![]() Some years ago you could get used creosote poles (10 - 12 ") from our local power company, and a lot of farmers would cut them up for gateposts. A couple of bricks or cinder blocks will often work, or a piece of wood spiked into the adjacent post. Gates that are periodically left open for long periods of time, such as between grazing pastures, should also be supported somehow in the open position to keep the strain off the hinges & posts. ![]() You could strap the rails to the posts with metal, of course, but it isn't as easy to adjust later as a turnbuckle. Using a cable (or chain) and turnbuckle between the top of the gatepost and the next fencepost should be a great deal stronger than just spiking in a rail. We've seen farmers attach a cable & turnbuckle between the top of the gatepost and a piece of steel or wood sunk into the ground diagonally 6-8 feet away, which seems like a better bracing technique. Any "pull" strong enough to affect the gatepost or the hanger is just going to pull that spike out of the endgrain quite easily, we believe. Second point - we like the idea of bracing with a second post, but don't think a couple of horizontal rails spiked into their end-grain is going to add much strength. Even when building decks & loafing sheds, we set each post, dump in a bag or two of Sakrete with at least 4-5 gal of water, and let it set up overnight (securely braced if there are any livestock around) before doing anything else. ![]() Before I put any side-pressure on that gatepost I want to see the thing securely set in something SOLID. ![]() We might skip wetting the concrete on a regular fencepost, but not on something bearing a great deal of strain right away. I had to consult with my wife on this critique - she's been fiddling with farm fences & gates since dinosaurs ruled the earth, and is also a huge fan of Progressive Farmer magazine. ![]()
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