Cutting Chicken Wire
Download ArticleYou want to know the easiest way for cutting chicken wire? Below you can find instructions on how to do it yourself using different tools.
OVERVIEW
- Estimated Completion Time: 10 minutes
- Experience Required: Medium
- Tools Required: Protective Wear, Scissors / Tin Snips / Wire Cutter, Lineman’s Pliers
- Materials Required: Chicken Wire
GETTING STARTED
- Wear a long sleeved shirt, working pants, protective gloves and safety glasses to avoid any injury.
- Pick the most suitable tool to cut the mesh, depending on the gauge of the netting.
THIN WIRE: Scissors – Max. 0.21mm (35g)
- You can use scissors to cut lightweight chicken wire mesh.
- Snap the strands carefully while lifting up the separated part to avoid injury.
MEDIUM WIRE: Wire Cutters – Max 1.2 mm (18g)
- You can use wire cutters for stronger gauge netting.
- You need to snap the strands individually as you go.
- Pull the separated part away with one of your hands as you move along to avoid injury.
MEDIUM WIRE: Tin Snips – Max 1.2 mm (18g)
- Another alternative would be the tin snips, which can also cut chicken wire up to 1.2mm thickness.
- You can snap multiple strands of wire at once as it has a longer cutting edge.
- Make sure that you keep a straight line as you go.
FOLD BACK THE LOOSE ENDS
- With the mesh cut to the right size, fold back the loose ends with lineman’s pliers to avoid snagging your clothes or causing injuries.
TIPS
- Any tool with a longer cutting edge will be more effective for resizing mesh.
- It’s easier to work with tools that have springs so that the blades jump back to their original position. This will help you shorten the mesh in a shorter amount of time.
- Chicken wire is a lightweight, malleable mesh that needs to be handled carefully to keep its original shape. The strands are woven together to create the hexagonal construction so if you pull the netting in one direction with too much force, the apertures will be disfigured.
FURTHER READING
- How to Paint Chicken Wire
- How to Attach Chicken Wire to Posts and Different Materials
- DIY Frame With Chicken Wire for Pictures
- How to Make Tomato Cages From Chicken Wire
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thank you for the article
What is the proper way to dispose of leftover scraps after cutting chicken wire to reduce environmental impact?
Good morning,
The easiest ways to dispose of leftover scraps is to contact a local scrap metal recycling center in your area and transporting it there.
There might also be a possibility of leaving the leftover in recycling containers which can be found in some areas.
Hope this is helpful.
Erno
Great information all the way. Thanks
Hi Tom,
We’re glad to hear that you found the information helpful. If you have any more questions or if there’s anything else I can assist you with, feel free to let me know.
Erno
What is a good substitute to use for this but on a much heavier gauge of wire?
Spefically 14 gauge wire
Hi Will,
A good wire cutter would be able to cut through a 14 gauge wire without any issues.
Hope this helps and please let me know if you need any further help.
Kind regards,
Erno
What do you do with the back side. It looks cheap to have all that wire and tacs showing.
Hi Carol,
As mentioned at the last step, you can fold back the loose wire edges with a lineman’s plier and this will give the mesh a cleaner and neater finished look.
Hope this is helpful and please let me know if you have any further questions!
Kind regards,
Erno