77 
American Agriculturist, January 26, 1924 
Fence Posts that “Stay Put” 
Concrete Combines Neatness and Worth 
W HEN only a By F. G. BEHRENDS sort of reinforcement, 
few posts are properly located 
to be made, they can be cast in a wood 
mold which may readily be made at home. 
If many are to be made, it is better to 
purchase a metal mold, many types of 
which are on the market. Although it is 
possible to make posts of a great variety 
of shapes, some of which are shown in Fig. 
1, the square post with sharp corners is, 
for a home-made mold, as desirable a 
shape as any. 
Having decided upon the shape, the 
next consideration is the making of the 
gang mold. The size of the mold will 
A concrete fence is neatness in itself and 
adds value to the farm. 
determine the amount of concrete that 
should be mixed at any one time. Rather 
than break the bags of cement it is better 
to construct the mold so that it will 
accommodate a one-bag mix, a two-bag 
mix, etc. It has been found that when 
using a 1 :2 : 3 mixture, 5 posts can be 
cast each 7 feet long and 5 inches by 4 
inches at the bottom; 3 inches by 4 inches 
at the top. 
How to Build a One-Bag-Batch Mold 
The finished mold must be assembled 
on some solid surface, such as a barn 
floor or a platform. If a platform is to be 
built, make it 8 feet long and 4 feet wide, 
using matched boards nailed to 3 stringers 
of 2" x 4" material placed on edge. 
See Fig. 2. 
The end and side pieces should be made 
of 2"x6" material; the two side pieces will 
each be 7 feet long, one end piece will be 
3 feet and the other 2 feet long. The 
division strips of which there are four, 
should be of 1" x 6" material. Each one 
is l" x 6" x 7'. The five pallets each of 
which is 7 feet long should be made from 
2" x 6" material, as follows: Select a 
Figure 1—Three suggested shapes for con¬ 
crete fence posts. Note the locations for 
the reinforcing rods. 
straight edge on each piece. From this 
straight edge measure in 5 inches on one 
end and 3 inches on the other. With a 
straight edge or chalked line mark a 
straight line connecting the two points. 
With a saw rip off the small piece. Cut 
the ends off square. Eight cleats and 
wedges should be made similar to those 
shown in Fig. 2. 
After making the parts as described 
assemble the mold on a floor or platform, 
nail on the cleats and brace the forms by 
means of the cleats and wedges. The 
assembled mold is shown in Fig. 2. As 
constructed this gang mold will be filled 
by a one-bag batch. If a larger mold is 
desired it will be found advantageous to 
enlarge it by five’s, thus a ten post gang 
mold will require a two-bag batch to fill it, 
etc. 
Posts Must Be Reinforced 
Although strong in bearing loads that 
are placed upon it, concrete will not with¬ 
stand loads that tend to bend or pull it 
apart. These bending strains, with a 
fence post, may come from either direc¬ 
tion along the line of the fence or from 
within or without the enclosure. Some 
(Fig. 1) must be used to counteract these 
strains. Since reinforcement in the center 
is of little use the quarter-inch round or 
square steel rods are located near each 
corner (where the bending strains are 
greatest) and %-inch from the surface to 
protect them from possible exposure. 
As concrete will not stick to old iron rods 
that are dirty or coated with a coat of 
rust they should not be used. Wire is 
usually purchased in coils and is difficult 
to straighten so that it will stay in the 
proper place while placing the concrete. 
Economy of time and greater certainty of 
successful results follow the use of metal 
rods. 
Since the forms are small and the con¬ 
crete must be well worked against them 
it is best to use a finer textured concrete 
such as is obtained from a 1 :2 :3 mix¬ 
ture; 1 bag of cement, 2 cubic feet of sand 
and 3 cubic feet of gravel. The aggregates 
should be clean, well graded and carefully 
mixed as previously explained. Do not 
get the mixture too wet. 
Since the molds are to be used many 
times, it is desirable to grease or oil them 
before placing the concrete. Old oil 
drained from the crankcase of an engine 
will prove satisfactory for this purpose. 
After oiling, place a layer of concrete in 
the molds one inch thick. For each post 
place two X-bich rods for reinforcement 
Figure 2—A fence post mold that will take 
care of a one-bag batch of a 1:2:3 mixture. 
on this layer of concrete. Locate each 
one yi of an inch from each side. Con¬ 
tinue placing concrete in the forms until 
within >2-ineh from the top. Imbed the 
other two reinforcing rods in the concrete 
and fill the mold to the top. With a 
trowel or other tool work the concrete 
well along the sides of the mold to insure 
a dense smooth surface. Level off the 
concrete with a straight edge and finish 
the surface with a trowel. 
On the day following the casting of the 
posts, they should be protected by a 
covering of moist straw or damp sand. 
After one or two days, if carefully 
handled, the forms can be removed, the 
posts can be carried from the forms, on the 
pallets, and set. aside to cure. During the 
first week, they should be sprinkled daily. 
They may be piled on some level surface, 
but they should not be piled one on top 
Concrete posts and studs eliminate troubles 
with broken corners. 
of the other. Under favorable conditions 
they should be strong enough to set after 
thirty days. 
Before the forms are used again, they 
should be cleaned and oiled. 
We have been readers of your paper 
for seven years, and enjoy reading it very 
much. It has news for all the family. 
-W. S. B„ Ohio. 
We Help 
Farmers 
to Use 
Concrete 
That is what the Portland Cement Association is 
for—to tell people the best and easiest way to use 
Concrete, and to show how it can save them money. 
No matter what permanent improvements you 
need around your farm, whether it is a feeding floor, 
manure pit, silo, storage cellar or foundation, we can 
give you simple, easy-to-follow instructions for 
making it of Concrete. 
Just write us and tell us how you are thinking of 
using Concrete, and we will send you the informa¬ 
tion you need free of charge. 
"You will be surprised to see how easily you can 
build permanence into your farm improvements 
with firesafe, weatherproof, economical Concrete 
construction. 
PORTLAND CEMENT ASSOCIATION 
10 High Street Finance Building 347 Madison Avenue 
BOSTON PHILADELPHIA NEW YORK 
o/t National Organization 
to Improve and Extend the Uses of Concrete 
Offices in 25 Other Cities 
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