Welding Tips and Tricks

I have a good idea of how to build the gate itself but need recommendations on gate openers and hinges. Basically it is going to be a 2 door driveway gate with electronic openers. Im making it out of 2" x 1" for the frame and 1" pickets. The hinges have to be bolt on, this I where I need recommendations and also on gate operers

Design as pictured but split in half

Edit: gate will swing open electronically
Also need the recommended gap in between the center of the 2 gates

Krazywelder,

I'm also interested in finding out more information on this. I have a similar project coming up.

I want to clarify that my gate will be the type that swings open, opposed to one that slides on rollers sideways along a fence.

I need to have a wheel on mine that will swing the gate into the driveway. I also have some grade, so would like to hear what others use when the gate needs to swing open as well as allowing for an incline. I have seen them on homes, just not sure how to do it.

With that said, I will watch and learn.

2x1 will be heavy. Very heavy. I did a 20’ split gate for a property but used 1/2” pickets and flat bar top and bottom, ring rolled the top. I had to broach the pickets thru a middle section due to design.

I made 3 welded on plate hinges that were lagged into the concrete pillars. I gapped the center about 3/16” as I recall, might have been 3/8”. Just enough for the two pieces to swing past one another.

For an idler wheel, you can use a spring loaded wheel (spring under a tab,wheel below it) that will increase its travel to “reach” the ground and retract as you traverse grade.

What will you be using for side posts to bolt the hinges to?
I like hinges that can be adjusted with bolts so you can adjust the gate clearance and level if you get shifting of the outside posts.
Ground frost plays an important role in this where I live.

4x4 posts already existing

Krazywelder wrote:4x4 posts already existing

Wood? Or steel?
How are they into the ground?

Wood or steel? How are they set into the ground?

Steel. They were set in the ground by a company my dad had hired

Krazywelder wrote:Steel. They were set in the ground by a company my dad had hired

I hope they are tethered at the top to prevent them from being pulled over. A freestanding 4x4, no matter how well planted will sag with the weight you are planning.

This is the setup with nothing at the top. How would you go about tethering it in to the column?

Krazywelder wrote:This is the setup with nothing at the top. How would you go about tethering it in to the column?

Nice looking design!

cj,

A 200-225 amp welder should handle this just fine?

Krazywelder,

How many amps did you use on that gate you pictured above? The material doesn't look too big, but I'm not sure I can split my gate for my project, did that one have an opener on it?

The picture is of the same setup of the gate I am building. I'll be using my everlast 211 on it as I've used before when building a dock gate. Prefer to run off 220 but I did the dock gate of 110 and worked fine.
I'm hoping someone can explain how to tether the existing posts into the columns to avoid sag. The rest of the dimensions i can handle at this point.

Is that gate yours or a sample you want to copy? I believe Most of those fences are aluminum. That is alot of weight and leverage. Here is a small 5' gate i built out of solid 3/4 pickets and i learned why they use aluminum. The 8' panels had to weigh 300lb. Never again! I used 3/4" hangers and forged the eye to match. Remember torque! If you have 100lb 6' out, you have 600ft/lb of torque. If you go with steel tube i believe will need a cable from the top post side corner to the bottom middle corner to prevent raking and as others stated the post holding this will need to be solid.
Nice project.
Cheers

Krazywelder wrote:This is the setup with nothing at the top. How would you go about tethering it in to the column?

I would fabricate a latch plate near the top of the 4x4 and lag that to the masonry column. That prevents the post from being pulled away to the center of the gate opening.

One reason you often see horizontal “rungs” where the pickets pass thru is to assist with preventing racking. It’s also why flat stock, not tubing is used in those type as flat stock with broached holes distorts a lot less.

There’s lots of ways to skin this cat. Just factor in the weight of things, and be aware you can likely use thinner wall, and smaller scale pickets to achieve a lovely outcome. Like your dad’s (if that his in the picture, handsome gate)

Krazywelder,

Did you forge those scrolls yourself or did you buy them from somewhere like
King Architectural Metals?

Simclardy,

Isn't weight only a concern when being built? Doesn't look like that fence is going
anywhere, anytime soon...King sells finales to put on top of tube.

TraditionalToolworks wrote:Krazywelder,

Did you forge those scrolls yourself or did you buy them from somewhere like
King Architectural Metals?

Simclardy,

Isn't weight only a concern when being built? Doesn't look like that fence is going
anywhere, anytime soon...King sells finales to put on top of tube.

The weight is an issue on gates as it is always moving and will move and stress any load bearing member over time.

Here is a water department gate across the street and they used 6"square post and a chain anchor to help support. Without the chain it would likely not line up over time.

Sounds like the op has a stone pillar to connect to so he should be good.


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Simclardy wrote:

TraditionalToolworks wrote:Krazywelder,

Did you forge those scrolls yourself or did you buy them from somewhere like
King Architectural Metals?

Simclardy,

Isn't weight only a concern when being built? Doesn't look like that fence is going
anywhere, anytime soon...King sells finales to put on top of tube.

The weight is an issue on gates as it is always moving and will move and stress any load bearing member over time.

Here is a water department gate across the street and they used 6"square post and a chain anchor to help support. Without the chain it would likely not line up over time.

Sounds like the op has a stone pillar to connect to so he should be good.


Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

I’ve built a half dozen gates like this for a local sand and gravel companies quarries/pits.
Buddy pushed a very large I beam 9-10 feet into the ground with the excavator. That was the main post that the gate hung on.
I made hinges with 1/2” plate and pipe pieces welded onto the plate. The gate then has a smaller piece of pipe on a plate that fits into the larger pipe that’s beveled and welded to the I beam post.
The other end of the gate just needs a smaller post pushed into the ground for stoking the swing and locking purpose.

The lower of the 2 hinges had a drilled hole through the pipe and plate for water drainage.
I would also drill a hole in the lower section of the gate support frame arm for water drainage. This ensures nothing will rupture or crack if it freezes in winter.