Homemade One-Handed Gate Tightener

Homemade One-Handed Gate Tightener FENCING Gates 34-4-41 I made my own one-handed gate tightener using the adjustment handles off an old harrow or springtooth cultivator. It's handy on barbed wire gates that tend to sag a lot. I attach the adjustment handles to a length of strap iron, which I screw onto the gate's wooden cross brace or weld onto a metal cross brace. Then I hook galvanized cable or smooth wire to the handle and loop it around the gate post. Squeezing the handle releases a "dog" and then I pull back to tighten the gate. By releasing the handle, I can easily remove the loop from the gate. If any slack in the fence or gate develops later on, I can use the adjusting handle to take up the difference. I've used this idea for 30 or 40 years now, on many different gates, and it works great. (Harold L. Penner, Rt. 1, Box 86, Fairview, Okla. 73737 ph 580 227-0279)

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