Gate construction

[Dlyxover]

Hello All

I've been asked to make a gate for the side of a house, its the first one I've made so and advice would be appreciated.

The gate will be fitted in-between 2 brick walls, 2000mm tall and 865mm wide.

I plan on using 45mmx130mm timber for the stiles, 27mmx130mm timber for the rails and 18mmx100 timber for the paneling.

Planning on morticing the rails into the styles with thought tenons.
rebating the top of the paneling into the top rail and screwing through the cross braces and lower rails to secure the from paneling in.

Was going to use Douglas fir

cheers

 

[MikeG.]

For my money the top and bottom M&Ts should be haunched, as there is only a tiny amount of short-grain in the stiles otherwise, which will split. The top edges of all the rails should have a chamfer to reduce the amount of water that can pool on them. The vertical boards should be fixed in such a way as to allow for plenty of expansion and contraction, because otherwise the pressures they will produce will be enough to bust the frame apart.

 

[Rob Platt]

advice go and have a look at a FL&B gate in the builders merchants. 100x45 is fine for top rail and stiles. 100x27 is not normal stock but fits for your 18mm panelling bare faced tenons are wrong on drawing I assume you will do them right. raise bottom rail and fly panelling over all the best rob

 

[Doug71]

95 x 45 is probably minimum norm for top rail and stiles, I would use minimum 145 mm deep(6 inch in old money) for bottom and middle rail.

 

[Steve Maskery]

If you increase the depth of the bottom rail it will look better than having all three the same.
+1 for raising it, too, say an inch. It leaves more material below the mortice and it will be easier to fit if it drags at all.

 

[deema]

I think you should look at the braces going from rail to rail rather than mitred into the rail style corner which is the normal way of bracing. It’s to stop the brace forcing the joints open during shrinkage.

Again I feel it would be better to use nails (ringed or clenched) rather than screws which is again the traditional approach. Nails allow the wood to move where as screws don’t. You can also secret nail trough the edges if your using tongue and groove.....saves on filling / rust spots / dark marks in the paint appearing over time.

The tops of the rails should be bevelked at say 9 degrees for water run off, allow for this with your tenons.
Haunched tenons top and bottom as already stated and double tenons on the middle and bottom rails.
I would use Cascamite or a similar glue which us water proof and also peg or draw tenon each joint. With it being a gate the wind inevitably will catch and slam it giving the joints a good test of endurance.

If it’s not going into a frame I like to laminate up (two pieces thick) a curved top rail. Not only does this (I feel) look more attractive but also aids shedding water without having to to bevel the top. I add a ‘top rail’ under the curved top if it’s snything close to a semi circle to ensure the door is held square and true. Lsminatingvthe rail means that I use less stuff and also helps to ensure it won’t twist or cup. If you have a router it’s not much more effort to make a curved top.