Barbarians at the gate

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PerranOak

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Location
St. Ives, Cornwall
We have need of a "field gate"between our garden and ... a field.

SWMBO has the idea that a "posh" one would be best, not some old thing!

What is the best wood for it to be made from? It's only going to be 5 feet wide and about 3 feet 6 inches high.

Cheers.
 
Oak is the traditional best choice and is naturally durable. Sweet chestnut is also good.
 
AndyT":2tm8jv9e said:
Oak is the traditional best choice and is naturally durable. Sweet chestnut is also good.

+1 for oak or chestnut which is easier to work IMO. Try to get air dried rather than kiln dried if possible.

regards

Brian
 
What is the rest of the boundary between the garden and field - if it's rustic it might look odd to have a high quality finish gate. How about a picture and then those with design and aesthetic capabilities could make suggestions.

Misterfish
 
If, having watched Pete's Roy Underhill video for inspiration, you do decide to make a proper trad field gate, try to have a look at chapter VI of "The Village Carpenter" by Walter Rose (another essential title in any woodworker's library, imho). He points out several important things - that making a gate, including all the planing and cutting all the joints by hand, should take no more than a day (ie ten hours); that the hinges should be arranged longer at the bottom so that the gate will stand open or shut as required but swing easily; and that there should be a touch of ornament on the top rail. And that a gate made of oak will easily last 50 years.
 
AndyT":1u9ok1z2 said:
try to have a look at chapter VI of "The Village Carpenter" by Walter Rose (another essential title in any woodworker's library, imho).

+1

A much easier author to warm to than Sturt, IMHO.

BugBear
 
bugbear":14yhmr7s said:
AndyT":14yhmr7s said:
try to have a look at chapter VI of "The Village Carpenter" by Walter Rose (another essential title in any woodworker's library, imho).

+1

A much easier author to warm to than Sturt, IMHO.

BugBear

Agreed, but Rose was himself a carpenter, writing about what he could remember of his own working life - and he produced a very readable narrative. He was one of the skilled men, confident in his knowledge.

Sturt wanted to be a writer, but inherited a business which was already old-fashioned and never likely to be really successful, where he had to turn a hand as a sort of 'managing apprentice'. There's a clear sense that the 'men' tolerated him but never completely confided in him, which I take to be because of the social class difference. He did write other books, which were somewhat similar memoirs looking back to a vanished way of rural life.

But both are fascinating glimpses of a vanished way of life.
 
Sorry, been away for a bit.

What about iroko, someone suggested that?


AES: it's been so long, sorry. You can keep them as a gift, cheers.
 
PerranOak":2la8i77e said:
Sorry, been away for a bit.

What about iroko, someone suggested that?

I've just realised that the answer is lurking in your username!

(and you did ask for the best wood)
 
@Perranoak:

OK, thanks very much, accepted.

I must add to/join a comment made by Steve Maskery on another thread recently -the genuine kindness and generosity/willingness to help by a lot of people on this Forum does take some beating! In fact I've never found anywhere else like it.

Thanks to Perranoak.

Krgds
AES
 
So, the gate is done - oak - and the hole in the hedge is there. Photo to follow.

Now that I see the gate, I think that I'd rahter maintain its colour rather than let it go grey.

Any suggestions for a product to protect it please? Something that will not add colour is preferable.

Cheers.
 
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