Hanging Gates - Corral Build

[GaryBDavis]

I'm just starting a corral project and have about a dozen gates to hang. I usually hang them in place with the tractor FEL, put some blocks underneath, shim things until it is about right and weld away. But that's hard to do with just one person, so I built a couple of tripods with winches on them. I still set them in place with the tractor FEL, but use the tripods to get things just right. It's quite a bit faster and turned out pretty good. I'm curious if anyone else out there does it like this or has something better.

 

[whistlepig]

I hang mine the same way you described except for the tripods. I think you must have some pretty large gates.

 

[dcyrilc]

I like the idea of the grease fittings.

 

[Mousefield]

Looking good. Nice heavy gates, guess you have big cows down your way.

 

[wedge40]

Looking good. Nice heavy gates, guess you have big cows down your way.

Well you know.
"Everything is big in Texas" LOL.

Sorry it had to be said.

Wedge

 

[weldingisfun]

Necessity is the mother of invention, or so they say. Genius should be in there somewhere too.
Really like your hinges and the tripod idea as well. Sure would make working alone alot easier, that's for sure.
One thing I noticed on the pic of your lower hinge, have you considered welding a collar over the top of it, like you did on the top hinge, to keep water from getting in between the hinge and the gate vertical post. Just a thought.
You do good work.

 

[GaryBDavis]

I debated the issue of water getting into my hinges long and hard. On the bottom hinge, there is a collar below it, but not one on top. This is to keep the gate from being lifted up as some cows will try to go under things when they are confined to small pens.

I opted to put the collar on the bottom side and leave a small gap to let any water seep out. No solution is perfect. There is always a down side of some kind.

I put in my first gate like this over a year ago and it seems to be working out.

 

[Train]

Like the tripod idea.:thumbsup: That and you do some really nice work. One thing though. Welding it to the post seems a little to permanent for me just in case you decide to make some changes, the posts settle and lean a bit, or the gate gets damaged. Just some thoughts.

And I know what your saying about doing things alone. There are a lot of days I have to wait for my son to get home from school before I can get a fairly simple project done.

 

[wedge40]

wont grease help the water issue?

Wedge

 

[GaryBDavis]

Welding it to the post seems a little to permanent for me just in case you decide to make some changes, the posts settle and lean a bit, or the gate gets damaged.

Well if any of that happens, I'll just cut it off and re-weld it.

 

[travis potter]

The gates and welds look real good. I like the tripods and will steal your idea when I build my gates. A freind uses a simular hinge but only uses a plate where you use the short pipe yours is much stronger.

 

[texasjohn]

HI, Gary

Good post.

Good idea, the tripods.:thumbsup:

Good welding.

Great fence. Wish it was mine. :licking:

 

[AKfish]

You do real good work! Great idea, those tripods.. as well.

Thanks for sharin'.

AKfish

 

[weldingisfun]

OK Gary, I have admired your work and complimented your skill as well , now for the serious part. Where do you get your pipe? My place is not that far from yours.

 

[GaryBDavis]

Ah yes, the never ending search for good pipe. The latest place I've been getting it is Brown's Feed Store in Lampasas. Same with the cattle panel which is 5'x20' but with 4"x8" 4GA wire. The 4" height works for goats, but the 8" width allows you to get a boot in it and climb up. 4GA is stronger and thick enough to weld real good.

The pipe at Brown's is running $1.20/ft. It's 24' new schedule 40 and is good and clean but some pieces can be slightly bowed. The other place I like to get it is Schilling Pipe just north of Waco. It's running $1.59/ft for new reject random lengths but you can get some really thick pieces if you shop right. Then there's Belton Pipe over in Belton that is running $1.39/ft in 31' lengths. It's new stuff and not rusted at all, but slightly thinner than schedule 40. It's good for gates as it makes them not quite so heavy.

I'm done using used oilfield pipe for fencing. Too many issues and just a pain to work with.

 

[CincoM]

You have some great ideas there! I would be interested in more pictures of your corral project if you have any. Hopefully tackling mine here at the beginning of April and you seem to have some pretty good ideas.


Tyler M.

 

[GaryBDavis]

You have some great ideas there! I would be interested in more pictures of your corral project if you have any. Hopefully tackling mine here at the beginning of April and you seem to have some pretty good ideas. Tyler M.

I doubt my corral will be done by the time you start yours. One of the best books on the market for corral design is Humane Livestock Handling by Temple Grandin. She's the subject of an HBO movie "Temple Grandin" that came out last month and there's some good stuff in the movie about cattle behavior. Still, I recommend the book.

On a side note, I got to go to an advanced screening of the movie and meet Temple herself. Pretty cool having her sign my book.

 

[weldingisfun]

Thanks, Gary.
I always buy my panels at Brown's Feed. Never knew he had pipe too. That old boy sure doesn't talk a whole lot. Guess you just have to ask him what he has to sell if you want to know. That's is a hit on me.

 

[GaryBDavis]

It will be a sad day when he retires.

 

[texasjohn]

I purchase my feed, in multi-ton batches, from Brown's Feed Store in Lampasas, best prices I've found in the area. Yep, they are good people... now I know they have lots of other stuff, too...:thumbsup: