Farm Gate

[wroughtn_harv]

A bud of mine wants a farm gate for his hunting land in southern Oklahoma. He has a TSC type gate and wants something a little more substantial.

We started off with ten pieces of ten feet long four inch EMT.

The neat thing about the four inch is I have a tool for coping it. This isn't my first rodeo, nor my second farm gate.

The tool is made from a piece of four inch (4 5/8" O.D.) schedule forty pipe. The way I made it is I cut a cope in four inch EMT. I transferred that to the four inch schedule forty for a pattern. This tool also has the ninety degree cut pattern too.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I used a sharpie to mark the EMT for the cut. I used the little plasma to make the cuts.

The coping tool also worked like a pocket on a shirt for holding the spacers for sanding the cut too.
The shirt of course being my new Arc Station from Miller.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Since this is about fourteen gauge material you want a tight fit, I'm stick welding this of course.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

The sticks of material were ten feet long. The gate opening will be eighteen feet. So I cut spacers and staggered the joints.

The gate when finished will have four uprights and four rails. The frame height will be four and a half feet and its length will be seventeen feet seven inches or so.

The hinges will be made from three point tractor heim joints and the latching system will be made with the Master locking system we're using on van and trailer doors these days. They're impossible to cut without serious time and a torch.

 

[mcnitt]

Beautiful work! Thanks for the inspiration. Will you continue to post photos please?

 

[Jim in ICT]

Now that's a gate!

 

[smstonypoint]

Thanks for the pics. Great craftsmanship!! Any idea about what the gate weighs?

Steve

 

[jayste]

Harvey, I'm liking it! Looking forward to more!:thumbsup: I can relate to the coping. Years back I'd try to freehand it and it worked in a pinch but then graduated to a pipe wrap and now to pipe coping (or saddling as some say) tools. I'm still in the process of getting all my coping tools as you've got. I have to say that the freehand method got me by and worked on pipe that had a good wall thickness but 14ga. would be a nightmare. Filling a gap is never fun on thin wall material.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I have it almost welded up. I did one side yesterday and asked some buds when they were over last night while I was in Dallas to flip it for me. They took one look at it and figured they needed the tractor or some help. They were really surprised how light it really was because it looks so substantial.

I figure it weighs somewhere around a 180 lbs. If an engineer wants to figure out the exact weight less the welding rod they would be close to figure out how much ninety feet of four inch fourteen gauge EMT weighs.

One of the things I did to add to the image of it being substantial is I double passed all the welds. It would be hard to believe someone could have such a substantial bead on fourteen gauge material.

I'll finish it in the morning. I picked up the three point rod end bearings I'm going to use for hinges today. I'll install those also in the morning.

The welds aren't perfect. That's not what I'm about anyways. 3/32 Lincoln 6010 (5P+) and don't ask me the amps. I'm not into the amp thing. I know where I like the machine to be set at when I'm doing this or that and so I set it for this or that. If there's something different going on I will allow for that with moving the control for more or less for this or that etc.

 

[gauthier]

Hey harv,what amps were you running?:laughing:

 

[gauthier]

Just looked at your butt weld,yeah,thats what two passes basicly look like on thin stuff,,,you could maybe stir your puddle[little circles and a whip when you need it] and make it more uniform looking,,,or add a third pass,,,if you wanted

 

[EddieWalker]

Why EMT? I've been looking at the 2 inch EMT at Lowes and thinking it might be good for some cross braces on wooden posts with threaded rod through the middle of it. I'm just not sure how well it will hold up to the elements. Of course, I like the look of rust too, so it might not matter too much either way.

What are you using to clean off the slag? Does the 6010 come off of the EMT that cleanly on its own or with a wack of a hammer? I've been thinking about getting a needle scaler just to clean up my slag, but haven't really put any effort into it other then "thinking" that I should do it.

Looks like a really nice gate!!!!

Eddie

 

[CTW]

Excellent gate idea, can't wait to see it mounted with the hinges. Any paint or powder coat going on that gate? I'm still waiting for you to start selling those no weld channel brackets that are pictured on your website, any plans for those?

 

[mjncad]

Harv, one suggestion for the rookies who may not know this; welding galvanized/zinc plated metal creates poisonous fumes they need to be aware of; especially if they decide to make a gate or other object with a lot of EMT or similar material.

 

[Stampeder]

Harv:

Nice job as usual. Looks like something that was on the beaches of Normandy to stop tanks.......

As old telephone guys we don't worry about pretty welds.....do we??:thumbsup:

Interested to see pictures of the hinges and the lock.

 

[jayste]

Ok Harvey........Now that the smoke and FUMES have cleared on this project how's it coming along? Got it hung yet?

 

[hilld]

Why EMT? I've been looking at the 2 inch EMT at Lowes and thinking it might be good for some cross braces on wooden posts with threaded rod through the middle of it. I'm just not sure how well it will hold up to the elements. Of course, I like the look of rust too, so it might not matter too much either way.

What are you using to clean off the slag? Does the 6010 come off of the EMT that cleanly on its own or with a wack of a hammer? I've been thinking about getting a needle scaler just to clean up my slag, but haven't really put any effort into it other then "thinking" that I should do it.

Looks like a really nice gate!!!!

Eddie

Eddie,

I am only guessing here, but EMT is galvanized and it is lighter and cheaper than 4" steel pipe (not sure you can get pipe that thin), so it would hold up quite nicely in the weather. Guess you would only have to treat the welds with zinc so they don't rust.

Derek

 

[rjmack]

What are you using to clean off the slag? Does the 6010 come off of the EMT that cleanly on its own or with a wack of a hammer?

they make wire wheels that screw onto the arbor of your (5" is better) grinder. the finer wire wheel is generally used. but be very careful, they shed wire fragments up to 1/2-3/4 inch long at very high rpm. . simple eye protection is not enough, you need full face shield or welding hood down while buffing. same thing for other people in general vicinity. they also stick in arms, hands, legs, whatever.

btw, nice gate

 

[weldingisfun]

Did you ever hang that gate,Harv? Give us a picture when you get a chance.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

The gate's doing through a divorce. Hate it when that happens.

When the divorce is final and all is settled the gate will be placed. At this time it's sitting here in Texas waiting for the asset inventory to be over. It seems to be worth less sitting here than it would be hanging up there.

But I have another that we're waiting on the masonary work to be complete that's pretty close to being exactly like it. That one will prbably be done sooner and we'll get it's pictures up then.