Concrete Posts.

[tcartwri]

I'm not sure what would happen if a horse tried to run through a concrete post though. We had a mare than snapped an 8in cedar post off at the ground when she got spooked. Pretty sure the concrete would not give at all.

The posts I linked to, are pretty high end, but I think you could find generic posts for 10 to 12 $ a piece.

 

[RobertBrown]

Forgeblast,
The attached pdf shows the followingage1 rough layout of 2x6 on 4"x8" plywood; Page2 showing portion in ground - large gray block - plus fence rails; Page3 fence rails only.

Consider making the molds so that the sides lock together using the top and bottom portions. What I am getting at is, the posts are less likely to want to come out of a form with 3 sides regardless of the release agent. If you could dissassemble the form by knocking off the top and the bottom (short sides), then remove the outer posts, knock off the innner sparations (long sides) and so on. I think you will have better luck re-using them.
As Egon mentions, a thin plastic wrap that runs horizontly across the mold or from long side to long side, dipping down into the mold may work very well. I'm thinking even thinner than 2 mil something like what you would use for food preparation. The problem with using a plastic wrap is when it folds and bunches up on corners with more than 2 sides. If your only using it in one direction a careful installation should eliminate this issue, Then use whatever release agent on the top and the bottom(short sides).

 

[ultrarunner]

I'm not sure what would happen if a horse tried to run through a concrete post though. We had a mare than snapped an 8in cedar post off at the ground when she got spooked. Pretty sure the concrete would not give at all.

The posts I linked to, are pretty high end, but I think you could find generic posts for 10 to 12 $ a piece.

I think the concrete rails would give way... I saw a bunch of teenagers sitting on a rail one day... the next time I dove by the rail was damaged... it looked like the concrete separated from the re-bar.

 

[magicheater]

There are many concrete fence posts in South America as well. They make power poles of concrete too. Seems a more permanent solution. If we had the mind of the American Indian philosophy of planning 7 generations beyond we might all have concrete fence posts!

 

[bearhawk]

If you could find a place that has real form plywood like Plywood Concrete Forms I would make your form out of it. I Like RobertBrowns idea of being able to disassemble the form to remove the post. I think one of the pdf's above had the plan designed like that.

 

[texasjohn]

Been there, doing that...I have a source of free concrete culverts...defects in manufacturing...

Pick one of these suckers up, go to where you want a corner, plunk it down and there it sits. No drilling holes, no bracing posts. It doesn't rot. It doesn't pull out of the ground.

Wrap your wire around it, pull tight with ratchet strainers, all done.

I use T posts as line posts. Yes, they will rust away... in over 100 years.

 

[heehaw]

i tried buying precast post an rails several years ago: don't remember the price now, but i do remember thinking it was outrageous: at the time a yard of concrete, 4000psi was less than $100, an the labor couldn't be very much...but i never got around to making them myself..still think its a great idea..good luck.
heehaw

 

[dmccarty]

If I was going to cast my own concrete posts I think I would have the form set up to imprint height indicators....

Would be handy setting the post and might be useful depending on the fence material.

Later,
Dan

 

[Lloyd_E]

Thanks all.

A lot of great ideas especially the height imprint - every foot should work.
I also like the idea of dismantling the form; top and bottom could be hinged while the
2x6 form walls could be pegged into position and held in place with weight during the cure time. I am thinking of using epoxy or 4-6 coats of gloss varnish on everything and spraying with release agents...

keep them coming...

 

[dmccarty]

Buying concrete from a plant is going to e MUCH cheaper than using bagged concrete. I figured a 8'x6"x6" post would take about 2 CF which would take 4 80 pound bags of concrete at almost $4 a bag which is $15-16 a post. OUCH.

If I got a truck load of concrete at $85 a yard it works out to a bit over $6 a post. But one would have to have a bunch of forms ready to handle a cement truck load.....

Coloring the concrete would be a big plus. I noticed that the bagged concrete company sells color for concrete. Our house has colored concreted floors. I had to go to a mason supply store to get the tint and drop it off at the plant. I forgot the exact ratio but it was 2-3 bags of coloring per 7 yards of concrete. Or there abouts.

Course 7 yards of of concrete would make about 94 posts.

Later,
Dan