# Wooden Gate Arch Construction



## scottishbob (Feb 20, 2012)

Hi lads 
Need a bit of help here ! this is a pic of a gate that i would like to make for my driveway http://www.agdsystems.co.uk/UserFiles/Image/Timber%20swing%20gates/Cambridge-1.jpg 
Now my drive way entrance is 14ft wide with 4ft high stone pillars each side , so i will be making 2 timber gates, appox 4ft x 7ft, in , now i am wondering how to go about making an arched brace , it is a large arch so how is it constructed? going on the pic i dont think its laminated using thin strips
Thanks Bob


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## smokie (Dec 29, 2012)

Morning scottishbob. I zoomed in on your picture and the arches seem to be one piece, judging from the grain. Maybe like a 2X10…2X12. That looks like pretty nice material so I'm thinkin' that kinda stock is gonna be mucho dinero.


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

gate frame is wider
could be 3 layers of wood
the middle top and bottom 
with notches in the middle one
for the square slats 
and the corners overlapped 
to give a strong joint

flat boards with a curve cut in them
and the parts re-glued together
as a curve
you will need 4 
2 on each side of gate section


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

I agree. They don't look laminated. Looks like they were cut from wide boards. 2-3 feet in width. Or they could
be several pieces,perhaps 3, milled and connected with joinery. Sorry. Not much help. Just speculating.


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## Earlextech (Jan 13, 2011)

The arches do look like one piece of wood, so the money you will save by building them yourself, you will probably spend on getting the materials. The gate company gets a discount on the wood for buying so much, you will not get that discount.

To get the cost down, I would do a bent lamination for the arch, more time, less money.


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## joeyinsouthaustin (Sep 22, 2012)

If you look close at the left arch you can see how they glued it up, and then cut the arch, I like to do this with a router jig. Here is a quick drawing to show a good way to do it w min waste.


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## jdmaher (May 4, 2011)

Bob,

It looks to me to be made up of a couple of 4×8s, probably 8 footers. Take two of those and join them on the long edges, then mark out the curve on the resulting 4×16. (Of course, you really only need the extra width at the ends, not the middle).

Cutting a long 4x in a curve is a pain. And wide 4x's can be expensive. Might want to use 2x stock and glue two pieces together to achieve the thickness.


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## scottishbob (Feb 20, 2012)

Thanks guys , that helps alot


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## scottishbob (Feb 20, 2012)

well guys got my gates finished have posted them on projects, 
Thanks Bob


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