Conference 2022: Fencers have a Field Day in Dunedin

Fencers have a Field Day in Dunedin

The FCANZ National Fencing Field Day was held on the Wednesday preceding the 2022 Conference and gratefully the weather played its part in a fine, near mild day without the high winds that cancelled and delayed so many flights into Dunedin on the Tuesday.

The Otago-Taieri A&P Showgrounds proved to be a valuable site, though it’s always hard to plan for an event on a site you have never laid eyes on. Certainly A&P Showgrounds infrastructure tends to suit our events. With around 20 exhibitors that service the fencing industry the site layout worked well with a Secondary Schools skills challenge down one end and the exhibitors lined up on the other three sides. Exhibitors included Waratah, Beattie Insulators, Steel and Tube, Strainrite, Delfast, Boundaryline, FENCEQUIP, Edgesmith, Summit, Farmlands, Gallagher, Southland Farm machinery with Fencepro, Power Farming with Kinghitter, Bayonet,

Secondary Schools skills challenge Blue shirt, blue glasses, and a stack of blue wire: Brendon Crequer, Waratah

John Noakes and Tony White discuss footings results Stockade, Revolution Postdrivers, Activ Trailers, W.Rietveld Ltd (rock drilling) Stronghold and Micky Thompson tyres.

Discussion topics included a review of different types of footings, electrics, and rail work. Our thanks to Mark Lambert and Tony White for heading these, alongside MC John Noakes.

The Carr Family Foundation Rural Health Caravan ran checks on over 40 people – a sincere thank you to Craig Wiggins and Nurse Kirsten Barnes who carried out the health checks.

A number of competitions were run by FCANZ and exhibitors including Summit, Waratah, Strainrite and Stockade.

This Field Day came together with help from the FCANZ Board, Jeanette, Jaime, local contractor Nick Terry and some of his crew members, Tony White and John Noakes. Chris and Sue Aspinall turned up on the Tuesday and Wednesday to help, along with Angelina Beets. As they say many hands make light work!.

Footings test results

There were 7 different footing techniques used in very tight silty loam/clay soils. The gauge used limited out at 3.5 ton of lift.

Footing technique

1. 1.2.4m x 125 round post driven to 1200mm into ground

2. 8m x 150 post driven to 600mm into ground with half a waratah attached with a 1.25 angler groove nail

3. 8m x 150 post driven to 600mm into ground with a half waratah attached by a 6-inch nail 4. 8m x 150 post driven to 600mm into ground with a whole waratah attached by a 125-angler groove nail 5. 8m x 150 post driven to 600mm into ground with no tie down

Result

Limited out on the gauge at 3.5 ton of lift so it took considerably more to lift out without the gauge

Pulled out at 1.8 ton of lift

Pulled out at 2.1 ton of lift

Pulled out at 2.1 ton of lift

Pulled out at 1.8 ton of lift

6. 8m x 150 post driven to 600mm into ground with No8 wire attached to a whole waratah Pulled out at 2.5 ton of lift

7. 8m x 150 post driven to 600mm into ground with a swinging foot attached, but not driven to the bottom of the post Pulled out at 1.5 ton of lift

A final note: No nails pulled out or wires were broken in the lifting process. If the swinging foot was at 600mm it would have taken more than 1.5 ton of lift as the ground was loosened up by boring close to the post.

So some interesting results but remember, different ground conditions can dramatically change the lift results, so know the ground you are working in.

Hit the Nail Competition action

Results of the FCANZ Field Day Competitions

Guess the weight of the Strainer (65.5kg)

Non member: Peter Graham (66kg) Member: Andrew Abercrombie (62kg)

Stride/Distance (70.3m) Aaron Sutherland (70.2)

Hit the Nail

Jake Scott (3 hits)

Waratah Guess the Staple (1049 Staples)

Danyel Watson (1001)

Hammer Throw

Male: Ben Haugh (48m) Female: Donna Upton

Javelin

Member: Jack Easen Non-member: Michael Conijn Female: Zoe Max

Waratah Wire Sculpture

Ez Fencing: Harold the Giraffe (below)