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Home Depot sells 5x150' rolls of 6" concrete mesh for $120. Using 13 squares (6.5') per cage, one roll of mesh will make 23 cages. The full roll is heavy – 150lbs – so use a dolly or a friend to help you move it.
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The ends are bent inward to keep the roll closed.
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A-clamps or a helper will keep the roll from springing open when the ends are straightened out.
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Get some good pliers to unbend and open the roll. The bigger and better the pliers, the less pain and soreness will be required.
![](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3607/3407916585_9b5a8edab6.jpg?v=0)
Wood, bricks or container plants can be used to manage the roll and keep it from getting away from you. (It wants to unwind more than you may want it to...)
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Count out the number of 6" squares for the size cage you want – I used 13 squares – and cut each horizontal wire tightly against the 5' vertical wire. That'll make all the ends the same length and give you a clean vertical wire at the beginning of the next 6.5' length.
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You can use the pliers to bend the ends – but I had a nut driver with a hole drilled about an inch or so up into the shaft. The fixed depth of the hollow gave me consistent length bends without having to measure.
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Nut driver handle gave good leverage and straight, tidy bends.
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Bent ends form hooks that grab the vertical wire at the other end once rolled.
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Overlapping the ends by one 6" square keeps the cage round and gives you something to hold onto when hooking all the ends in place.
![](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3596/3408724650_62f7614879.jpg?v=0)
The cage
should hold itself together without additional fasteners or welding. I used wire-ties to prevent any surprise movement or dismemberment that might occur once the cage is weighted down with tomatoes.