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Mahurangi inventor Malcolm Webster with the chainsaw-driven nail gun he has developed.
Mahurangi inventor Malcolm Webster is heading to Fieldays with a new contraption to convert a chainsaw into a nail gun for fencing, after being accepted into the Innovations Centre.
The device uses the chainsaw motor to power an air compressor, which produces enough power to drive in the fencepost staples which attach the fencing wire to the post.
“The current compressors are too big and bulky,” Malcolm says. “They can’t be carried and they have to be carted on a quad bike, which usually requires two people. You can use a hammer, but it’s a lot slower than using an air compressor and there are issues with the repetitive stress of the action.”
Malcolm’s invention weighs 17 kilograms and he is working to produce a smaller product. He came up with the concept while installing fencing for his business All Rural Fencing and hopes it will be picked up by a major corporation.
He says Fieldays is the best place to get feedback and exposure for an invention.
“You get thousands of people through – it’s overwhelming. At the Innovation Centre, you also get help with patent design and business structures from experts. A lot of inventions featured in the past have gone on to become commonplace.”
It’s Malcolm’s second time at the Innovation Centre. Five years ago he showcased a gate latch that can be opened and shut from horseback or quad bike.
The product is now on the market and further development contracts with Gallaghers are in the pipeline, but Malcolm says some tweaks to the product are still needed.
“We still haven’t quite cracked it.”
He also had a fencing display at Fieldays two years ago, where he gained a contract with a Japanese firm, helping farmers in Hokkaido improve their fencing and farming practices.
“I’ve been teaching Japanese farmers how to do New Zealand-type fencing.”
