forest service style gates (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

workingdog

GOLD Star
Joined
Sep 17, 2006
Threads
489
Messages
3,109
Location
Santa Rosa, CA
I'm not sure where to post this. I want to build a couple of forest service style gate that look more or less like this and I'm looking for plans.
P7050401.jpg


The key is that the hinge is just one big pipe slid over another. In looking at schedule 40 pipe sizes, it looks like there's still too much space and it would wobble, but maybe over that length - it wouldn't matter?

We are going to build this on site, easier than bringing in built gate.
 
That's a fancy USFS gate.

Normally what you do is you use a sleeve around 1/2" ID larger than your post. Machine the post cap about 20 thou smaller than the sleeve ID. Bore a 5/8"ish hole in the center of the top cap. Weld a 3/4" ball bearing centered on top of that hole. Machine a lower sleeve for a slip fit on the post and 20 thou under the sleeve ID about 2-4" long. Lightly weld that sleeve to the post where the bottom of the sleeve will ride. Drill/tap for a few zerks.

If you make the lower sleeve bushing in a way it welds to the sleeve instead you can weld it in the field and nobody can ever take it apart.

If you do a long tube inside a tube without a relief in the center it doesn't work well. It binds up easy or it needs a ton of slop to work. Using two short contact areas at the top and bottom reduces the friction and allows the post to bend inside the sleeve without binding up the gate. A fab shop in my town made a big gate without relieving the center. It was too hard to turn so they brought the sleeve to me and I relief bored the middle out leaving a few inches contact at the top and bottom. Then it worked well.

The ball bearing carries the weight of the gate and it's hard. Dissimilar steels, one hard, make a decent bearing. If you use mild steel on mild steel it's likely to gall under the vertical weight of the gate.
 
Last edited:
Thanks, very helpful
 
The only part I'm not really clear about is section 6. You weld the shims top and bottom?
 
The only part I'm not really clear about is section 6. You weld the shims top and bottom?

In my description above I use the top post cap and a machined sleeve to carry the side loads of the gate. In that print it shows using short sections of keystock welded to the perimeter of the post to do the same thing in a very crude way.

You're just taking up most of the space between the tubes. Doesn't really matter how you do it, it will probably work.
 
the fence company that i worked for we would use sch 40 pipe and if the gate slipped over the post we used pipe that was 1/2 in larger diameter for the gate upright. you could also use commercial gate hinges if you didnt want the gate to slip over the post. what about using a farm gate something like this Behlen Country 12' Square Corner Utility Gate - 40136122 | Blain's Farm & Fleet - https://www.farmandfleet.com/products/1416461-behlen-country-12-square-corner-utility-gate.html?feedsource=2&PID=8280252&Pubname=Redbrain+Ltd&CID=4023395&cjevent=82ff7a3ef81c11ec8330db700a82b82c&cjdata=MXxOfDB8WXww, sink a 5x5 or 6x6 post if you want the extra strength then mount the gate on the post
 
Thanks for all the input. @bigredmachine - we have a gate like that now, and it's been destroyed over they years.
 
If you plan To build something like this I can get you better pics and any measurements you need. We drive snow cats over this all winter and it’s the only one that’s survived.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom