Baling wire
Encyclopedia
Baling wire, otherwise known as "farm
wire
" or "soft wire," is used in an agricultural setting and industrial setting for everything from mending fences to manually binding square bales of hay, straw, or cut grass. It is also used to band together condensed cardboard, textiles, aluminum and other materials that are processed in the recycling
industry.
Baling wire is commonly used in many non-agricultural applications, usually in an informal, make-do manner. It is frequently referred to as one of the basic repair materials. Typical uses range from supporting loose muffler
s to patching chain-link fence
s. Common phrases often include baling wire as an ad hoc
, fix-anything material, alongside chewing gum
, duct tape
, and the cable tie
.
It is also known as "haywire," from which the term "go haywire" arose, referring to crazy or mixed up from the wire's use to fix anything in an ad hoc manner.
Its closest industrial (proper name) is Mechanic's Wire (Soft Annealed Mechanic's Wire, 18 AWG)
In the United States, Australia, and around the world, baling wire was used in mechanical hay balers pulled behind a tractor. The balers used a wire twister that first cut then twisted the ends of the wire such that the bale kept its shape after the baler had pressed the hay into a tight rectangular bale. These hay balers were in common use up until the late 1980s. When the hay was fed to the stock the wire was cut and hung in bundles around the farm. Farmers used the soft wire for fixing almost everything you could think of on the farm. From old leather horse harness to pins to keep castellated nut
s in place on the tractor. Even tiny screwdrivers were made by cutting a short length of wire and looping one end for grip. The other end was then flattened and shaped to make a screwdriver for those fiddly jobs like replacing the tiny screws in reading glasses.
Baling wire was a commonly-used product for many years but it has since been replaced by baling twine
in the late 1970s.
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
wire
Wire
A wire is a single, usually cylindrical, flexible strand or rod of metal. Wires are used to bear mechanical loads and to carry electricity and telecommunications signals. Wire is commonly formed by drawing the metal through a hole in a die or draw plate. Standard sizes are determined by various...
" or "soft wire," is used in an agricultural setting and industrial setting for everything from mending fences to manually binding square bales of hay, straw, or cut grass. It is also used to band together condensed cardboard, textiles, aluminum and other materials that are processed in the recycling
Recycling
Recycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
industry.
Baling wire is commonly used in many non-agricultural applications, usually in an informal, make-do manner. It is frequently referred to as one of the basic repair materials. Typical uses range from supporting loose muffler
Muffler
A muffler is a device for reducing the amount of noise emitted by the exhaust of an internal combustion engine. A US Patent for an Exhaust muffler for engines was granted to Milton and Marshall Reeves in 1897....
s to patching chain-link fence
Fence
A fence is a freestanding structure designed to restrict or prevent movement across a boundary. It is generally distinguished from a wall by the lightness of its construction: a wall is usually restricted to such barriers made from solid brick or concrete, blocking vision as well as passage .Fences...
s. Common phrases often include baling wire as an ad hoc
Ad hoc
Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning "for this". It generally signifies a solution designed for a specific problem or task, non-generalizable, and not intended to be able to be adapted to other purposes. Compare A priori....
, fix-anything material, alongside chewing gum
Chewing gum
Chewing gum is a type of gum traditionally made of chicle, a natural latex product, or synthetic rubber known as polyisobutylene. For economical and quality reasons, many modern chewing gums use rubber instead of chicle...
, duct tape
Duct tape
Duct tape, or duck tape, is cloth- or scrim-backed pressure sensitive tape often sealed with polyethylene. It is very similar to gaffer tape but differs in that gaffer tape was designed to be cleanly removed, while duct tape was not. It has a standard width of and is generally silver or black...
, and the cable tie
Cable tie
A cable tie, also known as a zip tie or tie-wrap , is a type of fastener, especially for binding several electronic cables or wires together and to organize cables and wires.-Design and use:...
.
It is also known as "haywire," from which the term "go haywire" arose, referring to crazy or mixed up from the wire's use to fix anything in an ad hoc manner.
Its closest industrial (proper name) is Mechanic's Wire (Soft Annealed Mechanic's Wire, 18 AWG)
In the United States, Australia, and around the world, baling wire was used in mechanical hay balers pulled behind a tractor. The balers used a wire twister that first cut then twisted the ends of the wire such that the bale kept its shape after the baler had pressed the hay into a tight rectangular bale. These hay balers were in common use up until the late 1980s. When the hay was fed to the stock the wire was cut and hung in bundles around the farm. Farmers used the soft wire for fixing almost everything you could think of on the farm. From old leather horse harness to pins to keep castellated nut
Castellated nut
A castellated nut, also called a castle nut or slotted nut, is a nut with slots cut into one end. The name comes from the nut’s resemblance to the crenellated parapet of a medieval castle....
s in place on the tractor. Even tiny screwdrivers were made by cutting a short length of wire and looping one end for grip. The other end was then flattened and shaped to make a screwdriver for those fiddly jobs like replacing the tiny screws in reading glasses.
Baling wire was a commonly-used product for many years but it has since been replaced by baling twine
Baling twine
Baling twine or baler twine is a small diameter sisal or synthetic twine used to bind a quantity of fibrous material into a more compact and easily stacked form. Load strengths range near 350 lbs....
in the late 1970s.
External links
- Baling wire's contribution to the earmuff