# Driveway Gates



## aebersold (8 Sep 2021)

Making some iroko gates for my driveway and have a few questions that I’m hoping someone could answer please. The timber is 70 thick with 23 through mortises which I want to wedge. How wide and deep should the wedges be ? I’ve cut the mortices on the mortice machine ( loads of cuts with a 3/8” chisel ). Are the angles for the wedges cut just with a chisel or do I angle the timber in the machine ? The bottom rail behind the front boards, I’ve redimensioned from the drawing to 180. Does it need to have a haunch in it ? Is cascamite a good adhesive to use on iroko ? Watched some of Olly Bradshaw’s vids which are excellent and his wedges are 8mm which seem a bit small for my design. Not sure if I’ve messed up regarding the weight of this project as it will be extremely heavy. The boards are 20mm thick. Any thoughts ?


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## johnnyb (8 Sep 2021)

I'm guessing the mortices are 23mm. so the wedges are best a hair under 23mm.
I make space for the wedge by morticing say 3mm over then operating the handwheel while plunging maybe sensible to angle the mortices with a chisel though the above would work on softwood.the weight is the weight make everything HEAVY DUTY! Good luck


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## MARK.B. (8 Sep 2021)

You will need some seriously beefy hinges on the big one


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## aebersold (8 Sep 2021)

johnnyb said:


> I'm guessing the mortices are 23mm. so the wedges are best a hair under 23mm.
> I make space for the wedge by morticing say 3mm over then operating the handwheel while plunging maybe sensible to angle the mortices with a chisel though the above would work on softwood.the weight is the weight make everything HEAVY DUTY! Good luck


Thanks Johnyb, especially your encouragement on the weight issue ! I tried the hand wheel technique and gave up, too messy. 3mm is a skinny wedge, perhaps 8mm is ok then ?


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## aebersold (8 Sep 2021)

MARK.B. said:


> You will need some seriously beefy hinges on the big one


Thanks Mark, you’re right, 900 or even 1200 maybe.


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## MARK.B. (8 Sep 2021)

1200 would be my choice , it is what i used for my gates when i made them , need new ones now but the hardware is still like new and I will re use on the new ones.Cost an arm and a leg 6 years ago, nowadays you better add a kidney


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## Stormer1940 (8 Sep 2021)

aebersold said:


> Thanks Johnyb, especially your encouragement on the weight issue ! I tried the hand wheel technique and gave up, too messy. 3mm is a skinny wedge, perhaps 8mm is ok then ?


You should be cutting down in small steps and moving the wheel towards centre of mortiise. You'll get the hang of it after you done a few hundred


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## aebersold (8 Sep 2021)

MARK.B. said:


> 1200 would be my choice , it is what i used for my gates when i made them , need new ones now but the hardware is still like new and I will re use on the new ones.Cost an arm and a leg 6 years ago, nowadays you better add a kidney


I best start saving, are we talking stainless ? Are your gates of similar size ?


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## aebersold (8 Sep 2021)

Stormer1940 said:


> You should be cutting down in small steps and moving the wheel towards centre of mortiise. You'll get the hang of it after you done a few hundred


Thanks, I don’t think I’m gonna learn that. Chisel it is then !


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## johnnyb (9 Sep 2021)

you could try to angle the wood on the mortiser using a wedge then turn it around for the other side. the gap is really so the wedge doesn't snap because it's to thin. I find pu glue good on the wedges as it's slippy( but messy)
I brought some big hinges from a car boot made by Charles collinge.they still make em v heavy duty v PRICEY!


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## aebersold (9 Sep 2021)

johnnyb said:


> you could try to angle the wood on the mortiser using a wedge then turn it around for the other side. the gap is really so the wedge doesn't snap because it's to thin. I find pu glue good on the wedges as it's slippy( but messy)
> I brought some big hinges from a car boot made by Charles collinge.they still make em v heavy duty v PRICEY!


Thanks, I’ve cut them square now and will add the angles with a chisel and guide block. Bit time consuming, but accurate and controllable. Olly Bradshaw uses the pu glue, but the limited open time scares me ! For the wedges, no problem. I’ll check out the hinges, thanks.


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