fence gate decorative window

[jeremy_ho]

I was wondering how to go about adding a round frosted window to the my redwood fence gate.

I am planning a circular flange (trim) to hide a frosted window design (actually I think it will be a piece of plexiglass / lexan )

My question is how to make the round flange. do I cut it out from side by side laminated redwood fence boards, same ones used to build the fence? I didn't plan for this to be very fancy.. only something more interesting to look at.

Also looking for some tips on attachment and how to sandwich the art work. the back of the gate is not important but I might make a second circular flange while I am making it.

[dpb]

Depends on what you have -- easiest would be as you say to lay out some well matching fence stock and use the router w/ a guide. That can either be finding a couple circles the right size and follow the outsides or rig up a compass-type jig. If using a router, making a rabbet in the fence itself to capture the panel is just one more circular cut.

Lacking that, the trim piece can be cut out w/ a jig saw free hand and smoothed to a traced line w/ files/rasps/sanding.

The rabbet is a little more work that way, so what I might consider would be instead of a circle if limited on the tools would be an octagon or diamond (square on its point) or similar that could be done w/ nothing but straight cuts and still be "fancy"...