Fixing Oak boards to steel frame.

[ajmoore1]

Hi, this is my first post after reading many and learning lots in the process.

I am in the process of making some driveway gates. Initially i was looking at making them totally out of wood (oak) but due to prevoius experiences with them swelling and tiwsting I have decided to make a steel frame and clad it with oak t and g boards. The gate is going to be automated with rams hence the need for the rigidity of the steel.

The frame is now made (picture should be attached hopefully)! My dilema now is how to attatch the boards to the frame. Options I have come up with are 1. Screw and plug from the face side at top bottom and middle. My concern is the rows of plugs may look a bit unsightly. Option 2. drill through the steel and into the rear of the boards. My concern with this is that the boards will only be about 18mm thick so screws will only be into the timber approx 15mm max.

Am open to any suggestions or recomendations which method would be best.

Cheers Jon

 

[Pvt_Ryan]

Watch out from what I have heard oak has a corrosive effect on steel. I think you need special rated screws/bolts for oak

See this thread. stuff-about-tool-chests-t46521.html

 

[ajmoore1]

Yep was planning on using stainless steel screws. I am going to get steel frame galved, would it be advisable to paint the face which is in contact with the oak prior to fitting it?

Cheers

 

[CNC Paul]

Jon,

Can you weld an angle to the underside of the cross memebers flush with
one face and then drill and screw through into the back of the boards ?

 

[knappers]

I would have thought coach bolts through from front would look okay. If its T&G, you may even get away with every other / every third board.

Si.

 

[Pvt_Ryan]

Jon,

I don't know, but I don't suppose it can hurt.

Ryan

 

[ajmoore1]

Just had another thought, otption 3, Screw the vertical boards through the face top and bottom into the steel. To hide the screws plant a frame around the outside so that it looks like a traditional door. As the frame would sit on the t+g it would be about 15mm thick because I wouldn't want it sitting to proud.

I am not the best at making decisions and would hate for the gate to fail. Am now looking to buy the wood, so will be a lot of work planing and t+g ing it.

Does anyone have any recommendations for oak supplier near Wrexham/ Chester. Had a look on ebay and thinking of buying a pack of 27mm from Timports or from Scawtonsaw as they seem a lot cheaper per cubic foot than I can get locally. Has anyone had any dealings with either of these companies?

Cheers Jon

 

[Giff]

I have done a similar thing with some 8' x 8' internal sliding doors in oak. The doors are 40mm thick and
one reason was the weight fot the track. I used 20mm t&g pippy oak. I lined the inside of the frames with timber using self tappers
and pu glue, I then secret nailed the boards through the tongue.They were done about 5 years ago
and still look ok. Hope that helps Geoff

 

[jeffinfrance]

hi jon, what are you doing to the edge detail?

you could make an oak grooved frame to go on top and sides, which would only need to be fixed by a coach bolt at the bottom of each side. the groove being wide enough to take the t&g as well. if there was room i would do all four sides m&t'd, no need for any fixings, just glue up together. dont forget thew drain holes in the bottom rail.

jeff