I would like to make a nice 3 foot wide by 6 foot high solid gate with a nice simple look that includes a small window near the top. I was considering 1x6 x3/4" thick cedar boards vertical on a hidden 3/4" plywood core hiding the plywood edges with cedar inserts. This would give me a nice 2 inch plus thick gate with no cross bridging at all.
Is the doable, and will it work? I was going to use homemade copper hardware and glue to holed it together
What if it rains?
Jim
The gate will have a nice beaten brass cap, I'll use exterior grade plywood and the gate will be finished with a quality clear UV sealer.
I can even get that fancy green plywood used for concrete forming and truck beds. It's manufactured near here, but pricy. I have a buddy who works there who can get me a sweet deal if I ask him.
I thought of a chunk of heavy sheet metal, maybe aluminum from a scrap yard but haven't checked around.
Usually the plywood will twist once the humidity changes (more than a Z brace door) imo. Baltic birch (interior glue) or a marine grade multi-ply would give you a better chance of success than ACX/CDX.
What do you think of thinner marine plywood. Maybe 3/8s or half inch. I could move up to full 1 inch thick cedar boards both sides. The plywood might have a tough time warping but would it provide the strength for no sag.
I was considering a few nice beaten copper bands across the gate. I beat the hell out of copper water pipe until it's flat to make these.:) I could insert a flat steel bar into the almost flattened water pipe for more strength. The more copper the better anyway. It gives me the look I want.
Sounds heavy.
-j
That is the main idea. I want it to look as heavy as possible. To match the big gate posts and archway. I'm going for an old Japanese style. I want the gate to feel substantial when you open it as well.
-j
old japanese gates didn't use plywood.
-j
Expensive here. And I don't have the heavy duty clamps.
Or Titebond III :)
sounds like massive delamination waiting to happen.
I just finished building a gate that will stand the test of time and kids swinging on it.
The posts are 3" steel tubing - two per side - welded together - buried 2' in concrete. The street facing fence and gate sections are 1"x6" Cedar slats screwed to a
1" square tubing frame. The gate has two sections. Section one is only 14" wide and is held stationary by a cane bolt. The main gate section is 40" wide and is also 1" square tubing. The hinges are weld-on with zerks for lubrication.This gate is so strong you can tell the kids "Get out of the house and go play ON the gate!"
Dave
The Borgs and LeeValley sell a "gate kit". The kit consists of 4 reinforced angle brackets sized to accept 2x4's for the gate framing. 2 of the brackets have door hinges attached. This kit typically sells for $30. I have probably built 5 or 6 gates with this gate kit and the gates are still quite sturdy and NO SAG. The gat goes together twice as fast as those with pickets, z-bracing on the back a bunch of nuts and bolts.
The plywood WILL warp, the cedar boards will not stop it. Most likely it will twist.
How bout laying two layers of cedar boards diagionally, opposing each other, no ply between, glued or screwed together. Then border it with whatever or nothing. It won't sag and it won't warp.
I've decided to weld up a steel frame and sandwich it between the boards each side. Thanks to everyone for their suggestions.
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