Outdoor Cedar Gate -- what type of joinery?

[David Henkemeyer]

Since I can't find much on the web, I was wondering if someone can help me out with a specific question. What kind of joinery should I use to build a wood gate such as the one here:

assume mortise and tenon, but how much glue, what kind of glue, should I use pins, how many pins per tenon, and what should the arrangement of the pins be?

Also, should I worry much about expansion/contraction? How should I take that into account?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

David

[George]

Sure, M&T, with the upper lattice and lower panel floating, I imagine. Long mortises, perhaps even bridle joints, and a nice urea-formaldehyde or poly glue would do. More end grain you get bearing the better it'll resist wracking.

Two pins per tenon is my limit, though three is possible. Just don't put them in a straight line along the grain.

[JackD]

Design it so that it doesn't trap water/dirt/leaves anywhere. I've used gorilla glue for outdoor use and it has stood up fine for the past 5 years. As for the rest of the design, do what you like. Have fun.

-Jack

[ELA]

Put your favorite flavor stain/sealer all over otherwise you'll get huge swings in size as the cedar absorbs and releases moisture. I learned the wrong way ;) Being the complete idiot I am I shaved the side of the gate so it would close in the winter. Now, in the summer, it's loose as a goose. Time to make another one me thinks!

ELA

[Rob Stokes]

I built this one:

(scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the pic to make it bigger) using M&T joinery. I did the top "rail" as a "cap" and the bottom rail normally to watch the differences in the way the wood moved in the weather (not much difference). I actually "visited" the gate last weekend and it's holding up like it was new. Glue is Gorilla glue and the gate required one year of occasional planing to assure a good fit.

Good luck Rob