While you are working in the vineyard this spring you may like to measure the tension of your trellis wire. An easy to do this is to buy a fish scale, the kind you would use to measure that trophy fish. They are inexpensive and easy to carry.
Take a 6 inch by 42 inch board and draw a line to divide the board in half lengthwise. Measure in from each end 1 inch and put a nail in. These nails should be 40 inches apart. Next draw a line to divide the lengthwise line in half. Put in a nail ½ inch below the crossing point. This nail is in the middle between the outer nails. Your device is now finished.
Hold the board so that the trellis wires are above the outer nails. Connect the spring scale in the center of the wire and pull down until you touch the center nail. Read the scale and multiply the number by 20. This will be the tension of the wire. If the scale reads 10 pounds then the tension is 200 pounds.
