CEMENT AND CONCRETE FENCE POSTS. 5 



enough stronger to justify anyone in constructing it in preference 

 to the tamped one at the necessary additional expense for molds. 

 The poured post is smoother, more nearly impervious to water, not 

 so hard to cure, stronger, somewhat more expensive, and can be 

 better recommended than the tamped one. 



Tamped Posts. The tamped post is one in which the 

 mixture contains very much less water than the poured one. It 

 contains just enough water to make it hold together well when 

 tamped. In the manufacturing of this type of post, only one mold 

 is necessary. The mixture is tamped into it, and the sides of the 

 mold can be removed immediately, the post remaining on the bot- 

 tom piece until the cement has set. Thus the same mold can be con- 

 tinuously used for making as many posts as are desired. The ne- 

 cessity for but one mold makes this type of post less expensive than 

 the poured one. The results of the test made, show that the tamped 

 post is inferior to the poured one and cannot be placed in an equal 

 class with it. 



On account of less water being used in the mixture for a 

 tamped post than in the mixture for a poured one, the tamped post 

 requires more water and attention in curing. It is of more open 

 texture, less impervious to water, not as strong, and not as desir- 

 able as the post of the poured type. 



Molds For Tamped Posts. In this class of molds we find 

 mostly the heavy cast-iron forms which are built of strong 

 and heavy material. The most of these molds are designed to be 

 laid upon pallettes or upon a smooth floor. The mixture is first 

 tamped into the mold to a depth of about one inch. The reinforce- 

 ment is then placed and the mold is next filled, and the mixture 

 tamped, so that only about one inch, of material remains to be 

 filled in. The second set of reinforcement wires is put in place 

 next and the mold is tamped full to overflowing. The last step con- 

 sists in smoothing off the top of the post with a trowel and re- 

 moving the mold. This is done by unfastening some form of hook 

 or clasp, slipping the sides of the mold a little distance away from 

 the post, and then removing the molds to the position chosen for 

 the next post. 



The principal advantage of these molds lies in the fact that 

 they being made of heavy iron need no center stays. This gives 

 greater speed in operation, due to the fact that there are no cross 

 pieces to interfere with the placing of the reinforcement, the tamp- 

 ing of the mixture, and the smoothing off of the top of the post at 

 the finish. 



Molds For Poured Posts. The more common forms are 

 made of sheet iron, either galvanized or plain. For posts having 

 a continual taper from top to bottom, sheet iron molds prove very 



