# Outdoor untreated oak gates



## IAN1930 (Mar 23, 2014)

I am on the brink of making two oak gates which are to be prepared for the WW! anniversary in August. The gates are at different entrances to our village War Memorial Hall. The gates are roughly 1m x 1m. The general construction is a heavy oak frame with vertical tongue and groove 'panel'. The oak is air dried and is not to have any finish to protect it. 
My question really is about the tonge and grooved material. Each piece is to be about 
75mm, (there could be 12 of them), and will be sitting in a groove top and bottom and at the sides, to allow expansion and contraction. I am undecided whether to (oak) peg each piece of T & G in place, leavng sufficient room for each piece to 'move' - or just to allow the pieces to expand and contract without any restrictions?
I would welcome advice, I normally make indoor furniture, so this is a new experience.. I have designed some wooden hinges to go on to the existing steel pegs, which may stop the black stain I would expect, where steel and unprotected oak meet in wet conditions.


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## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

IAN1930 said:


> I am on the brink of making two oak gates which are to be prepared for the WW! anniversary in August. The gates are at different entrances to our village War Memorial Hall. The gates are roughly 1m x 1m. The general construction is a heavy oak frame with vertical tongue and groove 'panel'. The oak is air dried and is not to have any finish to protect it.
> My question really is about the tonge and grooved material. Each piece is to be about
> 75mm, (there could be 12 of them), and will be sitting in a groove top and bottom and at the sides, to allow expansion and contraction. I am undecided whether to (oak) peg each piece of T & G in place, leavng sufficient room for each piece to 'move' - or just to allow the pieces to expand and contract without any restrictions?
> I would welcome advice, I normally make indoor furniture, so this is a new experience.. I have designed some wooden hinges to go on to the existing steel pegs, which may stop the black stain I would expect, where steel and unprotected oak meet in wet conditions.


Welcome, Ian...I would think pegging each piece would allow for continued uniformity of the look. Each piece would take care of its own expansion and contraction but would stay in its place. Using the smallest diameter peg might also prevent cracks from forming where you would drill for the peg. An alternative might be to make the peg as part of the vertical...sort of like a small tenon. I would be more concerned about capturing water and moisture in the nooks and crannies of the pegs and bottom groove. Could you treat the groove, pegs, and just the bottom portion of the verticals (just enough that it doesn't show) ? or maybe drill a small hole for drainage in the peg slot in the frame ? I assume you might consider pegging top and bottom for uniformity...?

Good luck with your project...pictures would be great...I'm sure the gate will be something special for your memorial services and many years to come.

Nick


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## BCK (Feb 23, 2014)

welcome...and be nice to see pics of finished project....


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## Fraise (May 19, 2012)

You can buy non ferrous fixings at Welcome to Classic Marine. They're in Woodbridge Suffolk.

Good luck with the project


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## IAN1930 (Mar 23, 2014)

Hi Nick, Many thanks for you carefully considered reply. I am still weighing up the solution, which may be more obvious when I handle the tongue & groove pieces. If I did peg each piece I would as you siggest, peg the top and bottom; and probably only visible from the back of the gates.
An alternative I am considering is just to peg the midldle vertical to encourage any width movement to go from the center outwards.
As a novice forum participant I have only been able to follow your mail through an email. I expect the penny will drop shortly and i will press the correct button!
Kind regards from Northumberland, Ian


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## IAN1930 (Mar 23, 2014)

Hi John, Do you think non-ferrous fittings would not cause reaction with the oak and cause staining?


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## IAN1930 (Mar 23, 2014)

I received a brief reply whenI clicked on your site

"You do not have opermission to enter this site"

Is it my Kaspersky security?


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## Fraise (May 19, 2012)

IAN1930 said:


> Hi John, Do you think non-ferrous fittings would not cause reaction with the oak and cause staining?


Hi Ian
Eventually you'll get something I'm sure but by that stage your gate will be weathered and grey. You get a faint green stain from bronze which i expect is from the copper content. What you won't get is tannic acid running through your iron because you won't have iron. The man who runs classic Marine is very helpful and expert - he both founds and machines bronze. Why not ask him?


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