Just been on eBay pricing up garden gates. Many of the joker's on there screw there gates together! How long will that last? Screws will gradually loosen over summer winter cycles. They also put a cross brace in but not into a corner! They look like they should be good gates but there a sham. There made with tanalised timber but I guess there cut and not treated.useless. Is it just me but this pees me off. I spend time to make real gates and these joker's sell this rubbish for a similar price.
Normally I'd do my best to help, but on a Friday evening when I've had possibly too much alcohol, and you clearly haven't had enough, my comment is......... Get a life and ponder it another day. Like tomorrow!
Unfortunately the vast majority of people will go for the cack you've described on fleabay purely down to cost. They're not interested if your carpentry skills in gate making borders on Japanese joint quality, as long as it's around fifty quid to buy and they expect it hung for around twenty quid, that's what the majority go for
Went to a house other day, & a garden gate I made must be 25 years ago, is still there,in use & good condition,which surprised me.
But,we are old school, a totally different generation compared todays trades,a lot have no pride in there work, it make a quick buck today & on to the next job!
Yeah, double edged sword though, you did such a good job you weren't required back, if you'd fitted one off fleabay you'd be fitting another in a couple of years for them!
A lot of stuff was better quailty 30 years ago, timber is just one item,some of the stuff around today is twisted due to poor storage,has shakes,etc, & only fit for firewood. Plumbing was good old copper pipe & solder joints, none of this tacky plastic piping & push fit fittings.
No, it was only a slated ledge & brace gate for a friend,nothing special,drove by house other day & it was still there in use, as was post & rail fence,but I alway paint the section of post in ground with bitumen paint & sit post on a perforated brick, so it's not sitting in water.
Spruce is much more common than 30years ago. A decent gate would be made from redwood pine. I use spruce on cheap gates but I still joint them. Spruce is ok it's really light and absorbs preservative well. The secret to speed is to pick timber with no twist also no bow but that's less important. Then I can thickness to size without straightening. I use titebond 3 on the joints. Evo stick Pu on the cap.