This, that, and the other

[wroughtn_harv]

Harv/Don

I'm off work the 12th - 16th, do you guys want an extra pair of hands?

The more the merrier, fun is like that. Come on down.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Harvey,

I have a couple of entry questions. I have zero experience building entry ways, but I want to build my own.

I have already built 2200' of 4' high fence using 2 7/8" pipe fence around my place. The entry way is the last item.

The gate would be 12' wide by 4' high arched across to 5' high in the middle with 5/8" pickets on 4" centers.


I have a 4" square tube with 1/4" wall for gate post. I plan to sink the gate post 5' deep in a 30x30" hole filled with concrete to use as a pad for a rock column. I will weld two arms off of the post to protude through the rock column and weld a small plate on the ends for the hinges.


Question one,
what size and thickness square tube will I need for the gate frame not to sag?

Question two,
which hinge in the pictures would you use?
They are both at least 2,000lb rated.

Thanks
Rick

I use the sealed bearing hinges on big gates. I don't just hinges with zerts for a couple of reasons. The primary one is I've replaced too many of them that froze up because someone went two or three months without greasing them. Check out Counsel hinges at King and go for one that's twice the capacity of the weight of your gate. I really like them.

The problem with four inch tubing for gate posts is first, they're strong two ways where pipe is strong all ways. If you have to have square tubing I suggest always going for the biggest size you can afford even if it's thinner wall thickness than the smaller, say six inch eleven gauge is much better in my book than four inch quarter wall. Second, you can get pipe cheaper and it's stronger over all. I suggest Giving the boys at Bonham Steel a call. They run seconds and rejects but the price is a fraction of firsts.

Since your gate post is going to be in a stone column I would bit the bullet and find some six inch pipe. You'll only regret overdoing it one time.

What I do is I use two by four quarterwall rectangular tubing for my arms. Bring them out too far and then cut back for your hinges after the stone work is done. Do your welds the very best you can. If you have any doubts on the viability of your welds don't blink a minute about cutting a hole in your pipe and running the rectangular tubing through it. Again, you only regret one time for over doing it.

On the gate. One that small I'd probably go with inch and a half by three fourteen gauge for the bottom and far end upright. I'd use inch and a half by three eleven gauge for the hinge side. If you miter the corners be sure and drill some ventilation holes, this is mandatory if you're having it powdercoated. I'd use sixteen gauge pickets and fourteen gauge for the rest of the framework. You have to either weld your pickets three hundred and sixty degrees or leave them open on the bottoms. Anything else and you're going to be chasing rust stains from now on.

I hope this helps.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Sometimes you get hooked on an idea. This log got me. She just screamed she wanted to be the key pad holder for the big timber gate.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Of course the hiccup in the getup is she needed plumbing. You know, plumbing, electrical plumbing.

I needed a three quarter on an inch hole from what she sits on to about forty five inches above grade. That's where the key pad will sit and I need an eight conductor wire to the key pad. I don't want the wiring to show. So all I had to do was drill a three quarter inch hole about four feet long bottomside up.

Nothing but a thing.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

It's coming together a little more each day. The masons are done with the columns and I finished the transition panels from the new fence to the old barbwire and t post fenc.

 

[txdon]

Bobby, come on down!
Harvey, I was thinking about picking up some more rocks as I drive around next week. What size, shape, thickness, and color should they be? Do you have a pic of the ones you pick out? I learned from the bridge you can never have too many rock to choose from.

 

[jinman]

Harvey, I was thinking about picking up some more rocks as I drive around next week. What size, shape, thickness, and color should they be? Do you have a pic of the ones you pick out? I learned from the bridge you can never have too many rock to choose from.

Don, It's just too darn bad that you or Harvey aren't a little closer to me. My neighbor just asked me to do a tractor project for him to remove rocks from his mule pen. He has two mules to pull a wagon he built and the rocks are in his 2-acre corral. There are lots of them from softball size all the way up to 1000 lb boulders. I'm going to take the largest three down to my place, but most of these rocks are fairly flat and a nice light rusty-reddish color. I'll be dumping them in an erosion gully, but he'd give them away in a heartbeat. As I remember on your place, you have to do some looking to find rocks. At this place, all you'd have to do is back up to a pile and load up.

Harvey: That entranceway is rapidly changing from a project to a statement. The statement is, "Hey, let's see you top this!" That is one beautiful piece of work.

 

[GaryBDavis]

Harv,

I was talking to MS the other day and he mentioned you had a new favorite brand of gate opener. What are you planning to use on these gates?

 

[txdon]

Jim those rocks sound perfect. I'm trying to figure out how I can economically get them. We have a time factor and a fuel factor that is working against us.

 

[bgoodman]

Yaknow Don, I have a decent sized utility trailer, 5x10, that'd I'd be more than willing to bring down full of rocks. I just need to take the remainder of the roofing debris to the dump first. Jim's not terribly far from me, and it's just as easy for me to drive the van with the trailer as it is to drive my car.