The Fence Post

Sculptures Made with Chicken Wire?

There are many different uses for chicken wire. It is much more versatile than you might expect. Here, a unique practice is crafting the hexagonal netting into sculptured works of art. Ivan Lovatt, a sculptor from Australia, has created a stunning collection of artwork. Using galvanized chicken wire, he has made representations of both people and wildlife. A bust of John Lennon? Bring it on. This type of chicken wire is moldable with a neutral yet characteristic sheen. The small, light gauge mesh allows him to bend, fold, crease, and cut the mesh into its final shape. The result is an amazingly life-like rendition. Take a look at this video and see what you think:

A Wide Variety of Applications

The most common specifications of chicken wire available are made using 20 gauge wire woven into 1" or 2" hexagonal mesh. Other types available are ½" x 22 gauge, 1" x 18 gauge, and 1½ x 17 gauge.

Finishes available are: galvanized before weave (GBW), galvanized after weave (GAW), PVC vinyl coated (VC), and stainless steel. Not all specifications are available in all finishes.

This fencing material is ideal for use around the home, farm, and in industrial applications - any place where a lighter weight mesh can be used. Here are some conventional uses:

• deer fence
• craft projects
• stucco netting
• window guards
• game bird flight pens
• garden perimeter fence
• tree and shrub protection
• holding insulation in place
  
• exclusion barriers for birds
• chicken runs and poultry houses
• trellis for climbing plants & flowers
• backing mesh for post and rail fence
• framework for sculpture and float decorations

Yep, not just for chickens!

How many different ways can you think of using chicken wire? Have you tried using it that way?

 P.S. See the finished bust of John Lennon here.

Very Proudly American Made 

From scrap to wire rod to finished woven and welded wire mesh fence materials - Oklahoma Steel and Wire does it all. Barbed and barbless wire, welded wire fence and panels, field and farm fence, high tensile deer and wildlife fence, sheep and goat fence, and 2" x 4" and V-mesh horse fence.  

An Oasis Right in the City

Railroad Park is a 19-acre green space with nine acres of open lawn located right downtown in the city of Birmingham, Alabama. The rest of the park is landscaped with over 600 trees and a varied mix of flowers and plants. Recycled and re-used objects from the site are used in many of the walls and seating areas made from welded wire gabion baskets. Water is a main feature in the park. A lake, pond, wetland area, and streams are scattered throughout covering 30% of the area. Many paths wind throughout Railroad Park and the Rail Trail extends the length of the park. At its highest point, there are views of the city. Railroad Park is among five finalists selected to compete for the Urban Land Institute's Urban Open Space Award.

Dramatic and Functional

Gabions are versatile and Railroad Park in Birmingham makes creative use of them. Scattered throughout this recently constructed urban park are many different gabion structures. They are not only design elements adding definition to areas of the park but they are also dramatic features that perform a specific function. Here are some helpful visuals:

Welded wire baskets filled with stone form a gabion wall that holds back the earth. The path through the canyon leads off towards the tracks and the park's perimeter.

A retaining wall alongside one of the waterways flowing through the park forms a straight line in contrast to the curved shore in the foreground. Loose stones fill the space between the water and the wall.

This playground perimeter is defined and protected by a curved wall of stones enclosed in gabion baskets. Contours and varying heights are easily achieved using gabions.

Bordering areas extending into the water are built up with gabions, creating a tranquil space for seats on either side of a shade tree planted in the middle. There are several of these areas spaced along the shoreline. The structure harmonizes with the benches and wall in the distance.

Fiberglass grating secured to the top of the welded wire baskets provides comfortable seating areas throughout the park. The long gabion wall in the background runs along the edge of another pond.

Recycled hand-cast bricks from the area are also used to fill the galvanized gabion baskets. Stacked in an orderly pattern, notice the contrast in color and shape with the rough stones used elsewhere.

Large or Small Projects - Residential and Commercial

Gabion baskets allow for flexibility in landscape design. They can be used in any project, large or small, residential or commercial. They can be used purely as a design element or as a functioning structural piece. In addition to this flexibility, gabions also save time and labor during the construction phase. So easy to handle and assemble, many do-it-yourself projects can be built by the homeowner. It is far easier to position and fill an empty basket with rocks than it is to move boulders and large rocks into place. Consider using welded wire gabions in your next project.

Watch this video about Railroad Park--

See you at the park!

Panels Will Streamline a Project  

• Are you bidding on a commercial or municipal project that requires wire mesh safety panels for a boardwalk railing, deck railing, bridge railing, or other areas where public safety is of concern?
• Is there an industrial application that needs wire mesh to protect workers from injuries, such as machine guards and storage areas?
• Do the specs call for a heavy gauge welded wire mesh with an opening size that is hard to find, for example, 12.5 gauge black vinyl coated 2" x 2" mesh? Or do you want a galvanized after weld (GAW) or even a stainless steel product?

Managing Straightening and Space

You can go ahead and buy welded wire mesh in rolls. But as the gauge of the wire increases, so does the difficulty of straightening out the mesh so it will lie flat - especially towards the center of the roll where it is wound most tightly. This can be an especially difficult task when your workspace is limited. There may not be enough unobstructed space to open and roll out the material. Then there's the potential problem of cutting pieces to the right dimensions. And what do you do with the scrap pieces left after the panel is cut?

The List of Benefits

Wire mesh panels are effective in solving these problems and challenges. Custom cut panels have the following positive features:

1. Convenient
2. Pre-flattened
3. Faster to install
4. Easy to work with
5. Lower in labor cost
6. Less scrap and waste
7. Save on material costs
8. Wide choice of wire gauges
9. Smaller pieces are lighter in weight
10. Many different mesh sizes are available
11. GBW, GAW, Vinyl Coated, and Stainless Steel
12. Custom cut panels are sized to specific project requirements

What will you use on your next project?
Would pre-cut, pre-flattened panels save you time and money?

And please note that there may be minimum quantities requirements.

Structure and Style

Watch this video to see some of the creative ways gabion baskets have been used to construct some unique landscape features.

Using Your Imagination...

What kind of interesting structure could you incorporate in your project? Unleash your creativity! Welded wire gabion baskets offer so many possibilities: seating, planters, tables, retaining walls, free-standing walls, garden borders, stair surrounds...the potential of gabions expands with your imagination.

Is the creative use of gabion baskets something that interests you?