DRIVING FENCE POSTS BY HAND.
man on wagon pounding in a postFig. 149.—Driving Fence Posts.
Fig. 149.—Driving Fence Posts.
Fig. 149.—Driving Fence Posts.
Where the soil is soft, loose, and free from stone, posts may be driven more easily and firmly than if set in holes dug for the purpose. An easy method of driving is shown infigure 149. A wagon is loaded with posts and furnished with a stage in the rear end of the box, upon which a person can stand to give the posts the first start. Another man holds the posts upright while they aredriven. When one post is driven to its place, the wagon is moved to the next place, and this operation repeated.
wooden maulFig. 150.—Maul For Driving Posts.
Fig. 150.—Maul For Driving Posts.
Fig. 150.—Maul For Driving Posts.
To drive posts, a wooden maul should be used. This is made of a section of an elm trunk or branch, eight or nine inches in diameter,figure 150. An iron ring is driven on each end, and wedged all around, the wood at the edge being beaten down over the rings with a hammer or the poll of an axe. To prevent the posts from splitting or being battered too much, the ends of the maul should be hollowed a little, and never rounded out, and the ends of the posts should be beveled all around. The hole in the maul for the handle should be made larger on one side, and lengthwise of the maul, and the handle spread by two wedges driven in such a way as not to split the maul.