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Outdoor Problems of the Householder: Office
Rods or 4inch in diameter are most used in posts. The kind especially made for this purpose is preferable to the ordinary stock kept SHIP LAP ی B 1:5:5 1.5・7′1 B Gang mold for posts without taper. (Office of Public Roads.) gangs. The corners should be slightly rounded.
Oiling Molds.-Apply soft soap or crude oil, not kerosene, rather sparingly. Pour a quart of oil into a pail of water, stir, and apply the mixture with a mop or stiff broom by blacksmiths and hardware merchants. Ordinary ungalvanized fencing wire either single No. 8 or 2 No. 13 wires twisted is a suitable reinforcement for ordinary line posts. But this must be obtained straight from dealers, in the necessary 6 S 314 S 5 Molds for triangular posts. (Office of Public Roads.) to scrub out the molds after they have been used five or ten times.
Or apply more often if necessary to prevent sticking.
Reinforcement.
Concrete posts are somewhat brittle and may be greatly improved by reinforcing them lengths, and not in coils. The reinforcement should be placed within to 1 inch of the outside of the post. Care must be taken that it is not so located as to be exposed when the corners are rounded off. "Fool-Proof Spacer." -To keep the reinforcement in place use the little device known as the "fool-proof spacer." This consists of a No. 10 wire cut to such a length that, when twisted once around each of the two reinforcing wires or rods, the ends will nearly touch the sides of the molds. The distance from the twists to the end of the short wire or spacer is equal to the distance from the reinforcement to the side of the mold. On triangular molds such a spacer can be used only on the two rods or wires near the top of the mold. A shorter and similar device with only "Fool-proof spacer" for reinforcement. (Office of Public Roads.) one twist may be used on the lower reinforcement. Place at least three spacers on each piece of reinforcement; one at the middle and the other two not far from the ends of the post. Metal slightly rusted may be used. Galvanizing is not necessary. There will be no rusting once the metal is encased in concrete.
It is a good plan to have the reinforcing wire 2 inches longer than the posts and turned back an inch on each end in the form of a hook.
For posts subject to rubbing and crowding as in barn-yards, short extra reinforcing pieces 2 feet long are sometimes placed in the lower end to prevent the posts from snapping at the surface of the ground.
Mixing a Six-post Batch of Concrete. The table on the next page, prepared by the Office of Public Roads, gives the approximate quantities of material for six posts 7 feet long and of the sizes named. To make larger numbers of posts increase the quantities in like proportion. Molding Posts.-Oil or soap the molds and pour the concrete in them as soon as it has been mixed. If it stands thirty minutes after mixing throw it away. It is worthless. Fill the molds evenly to the depth of or 1 inch as desired and lay in the reinforcement properly spaced by means of at least 3 "fool-proof" wire spacers. Now pour in concrete until the molds are filled within to 1 inch of the top. Add the remaining reinforcement and fill the mold. Now place a crow bar or pinch bar under each outer corner of the molds, by turns, and move it up and down quickly. This vibration shakes out the air bubbles and makes the concrete more compact. Now level the exposed corners, if desired, with the edger. Finish the surface with the trowel as soon as the surface water has been absorbed but before the concrete has become hard. Use green lumber and soak the materials with water so the concrete will not cause them to swell and crack the posts.
Do not work in hot sun or wind. In freezing weather work under cover.