On Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:28:21 +0100 (BST), "Dave Liquorice"
wrote:
I still feel that a properly made 15' timber gate is not a problem.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/allsorts-60/3659175057/
13' timber field gate. Hinge post 5 x 3, slam post 3 x 3, top rail 4
x 3, other rails and braces 3 1/2 x 1. All rails have 3 x 1 mortises
right through the posts. The braces are overlap jointed into the top
rail and bolted right through the top thin rail and at the apex on
the bottom rail.
This gate is several years old and hasn't dropped at all, mind the
latch does take some of the weight when it is closed as should happen
with all gates.
For 15' I'd keep the same basic design but might taper the top rail
from 5 x 3 to 4 x 3 and have 3 instead of 2 sets of braces, mainly
'cause I think that would look better.
Hello again,
That's a nice looking gate Dave, well done.
I am confused because each person I ask suggests a different timber
size. The Canadian pdf given earlier in the thread suggests 6"x2",
though to be fair, it is for keeping livestock in (or out). I phoned
the timer merchant to ask for a price for some 6x2 redwood and he
called me back and said he had made a 13' gate of 3x1: half the size.
Whilst there will be no cattle, some concerns on this thread have been
about the gate flexing. Would bigger timber mean more rigidity?
A carpenter told my neighbour not to use cedar; I don't know why, I
don't think cedar was ever mentioned and he said softwood would not
last. OTOH Dave's softwood gate has lasted, so I think that provided
it was treated, it should be ok.
The nice thing about Dave's gate is that the rails are morticed. The
Canadian plans show the rails and stiles simply on top of each other
(full lap?) and simply bolted through. The fixing is not clear on the
illustration but it looks as thought hey have used five bolts or nails
per rail end.
Morticing the joints must make the gate look flush and prettier? I
wonder if it has any mechanical impact?
I am most confused about the diagonal bracing.
The Canadian plans:
http://www.cps.gov.on.ca/english/pla...8364/8364L.pdf
show the brace running from the top of the hinge side to the bottom of
the corner of the unhinged side. This echoes what Andy said in one of
his replies.
But... I've just received a copy of an article from the New Zealand
"shed magazine", found via google it's a magazine with projects for
New Zealanders to make in their sheds. They have made a farm gate from
4x2 but they state that the brace must run from the bottom of the
hinged side to the top of the unhinged side: the exact opposite of the
Canadian's and Andy's plans!
To quote the article: "the diagonal struts have to go down to meet the
hinge at the bottom corner, not the other way round, to provide
support for the compression. Otherwise the timber in the gate would be
expanding and pulling apart, not being forced together".
Have they got this wrong? OTOH Dave's diagonals are V shaped and his
gate has held together, so perhaps is it not that important?
Rather than mortice the joints the NZ'ers have put sandwiched the
rails between two stiles on each side and put one bolt through each
rail. I think that might be a nice compromise as it makes the gate
prettier without the hassle of having to mortice (as neither of us
have bench drills and mortice attachments). Of course, I would have to
use thinner timber as three layers of 6x2 would make a very wide gate!
Thanks again.