If it stops raining in Melbourne soon I'll take a picture of my grape trellis system and send it to you. It uses two 2.4m long treated pine posts in the ground in a "V" configuration. Currently growing 3 x Black Muscatels up it for table, drying and fresh vine leaves.

Cheers
Luke

Hi Ray
There are in-line strainers and the ones I got are called ratchet strainers. You tighten them with a spanner and cost, from memory, $3.80. Much safer for an inexperienced person than using real fence strainers.

There are a few types of anchoring systems. The one we used has two wooden posts spaced about 2m apart with a piece of timber wedged between the two tops. You then run a loop of wire diagonally with the lower end at the end of the fence. (ie opposite to the direction of force)

You can tighten/strain this with the ratchet strainers. If your wire is NOT high tensile you can tighten this by passing a strong stick between the loop sides and twisting them together.

"If your wire is NOT high tensile you can tighten this by passing a strong stick between the loop sides and twisting them together."

I agree with Pep. Amanda's terrific plans for the new fence I built around the chook run included this tightening system. I used a Phillip's head screwdriver and twisted the wire loop till it came up tight and then slid the screwdriver back out.

Star pickets driven hard into the ground are very sturdy things, IMHO. I have several in my garden that I can't shift. You could use quick-set concrete in a deep post hole.

I understand how twisting a loop of wire using a stick or screwdriver could tighten the wire. Is it the loop so created that stops the wire from slipping back through the hole?

If you use high tensile wire it is harder to turn, more likely to do you an injury and will break before finishing. Softer wire will stretch and it takes heaps more Nm of force to snap it. The advantage of high tensile is that it is generally cheaper and on long lengths looks better.

Glad to hear it worked for you Grub.

Another method we've used, which is probably simpler is to drive a short star post/picket to ground level about 4-6ft from the end of the last post then tying the top of the last post to this.

I was writing my bit at the same time as you Ray. Not sure what you mean Is it the loop so created that stops the wire from slipping back through the hole? Generally you would wrap the wire around the brace frame and tack it with u-nails. When you say about the wire slipping through the hole are you referring to joining the wire ends? or other?

I imagined that tightening the wire by twisting was done once passed through the end, with the other end tacked down or something. Not sure, I really have no idea. Should go and look at a few fences. No shortage around here. Come to think of it, there are some new vineyards between here and Tamworth. Perhaps they wouldn't mind me having a look.
It's only for backyard use so it doesn't have to be fancy, just secure.

When we did ours we wrapped it around the outside of the posts. Imagine 2 posts standing 2 mtrs apart. Now lay one coil of wire around them. Lift one end and use a nail or u-nail to keep it near the top. Use a nail or u-nail to keep the other end near the bottom. Tie the two ends of the coil bringing it as tight as you can by hand. Then you would use the strong stick to twirl the two sides of the wire together. It is difficult to explain but dead easy if you see it. I hope this has helped a little. Be careful when using this method that the stick doesn't spin back when you let it go.

Also a tip to tying wire. Get a strong flat piece of steel about 20cm/8in long and at least 1cm/half inch wide. Drill a hole near the end and in the middle so that your wire can pass through. You then use the steel as a lever when tying instead of pliers or your hand. The place that sells wire should have a tool like this and only about $2. I bought one but found the home made one was better.

Good luck

Okay, thanks everyone. I'll let you all know how it goes.

We used star pickets with pine posts as end posts and left our wires fairly loose. The vines grow up the star pickets and are tied loosely along the wires. In 5 years time the lateral vines won't need the support of the wires, so they will be removed. This creates a 'fence' of vines that looks really great and is structurally sound and productive.

Thanks Robyn. I like the easy approach. I'll just use the star pickets with wire as a guide as you suggest.

couldn't you just buy grapes at the shop?.

I'm working at a very large and good vineyard, There are several different setups there, I'll be moving wires around later next month, if you remind me then Raymondo I'll take pictures of the different setups for you and the wires positions on the posts, you really want it so you can move all the wires up and down on clips (except the main wire you tie the canes around) then you follow the vines up with two wires to hold the growth inside the row. If you get it right you wont have any trouble pruning them or keeping them growing straight. I was pruning several hundred vines a day this Winter and I'm only a beginer.

I took full advantage of the job and have over 100 cuttings of most of the best eating wine varieties growing roots in the vege garden :D

C'mon Nicefrog, do tell what varieties you have.

Oh yes please. We've got the ones from pepino. But I'm sure we could jam another few in. I might just start using the neighbour's place. They'd probbly love a few grapes growing.

Ok well my boss says Sauvignon Blanc is by far the best eating cool climate grape, so I have those for a start.

Sauvignon Blanc
Pinot Noir
Pinot Menuire
Riesling
Chardonnay
Muscat Blanc
Pinot Gris

Not all of are the best eating grapes but they all grow and fruit like champions in the cold and that's good enough for me.

Next year I'll get a Dark Muscat and a few others maybe? I dunno I'm just starting my grape collection

They are table grapes? I always thought they were the kind for making wine. Interesting. All these grapes do very well in our region, so you must live in the same climate then? :)

They are not "table" grapes but if someone would like to tell me what makes a table grape so different to a "wine" grape it would solve a mystery for me. The cool climate "Wine" varieties taste good when they are left to ripen properly (they pick them not quite ripe for wine to give it a bit of kick). Spatz where are you living? half way to Adelaide? I'm not far over the border, I'm almost a South Australian

I bought some inline strainers and found the trellis configurations on the web, but they all seem to be a bit unclear as to where the strainers are located. Is it on all the trellising wires, the fruiting wires only, or some other combination?

I put mine at the end of each line to tighten them. I also used it for the diagonal brace at each end