Gates

[muttley9050]

Well mutly I'm no expert probably only made a couple hundred gates in my time, my thinking on this is if your gate is twice as high as it is wide and your making braced ledged and framed gates then 45*is the optimum and preferred angle but if your gate is any other size ie not twice as high to width then it's not possible!

 

It is possible, just means the brace wouldn't be all the way to the end of the door. I usually tend to go for 4 ledges and no braces on doors, but gates usually 3 with braces. I will be starting an f+l+b oak gate next week and the braces will be from corer to corner not 45 but I will think about what this chippie said while cutting them.

[dexta]

As regarding braces they should always rise from the hinge side which stops the gate/door from dropping over time. I have never had a door drop with the brace that way but have seen plenty drop the other way .

[Mull]

As regarding braces they should always rise from the hinge side which stops the gate/door from dropping over time. I have never had a door drop with the brace that way but have seen plenty drop the other way .

 

Nice gates dexta, I notice the two uprights that meet in the middle are different widths, is there a reason for this?

[se7enthdevil]

Nice gates dexta, I notice the two uprights that meet in the middle are different widths, is there a reason for this?

 

thats usualy indicative of a rebate meeting in the middle so one door must be closed first before the other can be.

[se7enthdevil]

being as im a joiner i dont actualy remember what exactly was taught to me when it came to ledge and brace but heres what i think is required from the style.

 

each bit of wood on a gate has a job to do, the stiles are there to hold everything together. the rails are there to hold the panelling on and give the top line shape (if there is one) and top give the brace something to brace up against. the braces are there just to be an incomprosable length of wood cut neatly in place.

 

technicaly all braces should be no more than 50 degrees as this could comromise the direction of force given by the weight of the gate or door.

 

the ones gups 1828 posted are perfectly acceptable

[se7enthdevil]

if he gates are wrider than can be handled with a 50 degree anle then nothes should be taken out of the rail to correct the angle on the end of the brace as shown by mull29.

[se7enthdevil]

when the corner to corner length is compromised by the shape of the top line like dextas (very nice gates by the way) the angle is also compromised and usually only one long brace is needed either halflaping the middle rail or foregoing the middle rail alltogether. some consider the low angle brace as incorrect because it puts the stress on the stiles rather than the rails and could start to widen the doors as they settle and in doing so will sag at the meeting stiles too. a well mortised and tennoned gate or door should not have that problem and should last till the wood rots.

[Mull]

thats usualy indicative of a rebate meeting in the middle so one door must be closed first before the other can be.

 

Seems very obvious now you've pointed it out. Duh!👍

[woodrich]

That's really useful information thank you for posting.

 

I have seen 5 bar farm gates with 2 side by side 'X' shape braces.

I'm sure they work, but can't for the life of me see how.

The X brace near the hinges I get, but the second one just seems to be floating to me.

Rich

[se7enthdevil]

That's really useful information thank you for posting.

 

I have seen 5 bar farm gates with 2 side by side 'X' shape braces.

I'm sure they work, but can't for the life of me see how.

The X brace near the hinges I get, but the second one just seems to be floating to me.

Rich

 

well i never made one but i think the idea is that everywhere that wood touches wood there is a big nail/screw or bolt creating a big web of tension and compresion meaning the gate should not drop...

 

dont quote me on it though