question for people who use high tensil wire

[michiganfarmer2]

WHen you back the tension off after the season, so you back the ratchetts off, or release a side tie?

What do you do?

[PerryW]

I use 9 gauge wire for my 3/4" mainline with 12 gauge wire for side pulls. They have been up for almost 25 years and I have never backed the pressure off (unless a falling trees does it for me.)

[michiganfarmer2]

IM useing all 12 guage. I probably will go to 9 eventually

[adk1]

IM useing all 12 guage. I probably will go to 9 eventually

why is this? I thought 12 was the standard and 9 was too light and left too many bows

[maple flats]

AS long as the wire types are the same, as in HT, the smaller the number the heavier the wire. So 9 is heavier than 12, but if the 9 is mild wire and 12 is HT the strength is more on the 12.
To answer the question, I release some side ties but not all. I want the wire and tubing off the ground but it can sag some.

[LittleEnnis]

Our operation doesn't have the typical mainline support - you could have a couple of guys tightrope walk on the steel supporting most of the mainlines.

The father for myself and EnnisMaple was a contract electrician, and he overengineered the mainline supports just a wee bit. Most of them are stranded guy steel attached to chunks of telephone poles, with t-bars supporting them in the middle.

Some of them even stand up to fallen trees pretty well - the wire we use to attach them to the T-bars snaps and drops the line to the ground, typically leaving the steel and mainline intact.

[michiganfarmer2]

Our operation doesn't have the typical mainline support - you could have a couple of guys tightrope walk on the steel supporting most of the mainlines.

The father for myself and EnnisMaple was a contract electrician, and he overengineered the mainline supports just a wee bit. Most of them are stranded guy steel attached to chunks of telephone poles, with t-bars supporting them in the middle.

Some of them even stand up to fallen trees pretty well - the wire we use to attach them to the T-bars snaps and drops the line to the ground, typically leaving the steel and mainline intact.

Pretty neat

[michiganfarmer2]

I have some HT 12 guage that I didnt relax last year and how its sagging. I was just wondering what other people do.

relax it between seasons, use 9 guage or whatever

[danno]

Ennismaple's little brother? Well, what do you know! Welcome to the Trader!

[adk1]

so what would be the best to use for a section of 500' 3/4" 30P when I run it?? 9ga or 12ga HT? I will be using ratchets on each end

[Maple Hobo]

Used stranded style wire, average 800 feet long lateral runs.
Only used a ratchet on one end and a loop at the other.
They stay up year round tight.

The side tie wires, they added most of the tension to the line not the ratchet.
The ratchet just helped get it off the ground and adjusted the length on it.

The sap lines add a bit of tension and support too.
No sags, swags or problems unless a brach or tree falls.

Its a quick fix though most of the time.

[collinsmapleman2012]

I have some HT 12 guage that I didnt relax last year and how its sagging. I was just wondering what other people do.

relax it between seasons, use 9 guage or whatever

just tighten up the side ties, it does stretch some. at school, our lines werent tightened up for years and i just went through and tightened them all up.
ht 12 guage should be good. ive never relaxed tubing, just tightened everything up, maybe add a side pull or two

[collinsmapleman2012]

so what would be the best to use for a section of 500' 3/4" 30P when I run it?? 9ga or 12ga HT? I will be using ratchets on each end

12 ga HT and 14 ga for the sideties

[PerryW]

For the record, my 9 gauge wire is the same size as what they make the hooks out of for metal sap bucket spouts.

Two questions:

1) Why do you need ratchets if you are using side-pulls? Don't you get your tension from the side pulls?

2) I never heard of anyone (who leaves their tubing system up year-round) loosening their mainlines over the summer. But then again, I don't get out much.

[Brent]

Don't waste your money buying ratchets. Pull the wire reasonably tight by hand and get all the tension with side pulls. When something falls, and it will sooner or later, the side pulls made with lighter wire will snap and your mainline will fall to the ground. Each time it's happened here all we did was cut the deadfall off and full the line tight again with side pullls. We have one unsupported run about 200 ft long and it only had about 2" of sag. Three side pulls tension it and keep the slope continuous. KISS