Restoring a Gate From the 1800s

The Gate as it was Delivered

This Gate, (originally built in the 1800s) was delivered to my shop in the condition you see to the right. Even the joints that were still held together were more bonded by paint and rusted nails then by the integrity of the wood. Under the paint, even the apparently salvageable areas were a rotted mess. In this case, I opted to create a replica instead of attempting to repair the existing gate.

The first step would be to reassemble the gate with the fragments I had, so I could begin the replication process as accurately as possible. The result is what you see here. As is evident int he picture, the posts to either side of the gate were in need of work as well. I am told the original posts were not cemented in, merely buried, as a result they rotted off from ground level down.

Some assembly required.

So I started with a hefty stack of Douglas Fir, a common lumber for exterior doors and windows. Then starting from the center and working my way outward, I began to copy the gate one piece at a time.

With this one all I had to do was build it and prime it, the delivery and installation falls to another crew. But there you have it, a complete replica complete with the curly bit on top. (and yes, "curly bit" is the technical term.)