Hi all.

I'm making a gate to protect a set of steps for when kids are in the
garden. It's quite wide at 1090mm and about 800mm high. So far I have
a 38mm x 6(3?)mm frame consisting of two vetricals with two cross
beams. Glued Morticed and Tenon joints using Wickes' own finest (spit)
treated timber.

Looking at various images of gates online, and gates in DIY stores and
on various gardens there seems to be no consistancy in how the cross
brace is cut. Some are cut so the pressure is put onto the vertical
posts, some onto the cross beams and a few onto both. Most are all the
way into the corners, but yes, some go half way across on one side, or
both sides... Decoration and image are a portion of the design
reasoning I'm sure.

So, whats the most durable way of bracing a simple wooden picket gate
frame like this please? Is there a carpentry tutorial on the web
somewhere that will explain the stresses behind the bracing and why it
goes where it goes?

Thanks.

Mike.


Some differing braces online.

http://nibsblog.files.wordpress.com/...arden-gate.jpg
http://www.fmcgates.co.uk/images/pro...te-banbury.jpg
http://www.gardenerbailey.co.uk/gallery/Picket-Gate.jpg
http://www.profenceworks.com/page94_...ate%20PFW2.jpg
http://images.thesimsresource.com/123/123712.jpg