#clippex fence

[highlandfenceline]

Metal post Fencing

Clipex Demo 

Method of Building

Clipex fencing is built differently from conventional fencing.

Strainers are put up first as normal but the strainers themselves are different.

The strut clips into predrilled holes on the metal straining post. The “foot” of the strut is placed on top of a ground plate and a pin is driven through both and part of the way into the ground. At that point a bracing wire is passed round the pin and the strainer and tensioned with a gripple to brace the two together. Then the pin is driven the remainder of the way into the ground.

Instead of running out a line wire to get a line the idea is that the net be run out and tensioned – this is done before the stobs or intermediate posts are put in. The reason for doing it this way is so that the net doesn’t catch into the clips on the intermediate posts before it’s strained or during straining. The clips would prevent it from pulling up properly. Once the net is up the intermediate posts are put in and clipped to the fence line.

The net was pulled up using clamps and working net to net.

Instead of conventional tie downs the clipex system uses a type of ground anchor. A shoe with a wire attached is driven into the ground using a metal bar. The bar is then retracted. The wire is attached to the post, netting or strainer to be tied down and tensioned using gripples.

Gates are hung on separate posts to strainers.

Line wires, barbed wires and electric fencing can be attached above. The net wasn’t lashed in anyway.

Clipex in Practice

We set the team from Clipex 3 fencelines, the first was a simple line around a low ground field with good soil depth, the second was a more challenging line on a steep slope with turns and tie downs required, the third was very nasty with virtually no soil and some difficult climbs.

The first line went up very quickly, one man who was also demonstrating and so stopping to speak, had just over 50m up in around 3 hours. The contractors were impressed at the speed with which it went up and the stability of the strainers, we used a hinge jointed net and it worked perfectly.

The second line was more of a challenge. We used their X fence and that rode the ground well, the contractors liked both it and the barbed wire. The first modification that the contractors wanted, and which was echoed on day 2  by the Forestry Commission was a screw in hook to hold the net down on strainers to allow up hill tensioning without pulling the wire up the smooth side of the strainer.

The Clipex team used a beefy post to display it’s strength as a turner and the method of pulling wire round it using a driving sleeve (metal tube which fits over post and is used to protect it during thumping) was much admired. The sleeves themselves are a great idea as they fit over the post, the user drives the post down and when the base of the sleeve touches the ground then the post is in far enough.

The fencers found they were searching for sufficient depth to get the intermediate posts into the ground and had to make some modifications to posts with a grinder.

The Clipex team chose to put up a section of deer fence on the third section using a one piece net. They are currently still developing a two piece net post.

Despite the very difficult ground the clipex posts performed well

Again the lack of a hook for holding net down was a difficulty when straining the net and some of the intermediates had to be cut down. A bracing post would also have been useful but there is a strut and bracket for use on the beefy post where that is used as a turner and had there been any left we could have used one of those.

The clipex came into it’s own on rock, the Clipex team have produced a separate rock post with a rebar point which can be resined into holes in the rock. Unlike the conventional system where the rock is drilled, a metal post is set into it, and then the wooden post is nailed onto that, the Clipex post was ready to go as soon as the resin had set.

There were questions about the abundant use of gripples as some of the contractors have had bad experiences with them giving up after a number of years. It would also be possible to use crimps or preformed connectors but the clipex team admitted that one of the reasons it is so fast to put up is the use gripples. These can be backed up with preformed connectors or with traditional knots.

The contractors concluded that in parkland it would be a great system and that it would also be worth using on very difficult ground given the greater fence life. It will require modification for very difficult ground and the Clipex team have gone away with a number of ideas on how to better suit it to the West Coast. It may have fewer advantages on moderately difficult but accessible ground where it would be relatively easy to replace wooden fencing.