I’ve built my share of simple garden gates. But I often see gates built on a higher level of craftsmanship and detailing. I’ve searched the bookstores, but find very little written on the subject, as most books are more generalized in approach. Could any of you talented craftsmen here share some in-progress photos and construction joinery / details for fine garden gates? Thanks in advance! – Huck
“…craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit.” – P. Korn
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"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
Not a good photo, but this is typical of the gates I have built. Z-shaped 2x4 frame with 1x4 fence boards. I have never built an "architectural-grade" fence. Love to know how.View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
Fun topic.
I've always thought that Joe Wood who posts here has some neat ideas. He might be a good resource for you.
http://woodsshop.com/japanese.htm
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Here's another guy who does great work. Carefully guards his secret esoteric joinery recipes, 'tho.
http://www.prowellwoodworks.com/gate/2_wood_gates.htm"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
http://julianhodges.com/
the page I can never find on those websites is the "joinery and construction details: how the gates are built" page!
Surely somebody here would be willing to share?"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
Just a thought, seems the folks over at Knots would be more inclined to this kind of work - the fancy joinery and all. ~ Ted W ~
Cheap Tools! - MyToolbox.netSee my work at TedsCarpentry.com
seems the folks over at Knots would be more inclined to this kind of work - the fancy joinery and all.
...so, the BT crew isn't up to this level of gatebuilding? I don't buy it. I'll take the best BT has to offer, and figure the rest out myself!
edited to add: I'm thinking mortise and tenon - maybe with a router or band saw? free tenon might work. Or dowels. Not pocket screws, because the connection can't be exposed. Unless its pocket screws with a dowel plug? And what type of glue for exterior exposure - polyester resin based? I'll figure it out, one way or another."...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
Edited 5/10/2009 11:50 am by Huck
I hear the joiners are into joints, those gates are more like furniture than carpentry.
I wasn't trying to dis the BT crew by any means. Of course there are some here who have the know-how and are willing to share, but for each one here there are probably 20 at knots - maybe a lot more. In fact, those here who posesss that knowledge probably hang out at Knots as much as they do here. Just trying to point you to the best place for the advice you're seeking.~ Ted W ~
Cheap Tools! - MyToolbox.netSee my work at TedsCarpentry.com
I knew that. Just rather hear what the bt'ers have to say, is all. Don't have a rapport with dem udder guys. Maybe its time to look up my old friends trial and error!"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
Are you set up to cut mortise and tenon joints large enough for entry doors?
Or, are you set up to cut floating tenon joints? Big plunge router and a simple jig will suffice.
No, but maybe that's the direction I need to research - how to build frame and stile doors!"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
There are a couple of simple ways to cut tenons on the table saw. One is using a jig (Delta makes one) and a pair of blades separated by a spacer (and maybe some shims). I used to do it that way and it worked quite well. You are limited as to the length of the tenon you can cut, but you should be able to get ~3" on a 10" saw. Another way is using a dado blade and laying the stock across the saw, using the miter gauge or crosscut sled to take bites from all four sides until a tenon is formed.
You could probably be happy with a hollow chisel mortising setup on a drill press. That was my method also.
I haven't made doors in years but if it comes up again I will get another tenoning jig and hollow chisel setup.
ok, this is pretty amateur, but I thought I'd just give it a try, to get something going. I've been thinking about this for a loooong time, and keep procrastinating because of not being sure how to proceed.View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
Nice job Huck - looks like you got it on the run. Here's my .02M&T is superior to floating tenons (Domino or any other) because only one of your two pieces is going to hold water. A floating tenon has two mortises that can collect water.For long lasting construction, a regular M&T beats bridle joints (even pinned bridles) hands down, for the same reason - easier to keep the water out. Titebond III is pretty good, but I prefer West Systems epoxy - it takes a little more work to make it up, and sometimes you need to throw some additives (usually silica) in there to give it some body filling, but it's pretty bulletproof.Of course, I'm on the wet side of the PNW, so shedding water 10 months out of the year is a necessity here.-t
What I've tried (and it actually worked) I guess could be called "floating tennons" I built a jig that I could clamp the rails to and the stiles to, It was set up for my cheapazz plunge router to mortise out like a 2 1/2 x 1/2 wide by as deep as I could work the bit in 1 1/4" I'm thinking. Marked all boards so the same face was facing the jig because it was impossible to center it perfectly, so if they are all aligned when put together with the same face up it comes out flush.
The jig was just the right sized square screwed to a to some 2x4s on some sawhorses, and I put a center mark on in and layed out center marks where I wanted all the holes, clamped it and went to town. So then the rails and stiles are all mortised I cut scrap plywood "tennons" that would fit not as tight as you would think. So they would have been like 2 1/4 x 1/2 x 1 7/8 or so.
I didn't square out the mortises I just trimmed off the corner of the tennons with a utility knife used lots of glue clamped it up with whatever I could find like real clamps and some rachet straps. I used Titebond II as its supposed to be made for that stuff.
I know of one screen door I did for a friend like this and its still holding up after 2 years and we get nasty winters round here. He just propped it open all winter so he would have to push it through the show. Its got those old squeaky self closing hinges that literality slam the door shut, all is fine, even with the heavy traffic through that door. Now you got me thinking about a really cool one I did out of cedar that I'm gonna track down this week and check up on.
I hope that made sense even though It probaly didnt help
The mortise and tennon is the preferred joint as it increases the glue surface on the face and edges of the joint. You are also distrubting the shear over a larger surface area and this reduces fatigue. End to edge joints just dont hold.
Of course, the mortise is the hard part but it can be done with a plunge router, forstner bit, chisel mortiser, or hand chiseling. Or a combination of the previous. it's all part of the learning curve.
Time, along with very sharp tools , as in razor sharp chisels
there are few books out there in joinery,and japanese joinery, check amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Art-Japanese-Joinery-Kiyosi-Seike/dp/0834815168/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242164763&sr=1-2
Hey Huck, we were fixing some siding today, and had to go through this gate, repeatedly. Kind of a pain, but kind of cool. Not really fine, but thought of this thread.http://www.tvwsolar.com
Now I wish I could give Brother Bill his great thrill
I would set him in chains at the top of the hill
Then send out for some pillars and Cecil B. DeMille
He could die happily ever after"
how cool is that!"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
thanks for the head-up, I'll check into that book! Learning curve, for sure! "...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
Thanks for the link. Ordered it last night and looking forward to ruining some wood.
We build a line of outdoor products including arbors and pergolas using cypress. Over the yrs. I have found the loose tenon to be an excellent joint with one improvement; the wood used for the loose tenon is dried in an over to reduce the moisture content 2-4 % less than the construction material. This causes the tenon to to swell after glue is applied and the joint assembled. With some of our products out in the weather for over 10 yrs. we have yet to have any failures .
what is your opinion of the domino as a loose tenon?"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
The largest size domino appears to be approximately 1/2"x2". This would not be a sufficient size for exterior woodworking in my opinion. It is very easy to cut matching mortises and a loose tenon of sufficient size for any application you may need using a simple template and a plunge router. Try it, you'll like it!!
OK, so a plunge router with a template. You have my attention. Can you give any more specific direction? Got a you-tube video reference, a good book, a website, etc.? I'm all ears."...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
I did loose tenons a few weeks ago to make some kneewall access doors that are 1-3/8 x 24 x 48. I made a simple L shaped router jig. One leg of the L goes against the face of the workpiece. The other leg has a rectangular opening in it, 5/8" x 2-1/8", and the router base rides on it. The opening accommodates a guide bushing. I used a 5/8" OD guide bushing and a 1/2" OD x 2-1/2" long straight flute router bit in a plunge router. Cut a mortise 1/2" wide x 2" long x 2-1/4" deep in the edge of the stile and the end of the rail. Mill loose tenon stock out of scrap wood, radius the edges with a 1/4" radius bit, cut some very thin kerfs along the length to allow glue/air to escape as it's assembled, cut pieces that are 4-1/4" long... those are your tenons.
Ten years ago I wrote an article on this with a bunch of photos. It's around here somewhere.
What david said, except we use a solid carbide up-spiral bit which is self drilling (for the initial plunge) and also clears chips faster.
That's probably a big improvement. With a straight flute bit you are stopped a few times per cut to blow chips out.
My first choice would be traditional mortise & tenon joinery. A tenoning jig for the tablesaw and a benchtop hollow mortiser will work for most things.however I would disagree with you with about the Domino. If placed on the widest setting you can make your own loose tenons which would work for smaller gates.
I find I can make almost any size mortise much faster with a plunge router and some that just wouldn't be practical any other way. Some of our mortices are cut into laminated arches and would be very difficult on our hollow chisel mortiser. The domino I'm afraid would be much to small for this application. Looks like a great but expensive tool otherwise.
There is usually more than one way to approach any task. Routers tend not to be my first choice, the centering jig you describe does work well. I use anything from a hollow mortise machine, to a bandsaw, to english mortising chisels, to the Domino, depending on application. The Domino is expensive but has a fairly wide range of uses and would, I believe, benefit Huck in other areas of finish carpentry as well. All these methods aside a mortise & tenon or to a less extent a bridal joint allow for the pegging of the joint in addition to glue. I've attached a few pics of a pegged bridal joint
We use bridle and thru mortises on a lot of our interior joinery, but i don't like having that much exposed end grain in outdoor projects. I still think the domino is inadequate for making joints in the size material commonly used for gates and other exterior projects.
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
The standards were pretty crude on this- mainly a learning experience. Yet as sloppy as the bridle joints were, they were amazingly strong. Even before glueing, the joints were very hard to get apart, and did not want even to move or shift.View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
a band-saw would make this go easier next timeView Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
All the pieces other than the frame are dowel-pegged with 7/8" dowels, about 2" long (an inch into each piece). Again, the work was done using portable handheld tools, so the quality wasn't up to shop standards. But I mainly just wanted to see if I could build this thing without using any nails or screws.View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
Looks good Huck, you're off and running now.I started building a timber frame style carport this weekend. Pegged mortise & tenon braces, etc. forgot to bring the camera. I'll try to get some pics next weekend.
Thanks. Yeah, sometimes just getting going is the hardest part. I can think of a hundred reasons why something won't work, and I gotta just get going and try. I can always improve on the next one!
Even 'tho the joints were strong, they were a little sloppy - so I poured this down into the cracks, and filled up any voids. I plan on finishing with it also.View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
Quite a bit poured down into the bridle joints.View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
The little pieces between the slats were the hardest - drilling into end grain with a hand held portable drill - it wandered (none of them came out perfectly centered), and some of them busted during fabrication. A drill press would be helpful.View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
I added a 1/8" plywood escutcheon on each side (what you see clamped here) to bring the thickness to 1 3/4", so I can use a standard door lockset if I decide to.View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
After glue-up, I worked some putty into all the sloppy joints, then sanded everything, then went over everything with a 3/8" radius roundover bit.View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
I used three 4" door hinges, and set it so that fully opened, it rubs on the concrete walkway, and friction will hold it open - same thing I did on the other gate (seen in the background), which has a spring closer, and it has proved very handy.View Image
"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
Edited 5/25/2009 9:03 pm by Huck
Here you can see my nice, even reveal, about 1/8". Wonder how long that will stay like that!View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
Painting it with boat resin. It'll take several coats, with sanding in between. Like painting with honey - very gooey!View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
Huck,I see that you are in California, bridle joints will work just fine where you are. We get more rain in a month than you do in a year!Instead of drilling out all the small pieces between the vertical members you could clamp all the vertical members together and with a festool or skill saw make multiple cuts to remove material wide enough for the cross piece, half the thickness of the board. Then do the same thing to the horizontal piece making a dado cut as wide as you wanted the spacing to be.
The first coat got all drippy - made for a lot of extra sanding. I did some research on the internet, and found that, surprise, a 4" wienie roller is the best tool for applying resin. So this coat came out smoother, and should require far less sanding. One more after this should do it.View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
I freehanded the address numbers in with a router and a v-groove bitView Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
Huck,Took a couple of pics of some half-lap joinery which may work as an alternative for any future gates you make instead of drilling. In this case, being purlins they are not full half-laps but the process is the same.
Thanks! Can you tell me a little about this saw?
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
It is a coarse cut Ryoba type Japanese saw from Hida Tools. I don't see it on their website now, but their website doesn't list many of the things they carry.Most any handsaw will work. I stay just on the waste side of the line and then plane to the line. It is reasonably quick and can be carried out in the field.
Shark makes one as well,
Lowes use to carry them.
some of the best twenty dollars i ever spent.
use to use mine all the time to under cut door jambs but that was before the days of
the multi master :)
Finally got it finished and installed!View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
May do something more with the posts. And the rest of the fence, and the rest of the yard, needs a lot more work. But the gate is in!! Ta da!!View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
The gate looks good, fun thread.
I'm chiming in a bit late but would like to say I'm not a huge fan of the floating tenon as opposed to a fix mortise and tenon...can't even explain why exactly as I find the floating tenon to be far easier to do I just have more faith in the strength of the traditional method. I've made many entry doors and cabinet doors using the same tools you have, once you do a couple you can get pretty accurate working your way to your layout lines with handsaws and cordless drills. I made an entire mahogany stile and rail entry door with a forstner bit in a cordless drill , handsaw, and chisel after I'd planed/ripped the pieces to size.
Thanks, that's just the kind of pep talk I need. Eventually I'd like to get set up with shop tools, but for now, I plan on building plenty more of these using the portable tools I have - with some jigs that I can see I'm gonna need.
I have a tiny "shop", a 9' x 14' outbuilding, with power. Not much room, but I'm determined to make it work. I really want to explore the "no nails no screws" tenet, to the extent practical.
In addition to the bridle joints, I really like doweling with 7/8" dowel - it just felt really strong and solid going together. A little play to make glue-up do-able with one person, but not much, and when it all dried, man on man that sucker was solid. The weakest link was probably the wood chosen - redwood is not a very dense or strong wood. But it worked fine for what it is, and I'll probably continue to work with redwood for awhile.
The one thing I'm not crazy about is finishing with boat resin. I just can't seem to get it to harden right. I've got enough catalyst that it's going off as I'm using it - yet once applied, it just doesn't seem to harden. Sitting in the sun seems to help. I finally installed the gate, but its still a little tacky. I may switch to marine spar varnish."...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
I'd be concerned about the resin reacting to UV. But it looks good!
I'd be concerned about the resin reacting to UV
Yeah, a lot of Corvettes, sailboats, and surfboards are gonna be in trouble if that happens!"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
They are all painted, or gel coated.
Most surfboards are made with clear resin, as is the canoe pictured below. Plenty of wood sailboat decks and rails with clear resin also. Gonna be a whole lot of trouble if fiberglass resin turns out to be the wrong product for uv exposure!
View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
Gel coat is still just a polyester resin...And I have polyester sailboards that are just fine...
You may be thinking of exopy resin - it is not uv stable and need to be topcoated.
The interesting thing about the polyesters though, is that they are not waterproof, fwiw. Two coats of epoxy resin is waterproof...Remodeling Contractor just on the other side of the Glass City
Well, I don't have any experience with boats or fiberglass. I just know that clear products seem to deteriorate faster than opaque. Thanks for "clearing" that up.
JHOLE,Is clear polyester resin stable in UV exposure? That is a real plus if it is so. I have not worked with it except for some auto body repairs many moons ago. I've done a lot of epoxy work.Bill
I think that the polyester it self is stable. My understanding is that it doesn't offer any protection, and is still prone to oxidize - but is stable...
???Remodeling Contractor just on the other side of the Glass City
"Yeah, a lot of Corvettes, sailboats, and surfboards are gonna be in trouble if that happens!"
I believe the problem is not with the resin itself or with the fiberglass of Corvettes, etc--it is with UV degradation of the wood underneath. After a couple of years (less, with products lacking UV inhibitors), the wood fibers take on a milky appearance, and the finish begins to separate. It takes yearly or bi-yearly maintenance to keep the beautiful appearance that your gate has now.
Read more in the current issue of Fine Woodworking--there's a pretty comprehensive article that shows test results from various oils, varnishes, etc., and how they performed over a year in 3 different climates of the country.
My own approach with the various items of garden/yard architectural woodwork has been to do nothing. Just let it weather to a silvery gray, which looks good with greenery. But that's not everybody's preference.
well, that's one reason I wanted to try it - to see how it holds up. UV is hard on everything, no doubt, esp. the intense desert sun we get here, coupled with the dryness. I could eventually paint it, after all the fence is white. But I wanted the wood look at first. Later, as it deteriorates, I may paint it.
View Image"...everone needs to sit on a rock, listen to the surf, and feel the ocean breeze in their face once in awhile."
cambriadays.com
Edited 6/3/2009 8:21 pm by Huck
Nice job. Had to chuckle at the keyed lock, tho'.
THAT'LL keep 'em out! LOL!Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PAEverything fits, until you put glue on it.
you mean the deadbolt? Yeah, especially when the fence panels are removeable!! "...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
The perfect machine for cutting the female slot for tennons is a lockset mortiser.
There are a few gates in our Fences section at http://www.gardenstructure.com but I have about 20 or so to post, including one that is blind mortise and tennon--pegged with keyless entry.
Most of the gates are more knock together... most folks don't want to spend 3-10k for a set of gates. The other complication is the weather where we are based... we get roughly 100 freeze thaw cycles a year near Toronto--that is murder on joinery. We will normally seal all 6 sides to prevent water infiltration on anything "Fine".
There is a whole section of gates on our other site...however that has been out of service for 2 weeks now...
Huck? Did you actually design and build that gate??
L
GardenStructure.com~Build for the Art of it! Decks Blog
Edited 5/11/2009 8:43 am ET by Lawrence
I'm surprised at the variety of responses here. Apparently there is no real consensus on gate joinery. Here in so. cal. rain and heat / uv are the enemy, followed by rot and/or termites. I assumed mortise and tenon, but really don't know what joinery was used on the pics I posted.
120030.5 is not a very good shot, but it shows a gate I built, there is no m/t joinery there, just a 2x4 frame with 1x4's stapled to it.
When you talk about a lockset mortiser, are you talking about one of those high-dollar jobs for lockset boxes?View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
Exactly... they are a joy to use.
If you are planning to do a lot of them it is perfect. (not sure of the market in Bakersfield--but if you sell into the LA market... could be potential.
LGardenStructure.com~Build for the Art of it! Decks Blog
If you're not looking for exposed joinery, the domino makes an easy way to join what you're trying to do.Yes, the individual dominos aren't as big as a single tenon, but you can use multiple ones to get where you need to be. Don't know how they'd fare in a gate application. You might want to ask at one of the Festool forums.There is a special sipo domino for exterior applications.I'd agree with Mathewson that you'd quickly find other uses for the tool in your work. Lastly, they've got a 30 day trial. If you don't like the tool, just return it. No questions asked. Really. You can also demo the tool if you are near a dealer.'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
View Image
Well, I split my time between furniture & carpentry (etc.) / Knots & Breaktime. None of those gates looked like any special joinery was required. Just looks to me like M&T stuff -- i.e., normal traditional door making. Not hard - just "fussy". That said, those gates all have wonderful design work tho'.
I make most tenons over 3" long with a router with a split fence jig (where you essentially wrap a fence around the piece and rout from both sides). For big tenons, or big parts, floating tenons aren't really an advantage 'cause it's too much a PIA to make the mortises. For one take on tenons under 3" long, look here: http://forums.taunton.com/fw-knots/messages?msg=46629.4
Large and/or through mortises like those you pictured are easiest with a drill press for rough-out, and some skill with a sharp slick to smooth the sides.
Of course, as with any door, stock selection is pretty important. Quartersawn if you can, so it's less likely to move on ya and rack the door over time. For outdoor applications, this is even more critical. Also, wood species is obviously a big concern.
TB III is fine for glue-ups. Poly glue would work well too if you can deal with the mess. In fact, poly may have an advantage in that it's pretty much guaranteed to fill any voids in the joint, thereby keeping water out. (Just don't rely on it to make up for sloppy joinery since it loses much of its strength if the joint's not tight.) Note also that a lot of those gates use pegged M&Ts that don't really need glue for strength -- just sealing against water.
Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PAEverything fits, until you put glue on it.
Mortise and tenon joinery. I was in Hodges' shop once, he had a piece of machinery for sale. I noticed a couple of various mortising and tenoning machines, specifically a single end tenoner. He had something like this:
http://www.exfactory.com/detail.asp?recnum=TS-010411&prev=TS-010438&next=TS-010395&mfg=&code=&UFOBREGION=&Page=&Viewed=2&FNListings=0&FNsubcat=0&showSpecWriter=318&numPics=2&video=0
but you don't really need one.
Chuck,
If memory serves you've built a gate or two. Maybe in conjunction with that arbor I remember seeing?
Best,
Steve
'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
Edited 5/10/2009 12:01 pm ET by FatRoman
Steve,
I think you mean this one. I used clear heart redwood. Mortice and tenon joinery.
Driveway side.
View Image
Yard Side with gates open.
View Image
There is a BT'er with a garden structure website as a tag, but I could not find it for Huck. It was in the 'please comment on my website' thread.
Chuck Slive, work, build, ...better with wood
When I was a kid there was an old codger that built just about anything. He made my dad a screen door out of cypress that didnt have a single screw in it. That door lasted for 20 years through 5 kids half a dozen dogs and numerous grandkids. It was mortise and tenon joinery and it was awsome. I only mention this because everyone knows how a screen door becomes out of square but his never did. A thief finally kicked it down and robbed us about 15 years ago and destroyed it. I would think that would be the way to go.
Another note of interest is he was 96 when he made that door. I hope I can still mortise at that age.
Due to the recent state of the economy, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off
Segments and laminated overlaps, which end up being a bridle joint. But with the laminated sections, you can get really long overlaps of long grain to long grain. This results in joints that are weather resistant, and as strong or stronger than the wood.
I would tend towards a urethane glue. Even though there have been issues raised about it's strength. I think that most of the issues, were because things weren't clamped down tight enough, and it actually foamed in the joint.
I haven't ever had any problems with urethane glues, but I clamp everything extremely tight.
The urethane glues are water proof. And, the glue bond when it doesn't get a chance to foam, is going to still be there after the wood rots away. Plus, the glue line will actually take stains and finishes pretty much like the wood itself.
The one with the leaf detail is really great looking.
View Image
man, isn't it 'tho? That's my goal - to someday build something that beautiful!
View Image"...everone needs to sit on a rock, listen to the surf, and feel the ocean breeze in their face once in awhile."
cambriadays.com
Edited 6/3/2009 7:26 pm by Huck