wire install

[steve J]

I have not installed wire before I did buy a couple of those rachet things to tighten the wire my question is this. I also bought some of the insulators that screw into the tree. Is the idea that I wrap the wire once around that wheel and when I tighten the wire with the rachet everything will sort of tighten up?

[PATheron]

Steve- Do you know how to tie a square knot? If so this is how I do it. I use a wratchet at each end of the mainline. Take a six foot section rougly and put a piece of mainline over it to protect the tree and then slide the wratchet on it and run the six foot piece around the tree. Once the two ends are in front of you leave a good amount of slack in the wire so you can bend it and tie a square knot in it. Dont worry about cinching the knot down real tight. Put the mainline wire in the wratchet and tighten it up with the wratchet handle. I use the same main line wire to go around the tree, takes a little practice. Probly not recommended but its how I do all mine. Theron

[vermaple]

I would use the J-hooks with the insulater. Looping around the tree is ok if you loosen the mainline every year and move the loop up or down. Otherwise it will still grow into the tree.
I make a small loop insulater to ratchet and wire to ratchet(wire through hole in tensioner and wind onto the tensioner) at both ends of ML.

[Jeff E]

I like the ratchets as well, as you can easily add or take out tension. I used to use springs to take up shock, (tree falls, etc), but not any more. I get most my tension now from side ties, and these will allow the line to drop if a limp falls on the line.

I have use gripples, crimps to secure the ends. I always end up twisting and tying the ends anyway, so if Theron says knots, work, I will try that on my next mainline install.

By the way, I have been using heavy eye bolt lags for my end trees, seem to have less negative impact on the trees than wrapping the wire around the back of the tree.

[red maples]

I use the rachets too but most of the tension is from side ties. I use big J hooks but be careful with the rachets you can also break the wire if there is too much tension or if you have eventhe slightest kink!!! I have done it. I also use in-line rachets as well.

When you start to wind the wire around the spool of the rachet make sure you leave enough to loosen the wire way up if you need I like to add in a few extra feet in case I need to lower it to cut a tree I lower it as much as possible and remove a side tie and lay it on the ground works good.

And just use "weed" trees for you end line trees.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Use smaller wire for side pulls so it breaks way before anything else and lets the mainline drop down without breaking or damaging it.

[steve J]

I am still trying to figure out this wire and mainline install. Is my goal to run the line as stright as possible from point A to point B with no contact with any trees in between? or is it pk to have a few trees which you snake around if so then what keeps wire from growing into those trees? If it is a point A to point B set up what is the max distance before tieing off on rachet and restarting the next length?

[Thad Blaisdell]

The thought of having a straight line is quite noble but, your line would have a significant sag. Dont be afraid to go around some trees. If you dont you will be installing a significant amount of tie-backs. As far as the wire goes, all you have to do is move your line every couple of years up or down a few inches.

[brookledge]

Use the trees as your friend. When I put up my main line I will slide a piece of 1/2 or3/4" over the wire. And as I come to a tree I'll cut a piece of it so that it wont' cut into the tree when pulled tight. It will greatly reduce the amount of side ties you need. It is sort of like a salom ski course weaving back and forth.
Keith

[jason grossman]

when i install wire i ribbon my course and then tie off the ends and then use side pulles. don't run the wire around trees always use side pulls with tubing around the wire to protect the tree. coming from a forestry and logging background i never use screw eyes or or put things in trees. i have seen the effects of a sawmill hitting metal. it is not good for the guys that work around mills. no one ever screws them out or loosens them or takes them out when they take down tubing. going around a tree at the ends is not as bad as people make it out to be. just use 3/4 or larger tubing(stiff tubing not garden hose). i ususally use 3/4 inside of 1" for the ends.

[BradWilson]

Just my $.02 worth. I started using #12.5 hi tensile wire this year. Not sure what I was doing wrong but tying/twisting only resulted in broken wire and close calls. I ended up going "old fashioned" with a few "new" pieces of equipment. Big loops around the end trees, with tubing protectors and wood slats between the wire/tubing and the tree. I used the Gripple on both ends and lag eyes about every 40' It's tight and straight and if I need to I can still used side tensioners. So far so good.

[Dennis H.]

I haven't had much luck with the Gripples. One line I had come completetly apart. I had to put it in the middle of the wire run. The wire pulled right out of the gripple. You can see where the grippy thingy inside scraped the wire the whole way.

I repaired it by using Therons method, square knot. I actually tied a new piece of wire to the old piece using a square knot and it is holding just fine.

I thought that using the gripples would save me using ratchet tensioners but I think I will stick with the ratchets and square knots.

[maple flats]

I use and like hi tensil and crimp sleeves. I run around anchor tree with tubing over the wire and then crimp using 3 crimp sleeves. All tension is from side ties, lighter gage. I had too many gripples fail on hi tensil, but they used to work on 9 ga wire. The 12.5 is too hard for the gripples to hold. The crimp sleeves are much cheaper once you bought the tool and the saving will pay for itself in the long run. I slide 6 sleeves on the wire before I go around and slide on a piece of used 5/16 tubing. Then I crimp 3, the others are for future use. After the season I release the tension so the end tree won't grow around the wire and I move it up or down a inch or so.

[steve J]

I will start running my wire this week I am still a little confused as to this item I bought for the wire they are like big lag screws with plastic roller on the end just were are thesed used?

Also I will have two 3/4 main lines coming from opposite direction one of them it looks like i will be able to hold a 5% grade the other due to the land pitch will be about 6% and then will drop away to closer to 10% as it approaches the holding tank. Should the one that is coming in at about 5% merge into the steeper pitched line or the steep into the lesser grade pitch? Also the last 8 to 10 feet will drop sharply down to the holding tank .

[Dennis H.]

Those lag screw things are just that lag screw. You drill a pilot hole in the end tree and run the lag bolt into it. Then you pull your wire around the plastic wheel and either use a gripple, crimp connectors.

I for one am not a fan of the those lag bolt things. Even if you put them into a non maple I feel they do harm to the tree, just my thought. I did have to use one on my tubing setup and I made sure it was into an oak and not a maple.

[Thad Blaisdell]

To put in an anchor bolt you pre-drill a 5/16 hole. Then install the anchor. We drill 5/16 holes in them every year, some people use 7/16. You are not going to cause extensive damage to a tree by doing this. The best way to then tighten your wire is with a ratchet style tensioner. You insert the end of the wire and ratchet it until somewhat tight, walk your line and raise it to where it needs to be and finish tightening. If you dont want to use the anchor take some more wire and make two loops around the tree into some pipe and hitch it to the tensioner and bingo you have a tight line. The cost of the tensioners is $6.00, and worth every cent.

[steve J]

Ok that makes some sense I did not buy any grapple or crimp connectors I do have the ratchets though. I take it that the tension is such that you can not tie the wire off well without the connectors?

[Thad Blaisdell]

With 200 taps it sounds like you will only have 2 mainlines is that about right? 2 mainlines would be pretty easy to maintain no matter how you do it. But I do not use many tiebacks. Some but not many.

[steve J]

Yes just two mains lines about 80 taps per line each about 150ft in length

[Thad Blaisdell]

If you want to see how mine are done you could swing by and take a look. I am not that far from middlesex. Half hour or so. Then you would have no question about how you want to set up your woods.

[steve J]

Thanks I might take you up on that offer I am going to give it a go tomorrow but if it don't go well I may need to see yours

[Thad Blaisdell]

Just give me a shout. Always willing to help out.

[Jeff E]

Also look at Photobucket links in peoples signature lines on here. A lot of good pictures for this. I have some, PATheron, Jason Grossman etc..

[steve J]

Jeff I look at your photos found it interesting that you had a log cabin. I built a log cabin for a deer camp and out that started my sugaring experience.

[Jeff E]

Steve, the cabin came about from sugaring in my situation. I was removing the aspen from the maples, and the market was down for that timber. So I thought rather than burn it, lets make a cabin with it.

Did it all with a chain saw, with an 'alaskan mill' attachement for ripping and a log wizard for planing. Lots of work, and lots of fun!

[steve J]

Oh my that was lots of work My was a Northeast log home kit but still was a killer to build. I would pay someone else to build it the next time

[red maples]

is that the name northeast log kits...I need to build an art studio for the wife and that might be a good solution for me!!! I f you have more info send it my way!!!

[steve J]

Yes its North East log home they have some sample units on display in Grofton VT near the Nh boarder. The logs come out of Maine. Mine was part of what they call the cabin series and is 20x32 with a 10 x20 sleeping loth. It also has a 6x32 roofed porch across the front. I built it 9 years ago and that kit was 19k at the time I think today its probably around 25k. If you are going to do it yourself I would recommend having 4 fairly skilled people. In my case it was my son and I and it was a bit of a bear.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I got a big supply of used overhead uncoated overhead electrical lines a few years ago and it works good for mainline wire. I pull it as tight as can by hand and then side tie it to get it good and tight. It was free and I don't think it is going to break any time soon.