# Side Gate Design



## OPJ (19 May 2009)

Hi guys,

Mum's now started asking me about a new side gate :roll: to replace the steel one we have now. Biggest problem is it lets through a lot of wind and she wants to try and prevent that.

Oak will probably be the timber of choice, as I will have to replace the back door at some point as well, which will most likely be oak and she would like to to match. I was thinking along the lines of what I know as a _Palisade_-style gate (I used to make gates, lots of gates... :shock, where you have a slight gap in between each board. As opposed to a more traditional T&G gate, where we could encounter problems with the boards expanding and contracting. Plus, I would have to machine all those _oak_ edges myself!! :?

These are my first thoughts and rough dimensions. One has 25mm gaps, the other 20mm. Board widths are sized accordingly.







Chances are, she'll ask for a round-topped gate - in which case, I'll redraw and lower the top rail later.

This is one idea I had for fixing the boards in place... I'm sure I've seen something just like this somewhere? 






Basically, the boards would be fixed with stainless steel screws through the back of the rails (no visible fixings from the front). I would have to elongate the clearance holes to allow for movement and, I reckon I could then hide all this with a fillet strip, as illustrated (this one's drawn at 12mmx12mm). What do you think?

One each rail, you'll also note the top edge will be bevelled [not chamfered! :wink:] to allow rainwater to run off. Rails are currently drawn at 89mmx38mm (what we used to use...). If I can get wider boards from the available timber then I will try and do that. 

I would appreciate a little SketchUp advice... (DaveR, you about? )






With the real job, yes, I'd just lay the braces over the rails and mark accordingly. How do you that in SketchUp? Is there a guide or trick to accurately drawing braces at the correct angle? (I've only drawn them very roughly here to illustrate.)
It's something I've often wondered as I usually end up drawing the brace and then rotating it for a bout half an hour! 

Although, I used to make gates, fitting wasn't part of my job. So, once I've taken some photos and uploaded them later, I would also appreciate some ideas on that.

Thanks for looking,

Olly.


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## MikeG. (19 May 2009)

Olly,

if you have an existing steel gate, why not simply over-clad it with the timber? All the hinging and hanging work is already done, you wouldn't need any bracing.....all you would need to do would be to plant 4 or 5 boards on the face of the existing frame.

Mike


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## milkman (19 May 2009)

Coincidence, I'm about to make one of these for my mum!

Going to use oak and lost head s/s nails. I'll use annular ring ones and see how well they grip. Not sure whether I'll rebate the boards together or just butt them with a small gap. Have wanted to make one of these doors for yonks so looking forward to it.

Can't remember exactly how I sketched this up but seem to remember making components out of the rails and braces and using copies of the braces to intersect with the rails and produce the squinted[?] cutout. Then you can paste in the original brace. Something like that anyway.

When you ask about hanging do you literally mean how to hang from scratch?


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## OPJ (19 May 2009)

Thanks, Mike. While I like your way of thinking, I don't see how you could easily attach five boards on to the following, which is our existing gate: 






This one clearly isn't quite 2.1m either... That's just my idea, so that no-one can jump over it! :wink:

Milkman, what I'm mainly not sure about is making a gate to fit the gap. My opening measures 1130mm (on average); I'm assuming I would use s/s T-hinges with something like a length of 3"x2" (70mmx45mm finished size) fixed to the wall.
The main reason I'm concerned is because I haven't done this before... And, also, there was a firm we used to supply who would continually get this part wrong - we were often having to remove 10mm on the planer from fully framed gates measuring up to 7ft square!! :evil: 

How much clearance would you leave below the gate? Is one inch enough?

I would also appreciate some thoughts on a lock or latch. This is what our existing gate has:






Something like this again would be good (padlock-able, if possible) but, I don't see how it would be accessible from the outside. We could really do with something that can be opened from both sides, even if you can only lock it from within.


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## big soft moose (19 May 2009)

OPJ":2k74hydr said:


> Thanks, Mike. While I like your way of thinking, I don't see how you could easily attach five boards on to the following, which is our existing gate:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



id be inclinded to just sandwich it with boards on both sides and bolts , screws, dowels etc going through - but that isnt very elegant, and i would suspect that mike or someone can do better.


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## SketchUp Guru (19 May 2009)

Olly, sorry I'm so slow. There was a tortoiuse in front of me and he wouldn't move over so I could pass. 

To place the angled braces, figure out what you know or what you want to use for locating them for real. Do you want to place them at some specific angle or have the ends at some distance in from the edges? Once you've made that decision, se some guidelines to lay out the location, trace along the guidelines and Push/Pull the face.

I could make a better example for you when I get home from work.

Dave


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## OPJ (19 May 2009)

Okay, Dave, thank you, that does kind of make sense.  If it helps, I'm looking to have the braces 50mm (2in.) in from the ends of the rails. I'm struggling to draw something that meets between those two points and remains _parallel_.


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## SketchUp Guru (19 May 2009)

So opposite sides of the brace will be 50mm in from their respective edge of the gate? How wide is the brace?


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## OPJ (19 May 2009)

You've got it, Dave. To start with, I'd like to draw the braces as 89mm (3½") wide.


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## kenf (20 May 2009)

Olly,
The catch you already have fitted could be locked in the closed position if it was refitted the right way up. At present you can only lock it in the open position.

The champfered (not bevelled) end of the bolt should be entering the holding hole.

You will have to decide which side of the gate you want to have access to the padlock and fit the catch appropriately.


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## wizer (20 May 2009)

I'm with the 'cladding it' brigade. Simple job, no need for braces. Hours job.


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## OPJ (20 May 2009)

Thanks, eagle-eyes (Ken! ), I hadn't spotted that! (Thankfully, I'm not the one who fitted it either!!) :wink:

Tom, would you care to suggest how I go about cladding it then??


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## OPJ (23 May 2009)

Well, I don't know what's possessed her but, mum's now thinking of buying one of these "Gate Kits" from Wickes. :shock: :? I tried forcing the palisade idea on her but, she still maintains that it would allow too much wind to pass through... :roll: I don't like the cold '_Stay out! We've got something to hide!_' impression these solid gates give off at the side of a house.

I've also realised that I could make this work with a Suffolk/Norfolk latch or similar by simply adding another post to the closing side - why didn't I think of that before!  My other thought would've been to leave a cut-out for hand access around the latch from the outside.

By the way, I had another look at our existing bolt and it is in fact chamfered on both ends!!


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