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Outdoor Problems of the Householder: Posts-Length
Special Posts. -Corner posts, gate posts, hitching posts and the like may be made of any desired design from special molds which can easily be QUANTITIES OF MATERIAL AND RESULTING AMOUNT OF CONCRETE FOR A SIX-POST BATCH TRIANGULAR POSTS-LENGTH, 7 FEET Proportions of materials by Materials in cubic feet, parts, measured in volume measured loose Size of post Gravel Stone Cement Sand or Cement Sand Concrete Water tamped, for cubic mixing, feet gallons or rock gravel Heavy.
Medium.
Light... 111111 2 1.4 2.8 5.6 6.2 11 1.5 6.0 6.2 11 2 1.3 2.6 5.2. 5.5 10 1.4 5.6 5.5 10 2 1.1 2.2 4.4 4.8 9 1.2 4.8 4.8 9 RECTANGULAR POSTS-LENGTH, 7 FEET Straight, 5 by 5...
Taper on two sides, 4 by 6, 4 by 4 Full taper, 5 by 6, 4 by 3.. 1 2 1.7 3.4 6.8 7.3 13 1 1.8 7.2 7.3 13 1 2 1.6 3.2 6.4 6.9 12 1 1.7 6.8 6.9 12 1 2 1.5 3.0 6.0 6.7 12 1 1.6 6.4 6.7 12 er than the fence wire, in either of two ways: (1) carry the wire fastener around the post and then twist it first upon itself and then around the fence wire; (2) or twist one end around the fence wire, carry it around the post and twist on the other side to the same wire. This is known as the "Western Union Twist."
Draw the fastener tight to keep the fence wire from sagging and from being slipped up or down by stock thrusting their heads through them.
If necessary roughen the posts at the fastening point with a cold chisel.
The kinks in woven wire fence take constructed by anyone having ordinary skill in carpentry. Holes may be made for bolt hinges and fasteners by inserting a piece of gas pipe in the concrete. But wrought iron clamp straps going completely around the posts are to be preferred.
These can be obtained to order from any blacksmith. Concrete makes excellent arbor posts and posts for vineyards, and trellises for all sorts of vines and clinging plants. Woven wire may be strung from post to support the vines and fastened in the manner above suggested. Warning.-Do not buy molds or means for mixing or molding concrete in blocks, posts or otherwise, or patent rights for the sale of such materials or processes, from traveling agents concerning whom you know nothing. Pay no attention whatever to assertions of such persons that you have been infringing their patent rights or that you may do so in future . Refer all such claimants to your attorney. You will never hear anything more about them. The methods above recommended are not 9 Methods of attaching fence wire to concrete posts . (Office of Public Roads.) patented and are equally as useful for all ordinary purposes as any patented process or processes whatever. PRESERVATION OF WOOD FENCE POSTS AND OTHER TIMBERS When concrete is not available some method of preserving fence posts and other timbers from decay will add greatly to their life and will be found a valuable economy. Decay consists in the destruction of wood tissue by low forms of plant life called fungi.
These require air, warmth and moisture. Wood decays most rapidly when in contact with the surface of the ground because the conditions of heat and moisture are there most favorable to fungous growth. Hence the objects of treatment for preservation of timber are to exclude air and moisture, to keep the fungi from coming in contact with the wood or to destroy them by antiseptics. Among the most common methods are peeling and seasoning, charring, painting, whitewashing, or the application of various coal-tar products, either by painting or dipping. The method to be employed will depend in part upon climatic conditions, and in part upon the use to which the timber is to be put. A more thorough and extensive method of preservation is justified for warm, moist climates than would be required for cool and dry localities. Those timbers, or portions of timbers, which come in contact with the soil as the sills of buildings or the lower part of fence posts-require most thorough treatment. All fence posts and similar timbers should be peeled and seasoned before used. Bark retards the evaporation of moisture and encourages the work of insects and fungi. Sometimes green posts are set surrounded by stone upon the theory that they will season in the ground. But experience does not indicate that the expense of this method is justified by the results. Moisture will reach timbers set among stone about as readily as if in actual contact with the soil.
The most desirable preservatives are petroleum-tar creosote, by-products of the manufacture of water gas; coal-tar creosote, by-products of the manufacture of coal gas, and of coke; and various products of these.
Both have antiseptic properties. But creosote, and some other products, made from coal-tar, are more efficient than Therefore, they are to be preferred petroleum products. although they are somewhat more expensive. by charring, first season the wood, Charring. To obtain good results then hold over an open fire. Take care not to let it check or split from the heat and do not char deep enough to weaken the post. It does not pay, as a rule, to char the entire post, but only the lower end up to about a foot above the ground and also the OUTDOOR PROBLEMS OF THE HOUSEHOLDER 291 top of the post where water may accumulate. or Painting. To treat posts with the brush, first peel and season them thoroughly. Then apply whitewash, any good paint or any of the coal-tar petroleum-tar products.
This method is not effective unless the posts have been thoroughly seasoned.
Otherwise the surface coating will be cracked as the wood shrinks and moisture will enter. However, no such coatings are really durable. The method. The plan of dipping the butts of posts in cement is not recommended.