Having repaired and strung a fair amount of both barbed wire and electric fences when I was younger, let me give you a tip: To check a wire to see if it's live, don't grab the wire. If it is live, your muscles will contract causing you to grip it harder. Instead, lay the back of your hand on it. If it's live, it'll just cause you to jerk your hand away. Either that or talk your buddy into grabbing it.
Sunday, June 06, 2021
Sunday Video 9
Having repaired and strung a fair amount of both barbed wire and electric fences when I was younger, let me give you a tip: To check a wire to see if it's live, don't grab the wire. If it is live, your muscles will contract causing you to grip it harder. Instead, lay the back of your hand on it. If it's live, it'll just cause you to jerk your hand away. Either that or talk your buddy into grabbing it.
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Reminds me of this. https://www.wired.com/images_blogs/photos/uncategorized/2007/05/16/electricfence.jpg
ReplyDeleteUsed to love tricking city kids into peeing on the hot wire
ReplyDeleteMy uncle told me he and his friends did that one time to a young " African-American" boy. The young fella hated them after that. Michigan, helping race relations since the 1940's.
DeleteSome people learn by being told.....others have to piss on the electric fence....
DeleteBetchya a nickel you can't pee on that wire!
ReplyDeleteAnother way to test is to break off a piece of live (green) grass or weed 3 or so inches long and use it to touch the fence with.... reduces the power by a huge amount yet you can still tell if it is on or not.
ReplyDeleteI was helping a neighbor put a top strand on cuz he had some new young bulls that were jumping the 2 strand. He had the lower fence as hot as it would go at the time, he was getting tired and the T post driver ( the one with the T post twister on it) slipped down and got on the hot wire. He danced like Joe fucking Cocker for about 4- 5 seconds and I damn near pissed myself laughing. That beer tasted good that day.
ReplyDeleteThat's some funny shit Skipperdaddy. OG
DeleteHere's my short story: Bout 10 years ago, I'm installing a disconnect on a live 200v system. Made contact with both leads for about 1.5 seconds. Current traveled thru both hands/arms, probably thru chest but felt it most at the elbows. @ 60 Hz = 90 cycles. I can only surmise that my body tried to match the frequency instantaneously to minimise my use of the word FUCK to 2.5 cycles per second. True story. OG
DeleteThat's an old electrician trick. If you're unsure if something is dead, touch it with your palm facing you. If you get a shock, the muscle contractions with pull your hand away.
ReplyDeleteMC
Better yet, let someone else touch it.
DeleteSame applies when four wheeling- when in doubt, let someone else go first.
For instance:
Agitated guy with jeep stuck in mud: "You said that puddle wasn't very deep!"
Farmer leaning on fence nearby: "Only comes up to here on my ducks..."
I had a cousin that thought he could pee on an electric fence, it didn't end well....
ReplyDeleteKnew a guy who did that except the fence was enhanced with a model T coil. His entire crotch was black and blue.
DeleteIs that part of an aircraft in background?
ReplyDeleteSure looks like it!!!! grayman
DeleteIt's the vertical stabilizer of something but I don't know what. Something small.
DeleteSafety Briefing, Camp Pickett, ca. 1974. "Gentlemen! Parts of this installation are protected by electrified fences. When the urge strikes relieve yourselves on a tree but NOT a fence post. Ladies! (it was the first year ROTC was co-ed nation wide) Ya'll be careful too."
ReplyDeleteFor best results, touch tongue to wire...
ReplyDeleteA freshly plucked blade of grass will sizzle when placed against a hot wire. My childhood was less adventurous that most of you. We still had fun, just never got to know the emergency room staff too well.
ReplyDeleteScurvy
Not being a very bright kid, I have pissed on the same fence more than once in my youth.
ReplyDeleteJudging from the look on her face as she started to vibrate, that kooter tightened up so a pin wouldn't pull out
ReplyDeleteI hate to be this way but I have this thing called a voltmeter I use to determine if something is live. I realize it's somewhat less dramatic. And yes I usually have it with me in the toolbox in my truck.
ReplyDeleteThat was a weed whacker pulse. I will make you a believer.
ReplyDelete... and she votes.
ReplyDeleteIs it wrong to watch it over and over…….and over and over and over and over…….
ReplyDeleteMy mother, 88, laughs about grabbing a companion and then touching the wire. Apparently, whomever is furthest gets the jolt. Mirth and mischief are amusing to watch in a senior.
ReplyDeleteI talked my sister into holing my hand as I grabbed Grandpa's fence. 60 some years and she hasn't held my hand since. 'course I found out about electricity in fence wires when I threw a bucket of water into the field from the garage door. My God it took a long time for that bucket to empty!!!!!
DeleteWe had a cheap, low power fence charger. you could grab it with your bare hand and just feel a tingle, if you were wearing rubber soled tennis shoes. It would get your attention in bare feet, however!
ReplyDeletetallowpot
Here's some Finnish idiots peeing on an electric fence.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwKlFkX65Zs
torilla tavataan!
When I was a kid we moved from a 100 acre farm to the city and a 800 sq ft house on a lot. It took my dog about a week to figure out he could squeeze between the boards on the fence & get out. I knew we still had the electric fencer from the farm, so I wired it up in the space between the boards where he got out.
ReplyDeleteIt only took one time for that wet nose to touch the wire and after that you couldn't drag him even close to that fence! No way! Saved him from being run over.