On Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:11:44 -0500, "basilisk"
wrote:


" wrote in message
...
On Mar 17, 11:40 am, "basilisk" wrote:
" wrote in message

...

I have put up a 1,100 split rail fence, and am now faced with building
4 gates to go along with it. What I'm looking to build is something
similar to this:

http://tinyurl.com/yfrv6bg

which are cypress. But I don't currently have access to a good local
supplier of cypress and am wondering what else I can build these out
of and keep the weight down. Will P/T pine be too heavy? What are my
other options? How long will untreated pine last outdoors, off the
ground? The gate posts are 6x6's with a concrete collar. The
dimensions are approximately 12' x 3' for the entire gate, ~6'x3' for
each gate 'half'. No, I'm not going to paint or stain them.

Cheers

Your question was about materials and not methods, but here's
my 2 cents worth anyway, when I make wood gates, I use a taller
post on the hinge side and build the gate with an angle brace, sag
free at any reasonable weight and lenght.


Picture?

I'm not at home and don't have a pic handy but here is a
design that illustrates what I'm talking about.

http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/abeng/plans/5064.pdf

....that there is a mutha design! I make all my frames from RW and use
cedar slats (that's no issue here, tho)...gonna try this design on a
6' opening I did 10 years ago...it's saggin' but because the owner
didn't want me to attach to the corner of his garage I had to redhead
into a 4 foot high block wall that was getting pushed out even back
then...he's changed his mind and I get to build another gate!

cg

In my boyhood there were a lot of these around and
were generally made of white oak, they would last a decade
sturdy enough for cattle.

There's no reason you couldn't make it look anyway you wanted.

basilisk