Making wire netting cages

[Haironyourchest]

€88 for a 25 yard roll, 1.2m tall. Assuming "boxes" of 1 yard square, that's three yards and three yards layed out X fashion, the four sides folded up and laced together with wire or steel zep-ties. Maybe a strand of bull wire around the too for strength. So 6 yards per box - double thickness on the floor side. 24 by 6 is 4 so a box costs €22, and some wire. But, you can find something else for the floor, pallet or whatever, then you get 4 yards per box just wrapped around, so 24 by 4 = 6, €88 by six call it €15 Euros per box.

[coppicer]

1 minute ago, Haironyourchest said:

€88 by six call it €15 Euros per box.

True, and good thinking, but isn't the problem that base material is more or less twice as expensive as standard livestock netting at 50m for a similar price, if you buy new? (I have some sheep netting here I can recycle, not sure how much, maybe 100-200m, but hard to tell how much is usable.)

 

You probably get a lot more strength from chain link though. Conversely it's probably not as workable, so bending it into shape might be hard work.

 

[roseyweb]

10 hours ago, coppicer said:

Are you - are you sure you got enough in those? They look a bit underfilled to me ?

I won't be making greedy ibcs again one collapsed when being fork lifted, 

[Peasgood]

I have tried cages, vented bags and stock net home made thingies but now use my own version of Posch packfix using elastic netting. Elastinet from MCA Kingstone.

[coppicer]

9 minutes ago, Peasgood said:

I have tried cages, vented bags and stock net home made thingies but now use my own version of Posch packfix using elastic netting. Elastinet from MCA Kingstone.

How does it work? I mean, do you build the stack of wood first and then wrap?

[Haironyourchest]

Gabion baskets look ideal, but they are pricy. You know the mesh cages they fill with rocks for embankments...

[coppicer]

13 minutes ago, Haironyourchest said:

Gabion baskets look ideal, but they are pricy.

That's actually a great idea, because they fold flat, unlike IBCs, so delivery isn't going to be as much of a hit. About £38 exc. VAT, says Google. Still can't afford them at the moment - derisive cries of "Pov!!" from the back rows - but something to keep in mind.

[Peasgood]

8 hours ago, coppicer said:

How does it work? I mean, do you build the stack of wood first and then wrap?

Put the IBC on a pallet and fill it with logs, up to you if you stack them or just drop them in, The logs for my fire are 18" long and I find it easy to stack them. Smaller logs can just be chucked in or dropped off an elevator.

IBC in the pic has the top and bottom cut out. When full, wrap elastinet around the bottom bit where the cage has been removed, then pull it up a bit (I use fork lift but pulley or winch could be used. Wrap a bit more and continue up until the IBC is clear.

Have a look at Posch  packfix video for idea how they work. I wrap mine manually rather than auto.

 

Works very well for me. Net doesn't degrade in UV, logs in pic have been there for 2 years and net is fine. Needs a bit of trial and error with amount of wrap to use as little as possible without the stack collapsing.

[the village idiot]

Some interesting ideas on display. I think everyone who produces even a modest amount of firewood has wrestled with this issue.

 

If you go down the stock fencing route I would recommend buying a new roll. this makes life much easier. You also end up with a much more pleasing result if you have a ring of fencing on top of the pallet rather than round the edges. You lose a bit of capacity but it is very easy to add a second layer with a few cable ties.

 

When I first started with this system I secured the netting to the pallet with four fencing staples but found after a while that this wasn't really necessary.

 

This option is not so great for a commercial operation, but for home storage it works well.

 

Hope you find a fun system that works for you.

 

 

 

Edited May 18, 2020 by the village idiot

[coppicer]

51 minutes ago, the village idiot said:

If you go down the stock fencing route I would recommend buying a new roll. this makes life much easier.

Thanks for the comments. Bit cash-constrained at the moment, so perhaps that's something for the future. Eyeballing it, the fencing looks like standard 1m height?

 

Do you not attach the wire to the pallet at all? I guess if you were transporting the pallet over rough ground (like my bumpy fields) you could just put a pair of ratchet straps under the pallet and over the top of the logs to form a cross, and use those to keep the netting stable and in place.

Edited May 18, 2020 by coppicer