Another gate

[mailee]

I got another fill in job yesterday for a gate. I must be getting good at these as this one only took me an afternoon to complete.

I shall be fitting it next week along with hanging two doors.

 

[monkeybiter]

I must be getting good at these as this one only took me an afternoon to complete.

Gordon Bennet! I'm a slow worker, but even if I wasn't I'd feel inadequate!

 

[shuggy]

Looks great mailee. Is there the usual supports on the back??

 

[John15]

Very nice Mailee. I'm making a couple of 6' side gates myself, but mine are taking weeks rather than days!! I'll put a pickie on here when they are finished.

John

 

[mailee]

Thanks guys. yes Hugh here's the back of it.

 

[shuggy]

Really Nice! Just curious as I need to make a couple of smaller gates for my Mum. Can I just ask about the diagonal bracing recessing into the horizontal rails? Does that add extra strength? Also are the T&G boards located in a housing along the length of the stiles, as well as along the top rail? Presumably M&T joints elsewhere? Finally, is there a small gap in between each T&G board for expansion?

Hope you don't mind my questions.
Thanks!

 

[markblue777]

Hi Shuggy,
The diagonal bracing helps prevent sag and moves the load back across to the hinge side. As you can see it makes a number of triangles. Looking at the back picture the hinges would be hung on the the right side of the gate.
Cheers
Mark

 

[shuggy]

Thanks for that Mark. That's helpful, although what I was curious about was the bracing seems to be recessed into the horizontal rails slightly, almost like a halving type joint. The bracing I've seen usually just stops flush with the rail.

Cheers.

 

[mseries]

the notching stops it from sliding as the wood moves.

 

[markblue777]

I think it is more a visual thing really, as you say the majority are usually just flush with the rails. I suppose it could account for shrinkage in the timber but I think it is more of a visual thing.

But then again in this gate the t and g boards may be a little thin to fit the brace to them so it was a way to get a more solid connection the the rail possibly. (may just be talking rubbish though haha)

Mark

 

[markblue777]

ah there you go, thanks mseries. so it is for wood movement.

 

[mseries]

ah there you go, thanks mseries. so it is for wood movement.

I made some gates a few years ago and talked about htem on here. Another poster pointed out the trad way of fitting the brace, like what mailee has done here. I didn't do that, I fitted mine flush with loose tenons to prevent sliding. I also used dowels in the style:rail M&T. As well as wood movement if the gate sags due to the joints loosening it'll resist sliding and help resist the sag. NB it took me longer to make mine too

 

[shuggy]

Thanks guys. I've been trying to research traditional gate construction for advice, and come across a fair few gate WIPs on this forum, however I wondered whether there was some kind of bible that I could read that provides a good foundation for traditional construction? I appreciate it's not that complicated, but there does seem to be few tricks etc. to know about in terms of wood movement etc.

Sorry mailee for perhaps taking this thread off at a tangent.

 

[mailee]

No problem Hugh that's what the forum is for and they way we increase our knowledge. Mark is spot on with all he has stated. I do prefer to let in the diagonals for looks and to stop any slippage of the diagonal. The T&G boards are 16mm and I have slotted the rails to allow for any movement along with leaving slight gaps between the boards. All of the main frame components are M&T joints. HTH. :wink: