vehicle/trailer.
Cut sighter wire at starting end so that an insulator may be attached. Attach remaining insulators. Insulate second bottom wire and every second wire thereafter. It is recommended that the top wire should be an earth so as to avoid lightning damage to energiser.
Take this sighter wire to the front of trailer and thread it through the second bottom hole on the top tier of Westonfence droppers using a Westonfence threading needle. The droppers may need some "jiggling" to thread the first wire through each tier.
From spinners that are on vehicle, thread rest of wires through the top tier of droppers and attach to end assembly. The top of the dropper is nearest the winch handle. Other wires (8 & 9 wire) may also be run on ground prior to this stage and "picked up".
Drive trailer along fenceline winding the droppers off the trailer at the correct intervals (1 dropper on each steel post and 2 in between). Be careful to stop and cut out knots on sight wire before they reach trailer. Rethread this wire once it has passed through trailer. As a coil of wire finishes running off the spinner, let it run through the trailer before stopping. Carefully place (don't drop!) a new coil on spinner and rethread wire though droppers. Care should be taken in placement of knot, as when fence is strained, the knot will move towards the strainers and may prevent a dropper being fixed in the correct position. Placing a rag on the knot will assist in finding the knot after fence has been strained so the tails can be cut off - to prevent shorts. As a tier of droppers is finished, cut all the wires near back of trailer, rethread next tier of droppers and re-join wires.
Continue running out fence to next end assembly, strain and tie off, placing insulators on appropriate wires. If a tier of droppers was changed mid-line, it is easier to tie off at end assembly and then strain at the row of knots mid-line. You should now have a fence lying on the ground next to the steel posts. Up to 7 km have been constructed in one strain - a fence this long may need straining in several places. Remember that the longer the strain, the more elasticity the wire has and the strainers may not feel as though the wire is tight enough at the correct tension.
To aid next step, lift the strained fence up and hook the top wire in the groove on the top of the steel post. Do this at intervals of 100 metres or so along length of fence.
Using a Westonfence clipping tool, attach droppers to steel posts and fix freestanding droppers in place using relevant clips. The top and bottom wires should be attached to the steel post (the clip must be threaded through the matching hole in the steel posts) while the freestanding droppers can be attached using 3rd bottom and top wire. Clips are attached by holding clip around dropper and along relevant wire. Place clip spanner between wire and clip tail. Then roll the spanner around the wire approximately 1½ turns until the spanner is released. Repeat process to the other tail of the clip. It is easier to "plumb" droppers by attaching bottom clip first, plumb the dropper and then attach top clip. The bags of clips can be used as "handbags" to carry clips. Care should be taken when removing clips from bag as to avoid a tangle of clips.
Caution is required when handling clips as they can have sharp ends - protective clothing and eye protection should be worn.
For best control of feral animals, the sooner the fence is electrified the better. Earth stakes should be put at 1 km intervals. Putting an earth stake in a causeway or moist area will give the best earth. All live wires and all earth wires should be bridged at these points and end assemblies, using high conductive insulated lead-out cable to maximise current. Cut tails off all knots so as to avoid shorts. More details may be obtained from electric fence manuals.

Points to consider:

When placing an order for droppers, please keep in mind that 2 weeks may be required to manufacture the droppers and ensure their delivery. If you wish to hire a trailer, please arrange a date as early as possible, as demand for the trailers is usually high. Trailer hire is $25 + GST per day (includes 6 wire spinners, threading needles and clip spanners)
Have end assemblies in and steel posts driven before picking up trailer.
Two people are needed to roll out the fence using the trailer (1 vehicle driver and 1 trailer operator). A third person will make it more efficient, as they may drive a second vehicle and ready the next coil of wire to place on spinners.
All the fence can be rolled out on the ground, and the trailer returned, before straining and clipping, to save on trailer hire. Three people should roll out 5 to 10 km of fence in a day. The quality of the wire used is the most determining factor in ensuring trouble-free rollout off spinners.
The less end assemblies and corner posts used, the quicker the fence is to erect.
Do not grease or oil the wire spinners as they will keep spinning when vehicle stops causing wires to tangle!!
Trailer is to be picked up from and returned to "Yalgo" Nymagee NSW unless otherwise agreed.
A maximum of 2665 droppers fits on a Westonfence trailer.
Westonfence retains the right to change product lines or prices without prior notice.

Please do not hesitate to contact us for further information.

Westonfence - email sales@westonfence.com.au