help with gate design

[weldlady]

Hi Everyone,

I have an arbor part way into my driveway, about an eighth of a mile from the house. I've always wanted to do something decorative and functional here, as its the entry into my residence. The standard eight foot gates that a person can buy in a farm store are too short, a ten footer is too long, and I don't really care for the look of one ten and one eight foot gate.

The posts on the arbor are sixteen feet and eight inches apart. I am thinking two gates that are a full eight feet in length and four foot high. I have inch and seven eighths schedule forty pipe and premade ninety degree corners that I can use.

I am thinking that one day I may have an automatic opener on these gates so that may play into the design, and they will need to be able to be locked in some fashion.

I would like to ask the tractorbynet community for some creative design ideas.

Thanks in advance.

 

[CreekyB]

I would consider a sliding gate if your property is level enough for it. Only one gate controller needed and the sliding controllers tend to last a bit longer than swing controllers.

 

[flyerdan]

It looks like you have some lag hinges already in the post for gates that were there at one time. I have an Excel spreadsheet that generates cut lists for tube gates, I could give you a cut list but it would be for nipped and welded joints, not prefabbed 90's. For that size of material, you need two bays in each leaf with truss rods to true it up; that's a considerable moment arm.

A roll gate would require setting additional posts to support the rail it tracks on and it needs a fairly good surface for the ground wheel to run on so it tracks true. The real setup would be a cantilever gate; that requires 2 posts for the 4 rollers it runs on but they roll super easy and track straight, at least the ones I built did. The drawbacks on these is that they would be behind the large wooden posts so the gate would be noticeably offset behind the existing structure, where a swing gate would be centered.

 

[KYErik]

I vote for the siding gate idea that Creeky B suggested. Wind and snow can really mess with motorized swinging gates. I had a 12 footer across my driveway (motorized swing type).

 

[weldlady]

Thanks for the thoughts everyone. I've thought of the sliding gate, but I don't think it will work for me. I had a snafu when this was put in six years ago. The two upright posts are canted from each other rather than in a direct line of being straight across. This came into being because in the drilling of one hole, I hit a boulder, so the hole was moved thus moving the layout of the arbor. A sliding gate may not work because it won't track directly behind one side or the other. Still open to other suggestions to solve this.

 

[Qapla]

If you swing one gate in and the other one out you could add a decorative panel to the open side of each gate. The panels would take up the empty space in the center while also providing a way to lock the two gates together

 

[JerryK]

Have to think about snow depths and how you plan to keep the gates working during the winter months.. Both sliding and swinging have their own set of good/bad points as far as snow depth/snow clearing.

 

[Al Mac]

I have swinging gates on my driveway. Being in Canada we get feet of snow and it is not a issue for me. The gates are about 6 inches of the ground so it takes a good storm to block them. They also swing in so I can clean up to them after a storm.
I bought my own parts for the operator with the thought if something breaks I just need to replace that part from the local stores.
It has been in operation for 5 years now and like it.

Al

 

[lennyzx11]

Thanks for the thoughts everyone. I've thought of the sliding gate, but I don't think it will work for me. I had a snafu when this was put in six years ago. The two upright posts are canted from each other rather than in a direct line of being straight across. This came into being because in the drilling of one hole, I hit a boulder, so the hole was moved thus moving the layout of the arbor. A sliding gate may not work because it won't track directly behind one side or the other. Still open to other suggestions to solve this.

Could you track from the inside of one directly to the offset post on the other side with a slider? This would take away from the appearance of the gate being "behind" the fence.

 

[seaneastok]

Could you track from the inside of one directly to the offset post on the other side with a slider? This would take away from the appearance of the gate being "behind" the fence.

:thumbsup:


Morning Lenny..That was what I was thinking also
Sean