Fence Post Top: Old fencepost in back of our property. Curious what this was initially and why the old steel "S's" were driven into it. Lumix FZ1000

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Fence Post Top

Mar 2, 2020 11:06:45 #

frjeff Loc: Mid-Michigan

Old fencepost in back of our property. Curious what this was initially and why the old steel "S's" were driven into it.
Lumix FZ1000 - f/5.6, 1/100, ISO 125

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Mar 2, 2020 11:09:26 #

theaverlo Loc: Iowa

Looks like some way of keeping the post from splitting any further.

Mar 2, 2020 11:10:00 #

timcc Loc: Virginia

I agree -- the steel "S's" are probably to keep the post from splitting further.

Mar 2, 2020 11:23:51 #

frjeff Loc: Mid-Michigan

theaverlo wrote:

Looks like some way of keeping the post from splitting any further.

According to the neighbor (who installed them 45 years ago), the “S” were there when he had many acres subdivided. But he has no memory of where he got the posts.

Mar 2, 2020 11:29:11 #

Bob Mevis Loc: Plymouth, Indiana

Keeps them from splitting for longer.

Mar 2, 2020 12:10:22 #

Richard Spencer Loc: Evansville, Indiana

Have seen this used on railroad crossties to prevent splitting.

Mar 3, 2020 06:12:24 #

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

frjeff wrote:

Old fencepost in back of our property. Curious what this was initially and why the old steel "S's" were driven into it.
Lumix FZ1000 - f/5.6, 1/100, ISO 125

The fence post is a railroad tie, the "S" are to keep it from splitting!!

Mar 3, 2020 08:32:38 #

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

Yes--to keep the posts from splitting. I’ve seen many of them.

Mar 3, 2020 10:37:21 #

Blair Shaw Jr Loc: Dunnellon,Florida

frjeff wrote:

Old fencepost in back of our property. Curious what this was initially and why the old steel "S's" were driven into it.
Lumix FZ1000 - f/5.6, 1/100, ISO 125

They were designed to restrict the post from checking & splitting as it aged in the sunlight and as water entering into it from the top and freezing in Winter causing expansion and further degradation as a result.
In this manner they could use lesser quality posts and speed up production of the farm & fence assy.

Mar 3, 2020 18:28:39 #

WestTnGuy

I’ve livestock gram and built fences a lot. Never seen any thing like that in a post and never seen a post sawn square. Howe ver I have seen many railroad cross ties used for posts and some did have one or two of these S’s in them to keep them from splitting!

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