building a gate in a feather-edge fence

[Ouch77]

I'm building a 6ft feather edge fence on the boundary of my garden, and want to put a gate in it for occasional access. The space between fence posts is about 1200mm (so I can get a mini-excavator in if I want). I've put together a quick sketch of how I hope to build it:

proposed gate design

• Ouch77
• 23 May 2014
• 1

The main structure is built from 3x2(approx) tanalized timber (bought already). Dimensions are approximate, particularly the space between rails. Feather edge pails will nail to the frame, and if I'm cunning, shouldn't show much of a gap outside. I'm undecided on fitting a gravel board to the gate section, a gap underneath will improve wildlife access - and for the cat, and mean I don't have to worry too much about the ground level in that area, it might look a bit odd though.

My questions are:

What sort of corner joints are best? I usually butt-joint stuff as I'm a peasant when it comes to woodwork, but was considering a half lap, should I glue it? what glue should I use for exterior stuff?

Is the bracing detail correct, or should I mirror the lower brace so both braces come to a common vertex on the latching side?

Are there any other aspects of the design I can improve on.

I'm not flush with woodworking tools, I have a jigsaw, circular saw and some chisels on top of various drills. I don't have a router (or much experience with them) for example.

cheers!

 

[foxhole]

You can clad the gate to match the fence so when closed there is no obvious gate but that will require base board on gate to hide it, cat can easily climb and jump fence.

 

[Ouch77]

Cat is lazy and getting old. vet's bills are expensive.

Intending to clad the gate with the pales I'm using on the fence, with cunning spacing I should just hit the edges of the gate with the overlap.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Just leave a small hole at the bottom for puss/wildlife no need to undercut the whole gate.

 

[Rickyshord]

Hi how did your gate I've built a featheredge fence and got a cap similar size to yours I want a to make a gate and have pretty much the same question as you had but seen they wasn't quite answered

 

[Ouch77]

Hi how did your gate I've built a featheredge fence and got a cap similar size to yours I want a to make a gate and have pretty much the same question as you had but seen they wasn't quite answered

The Gate worked out quite well thanks. I took about an inch or two off the bottom of the gravel-board, which I fitted anyway. The cat has found other ways in and out of the garden, so I didn't get too knotted up about that.

I went with a single diagonal brace, however I found as the wood 'settled' I needed to cut a slightly longer brace than I'd first measured. I used half lap joints which I screwed and glued, however once fitted I decided that that a square frame on a fence run that was a few degrees off horizontal looked weird, so I slackened off the screws a bit and skewed the frame slightly so it lined up with the adjacent arris rails on both sides of the gate -this would have been much harder with butt-joints.

2 large lift-off hinges from screwfix and a single padlockable bolt finish the hardware side of things.

Actual gate

• Ouch77
• 30 Mar 2015
• 1