TO DRIVE POSTS WITHOUT SPLITTING.
3 types of postsFig. 151. Fig. 152. Fig. 153.
Fig. 151. Fig. 152. Fig. 153.
Fig. 151. Fig. 152. Fig. 153.
tool for driving postsFig. 154.—Scantling With Handle In Position.
Fig. 154.—Scantling With Handle In Position.
Fig. 154.—Scantling With Handle In Position.
Posts are very liable to split in driving, unless some precaution is used. This damage and loss can be avoided in a great measure by proper preparation of the posts before they are driven. The tops of sawed posts should have the sides cut off, as infigure 151, or simply cut off each corner, as infigure 153, while a round post should be shaped as infigure 152. The part of the post removed need not be more than half an inch in thickness, but when the corners only are cut away, the chip should be thicker. In driving, it is very important to strike the post squarely on the top, and not at one corner orside. In most soils at the North, the frosts heave posts more or less each season, and they need to be driven down to the usual depth. To do this with little injury to the post, the device shown infigure 154may be used. It is a piece of tough hard wood scantling,e, eighteen inches in length, with tapering ends. It is provided with a handle,h, three feet in length, of quite small size, and if possible, of green timber. In using it, let one person (a boy will do) lay the bit of scantling on top of the post to be re-driven, when, with the beetle or sledge, the scantling, instead of the post is struck, thus preventing the splitting of the post. When the top of a fence is surmounted by a stringer, as in the engraving, the effect of the blow is distributed over a large space,and both stringer and post escape injury. The attendant should keep hold of the handle,h, while the posts are being driven, and move the scantling from post to post as required.