Working with hardware cloth...

[we3ernes]

Yes, both...well worth the time it takes to employ it, IMO.
Working the HC on a big flat hard(garage floor here) surface really helps too.
I was working with 4' x 50' rolls, easier to roll out and cut to length there.

Thanks @aart ! My shop floor has limited space, but it will do for now. When I have to get larger pieces I’ll take it out to the driveway to cut (just getting pieces big enough for the brooder right now).

 

[we3ernes]

A four and a half inch angle grinder will cut the steel and remove sharp edges.

I don’t own an angle grinder, but I do have electric shears that are made for metal, so that’s what I’ll be using. I’ve been asking for an angle grinder for awhile, but there is always something else on my wishlist that I get first!

Small diagonal cutters work better than tin snips. The closer the wire is to the pivot the easier it is to cut. These are used to snip electrical wire.

Here are the shears I’ll be using:


I imagine I’ll save some time cutting, but use that same time up with folding the edges.

 

[we3ernes]

After my first couple panels I started overlapping the first square of neighboring panels. It gets rid of sharp edges, uses less screws and fender washers, and you have an overlapped seam.

For the large panels on the run this is what I plan to do. I mainly needed to know what to do for smaller items (like the windows in the coop). This is good advice!

 

[aart]

Grinder wheels can break the welds near the edge,
I do use a cut off wheel on angle grinder to cut 14ga mesh...
...gotta prop it up on a piece of wood to avoid cutting the concrete underneath.

Pinning down the roll with weights won't flatten it,
you've got to back bend it a bit...and carefully.
I use a wooden saw horse or big folding plastic work table to do that.

To show the pic that started this thread:

 

[aart]

After my first couple panels I started overlapping the first square of neighboring panels. It gets rid of sharp edges, uses less screws and fender washers, and you have an overlapped seam.

I never screw into first square, always the second, edge wire/weld can break pretty easily.

 

[Ghosty]

I never screw into first square, always the second, edge wire/weld can break pretty easily.

Could be. I used gaw hardware cloth I got online. The welds seemed pretty strong, and the fender washers cover outside and inside welds. Later on, I went to larger fender washers and went in a square at times. Even when I didn't it covers several welds. Actually I liked the panels where I only overlapped one or two squares as it came out neater and required less screws.

 

[5.3acredream]

What tools do you use when working with hardware cloth? Aside from the obvious - leather gloves, tin snips - was there anything you found particularly helpful? Getting ready to build my brooder.

I know this has been posted before, but I wanted to ask @aart specifically about a tool in her media page - the tinner’s seamer. Did you find that folding the hardware cloth at the ends was the best way to deal with sharp edges? Or did you do it for another reason, maybe to strengthen the edges?

Anyone else with a lot of experience who wants to chime in?

Honest to God, best tool in my arsenal was a grinder with a cutting wheel. No struggling with snips. 10/10 for a little 4" grinder

 

[Chullicken]

I like to use PPE, but the gloves and HC just made it worse and time consuming. Found pre planning really pays off if you design your project to the same (Slightly narrower/shorter) as the hardware cloth dimensions. Apply with decking screws and suitable washers to really hold it in place and secure. I tried fencing nails but it is hard to remove them after and can be daunting nailing them in. Hope you post some pictures. Good luck.

 

[we3ernes]

Honest to God, best tool in my arsenal was a grinder with a cutting wheel. No struggling with snips. 10/10 for a little 4" grinder

Did a little test run with my shears today, they cut like a hot knife through butter! Experimenting with how close I can get to the welds without breaking them. Still need to look into the tinner’s tools.

 

[we3ernes]

I like to use PPE, but the gloves and HC just made it worse and time consuming.

PPE = personal protective equipment? I ended up switching back and forth from bare hands to fitted work gloves. I like these from Tractor Supply, they are pigskin and allow for quite a bit of dexterity. I wear them out within 3 months because I always forget to switch out to heavy duty ones before handling rocks....