How to Cut Chicken Wire
Galvanized wire is commonly known as chicken wire because it is frequently used to fence in poultry and other flying birds. This flexible gauge wire with hexagon shaped gaps is one of those materials that is so versatile, and used in so many different situations, that it has become thought of in the same category as duct tape or safety pins. Besides the obvious fencing applications, chicken wire is also used as an easily shaped framework for figures, and as a construction material used in conjunction with stucco and concrete. Whatever your use may be for chicken wire, you will need to know how to cut it to fit your needs. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Leather gloves
- Wire cutters
- Long-sleeved shirt
- Chicken wire
- Measuring tape
- Marker
Instructions
-
-
1
Put on a long-sleeved shirt and a heavy pair of leather gloves to protect against cuts and scratches from the cut ends of the chicken wire.
-
2
Use a sharp, heavy-duty pair of wire cutters with spring-loaded handles to make the cutting easier.
-
-
3
Unroll the chicken wire to the desired length. The chicken wire will have a lot of "memory", in that it will want to retain the shape that it had in the roll. It will try and spring back as you unroll it. Get someone to help you if possible. Have one person hold one end of the wire down as the other unrolls it.
-
4
Measure and mark a cut line on the wire to fit your preferred dimensions. A helper comes in handy for this too.
-
5
Start at one end and begin to snip one at a time through the wires along the cut line until you have cut the wire to your preference. Take special care during this part of the job, as the combination of the freshly cut chicken wire and its recoil effect present a cutting or poking hazard.
-
1
