I've had a good look around the timber mouldings section at Bunnings and have chosen some balustrade mouldings for the internal part of the gate. The rest of the gate is essentially a rectangle with hinges and a latch attached. The gate is hung off the fence, but is the juncture between our new fence and the hedge so I still have to set a post.
It's always nice to pop over and see Lorraine, chew the fat and use her washing line. And now we'll have a nice gate too.
Step 1
Measure and cut the timber for the gate. Most gates have a diagonal brace, but because I'm using the balustrade posts, I'm not using one. Instead I am cutting a scarf at each end and using a two-pot epoxy glue to create a structural join.
Step 2
Clamp the upper and lower sections of the gate together. Using a skill saw, cut a 5mm bevel, the width of the balustrade post, through both sections, one for each balustrade post.
Step 3
Mix glue, then glue and screw the rectangle together. Fill any gaps with glue.
Step 4
Mix more glue and insert the balustrade posts. Use a flat piece of timber attached as a backing to hold the pieces in place. I've lined these with masking paper so the glue doesn't attach itself to the backing timbers.
Step 5
Sand, fill the timbers as necessary, then paint with at least four coats of paint. Lightly sand between each coat using 250 grit paper. Allow each coat to dry for at least 24 hours.
Step 6
Attach the hinges and hang the gate. Finally, attach the latch.