Roger Hayter wrote:
Robert wrote:

On 12/06/2020 20:28, Roger Hayter wrote:
As subject, I have to mount a 19mm (3/4") square spike for a bottom gate
hinge in a softwood post. What size hole do I want? 19mm, 20mm, 21mm
or 7/8"? I want to use the largest practical size as it is a bit near
the edge of the post and I don't want to split it.

Many thanks for advice.

Usually using a 8" round or a square post when hanging wooden gates out
here in the country. If using a spike just drill a 18/19mm hole , it
just has to be a friction fit and allow for the wood drying out etc.

If getting it level etc is critical then dont use a spike but a bolt
through hook similar to what you are probably using on the top hinge.
This give you more adjustment options and drilling the correct diameter
hole right through will lessen the risk of splitting the post.

If there is any chance of someone lifting and nicking the gate then turn
the top hinge hook upside down.


Thanks. At least I know what I should do. Given the relative frailty
of my post I may use a bigger hole to make it easier to drive without
breaking the post off the wall. If the hook falls out I can redo it
with two part filler!!


I remember that style of hinge now. It was on our
gate back home, the one that opened onto a driveway.

What a pain those are, when the gate begins to droop
and you need to adjust it. For years, the bottom of the
gate used to drag on the ground, and visitors would
have to "pick up" the gate so they could close it.
At first, we fiddled with it, but after a while,
the family just gave up and nobody cared :-)

The example at the bottom here, with the threads,
when the gate droops, you can rotate it anti-clockwise
one turn and bring the hinge out and lift the
gate a bit. But the resolution is limited to
full turns. Some of the other styles don't look
all that practical.

https://snugcottagehardware.com/Snug...ch%20Pins.html

Our posts were not PTL, and I think we had to replace
one gate post when it rotted where the pin went in. I
don't think any of the fence back home was PTL, ever.
And it was a maintenance sink (the scraping, the painting,
replacing rails, replacing pickets).

Paul