Double driveway gates: a latch that's lockable from either side?

[JakeD]

I'm building a pair of wooden driveway gates. The frame will be 4"x2" and the front face will be 6" wide shiplap.

I'd like the gate to be lockable from either side, without paying an arm and a leg. Does anyone know of a latch of some kind that allows this? Or perhaps there is some simple trick whereby a standard hasp and staple (or something) can be accessed from either side?

TIA..

JakeD

[JakeD]

JakeD wrote in news:Xns9F73B1F8B77B8aaaalifecom@130.133.4.11:

PS.. The gate will be 6ft tall, so reaching over the top is not a viable solution. Whatever I do needs to be fairly easy to accomplish, so that my vistors can lock or unlock the gate from either side without straining, cussing, or getting splinters!

JakeD

[Malcolm]

Can you add wood to around the vertical centre of the gate so that you can fit a mortice deadlock? (5 lever) Depending on the resulting thickness you may have to make the shaft of the key longer. I did thid to the side gate to my house (home made ledeged and braced design) about

12 years ago and the lock still works without needing lubrication.

Malcolm

[JakeD]

Malcolm wrote in news:uEliq.1152$ [e-mail]:

Thanks, yes, that might be a way, although outdoor wooden gates are rather prone to warpage and shrinkage etc., so I can envisage problems getting the mortice lock to engage easily after a while... I'd like some thing that can't easily be jemmied open too...

JakeD

[JakeD]

harry wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Thanks, but I meant 'lockable' literally, i.e., unopenable without a key.

JakeD

[JakeD]

harry wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Thanks, but I meant "lockable" literally (with a key). the 26th item down on the same page (Lokk Latch Deluxe Lockable Latch) might work, but it's very expensive, and might be difficult to find replacent barrel when time comes to change it.

JakeD

[JakeD]

JakeD wrote in news:Xns9F73BA79A8D6Faaaalifecom@130.133.4.11:

PS.. Here is a simple idea that I just invented:

I'm still interested in other ideas, if anyon can improve on it.

JakeD

[fred]

.133.4.11:

Could you not just fit a hasp and stapleto the back and lock it with a pad lock. Access via cut out on the door to allow ones hand to go through and unlock the padlock

Paul Mc Cann

[Owain]

Owain

[Nick Odell]

To be honest, from a jemmying point of view, I'd have thought that the weak link would have been the gate itself, not the the lock that closes it.

Nick

[Newshound]

You could also set up an ordinary mortise lock in one of the uprights, going vertically so that it locks a horizontal bolt in the closed position. That way, you could have it secured with the option as to whether it was locked or not. In fact it wouldn't even have to be a mortise lock, you could have a surface mount lock on the inside.

You could have a "window" a bit like your arrangement so that you could operate the bolt from outside, or you could have a completely concealed bolt operated by pegs going through slots.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

Weld the eyes shut and weld the locknuts to the threads. Theiving attempted bastard scrotes of a few weeks back easily bent open a similar eye, which wouldn't have happened if I'd welded it.

[JakeD]

Newshound wrote in news:9f0cslFda6U1 @mid.individual.net:

Hey, that's an interesting idea - thank you for that suggestion. I never thought of using a mortice lock in that way, but yes, it makes a lot of sense...

JakeD

[JakeD]

Grimly Curmudgeon wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Thanks for the suggestion. I had assumed that my 8mm eyebolts would be pretty-much pry-proof, but perhaps not. Yes, the nuts def need welding or brazing. Wish I had some welding/brazing gear!

JakeD

[Newshound]

You would be able to braze the eyes of 8 mm using a standard plumbing gas torch as long as you sit it in a "corner" made by three bits of something insulating. At a pinch ordinary house brick will work. You will need a suitable flux (e.g. EasyFlo)

[Newshound]

Should have added, you can make the nuts inaccessible by putting them in a counterbore. Tighten the first nut against the wood while holding the eye, tighten the second nut while holding the eye, then fill the counterbore with car body filler.

[JakeD]

Newshound wrote in news:9f1501FtimU1 @mid.individual.net:

Great idea - thanks.

Jake

[JakeD]

Newshound wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Thanks for the tip. Would plumber's soldering flux work for brazing? And come to think of it, would solder do the job? Brazing is stronger though, for sure...

Jake