Can you see a problem?

[Thrashsmith]

Hi all, I'm due to make some public wrought iron gates and I'm looking for some constructive input on the hinges I'm planning on forging/fabricating.

The gates are to be hung from 100mm round hollow tube & need to balance aesthetics with theft proofness. I've taken a picture of a diagram in Forged Architectural Metalwork by Peter Parkinson (great book) as I'm planning a variation on this hinge setup.

For aesthetic reasons I want the adjustibility to be on the hanging posts rather than the back stile.

Hopefully my follow up sketches along with the anotations are self explanitory but the general idea is to allow myself adjustibility during installation with minimal aesthetic loss.

Shear nuts would also have to be used to secure the two halves of the hinge mechanism together. Shear nuts will be painted to colour match the gates. At ground level, instead of having the female part of the bottom hinge separate, I plan to weld it to the hanging post via a web.

Regarding the top hinge; the rounded up portion of the back stile would be longer than the wrap which goes around it so that if the gate(s) need to be shimmed up at ground level, I can lower the strap so it aligns with the other half that goes into the hanging post.

I'm probably forgetting something but that'll do for now anyway. Cheers

 

[Kent]

Cant follow the text! However what I should do is have the bottom swivel block surface mounted so it could be packed or even faced off. To prevent theft the hinge strap / wrap can simply be fitted with a coach bolt, cut an x into the threaded end wind the nut on then peen the end with a ball hammer to spread the thread.
To be honest gates ain't getting stolen much besides by drunks who usually dump them within 50 yards.

 

[cumbriasteve]

As long as you have something reasonable to prevent easy removal it's pointless going OTT on anti theft designs.

Gates are rarely stolen to be used as gates, idiots will lift them off for a laugh or chancers will take them to weigh in, a simple security method will deter both.

Then you are left with the serious criminals and nothing you could do will stop them if they are determined.

Don't think I can remember any gates being stolen for many years now.

 

[brightspark]

As long as you have something reasonable to prevent easy removal it's pointless going OTT on anti theft designs.

Gates are rarely stolen to be used as gates, idiots will lift them off for a laugh or chancers will take them to weigh in, a simple security method will deter both.

Then you are left with the serious criminals and nothing you could do will stop them if they are determined.

Don't think I can remember any gates being stolen for many years now.

a fair few decent quality gates were pinched round our way a year ago not to be seen again local

 

[Hitch]

Why not use off the peg hinge, and weld the threaded boss supplied into the tube post...

https://www.dciron.co.uk/wrhi50/

 

[Thrashsmith]

Why not use off the peg hinge, and weld the threaded boss supplied into the tube post...

https://www.dciron.co.uk/wrhi50/

If I'm following you correctly it sounds like you're saying to drill a hole in one side of the post, weld one of those nuts into it & screw the component to the right length? The gates and posts are getting zinc sprayed, not galved, could water get inside the post via the threads?

 

[Hitch]

Yeah, exactly that... easy to adjust, just pop the band off and screw it in or out a few turns and put the band back on...

They come with a threaded round boss to weld in to the post, and a lock nut iirc.
Water, a tiny tiny amount possibly.... put some ptfe on the hing thread if its an issue?
Probably get more moisture from condenstaion than let through a thread...

 

[anto44]

In Ireland the theft of farm gates is a common problem. It's them plain galvanized pipe gates into fields that are being robbed. They're actually worth a few bob, aren't easily identifiable and in most cases are really easy to take. That's pretty much a theifs dream.

 

[Thrashsmith]

Yeah, exactly that... easy to adjust, just pop the band off and screw it in or out a few turns and put the band back on...

They come with a threaded round boss to weld in to the post, and a lock nut iirc.
Water, a tiny tiny amount possibly.... put some ptfe on the hing thread if its an issue?
Probably get more moisture from condenstaion than let through a thread...

Hmm, thanks for the idea. It does sound convenient but maybe something I'll keep up my sleeve for a less significant job. I think I'll go with what I've come up with (or another variation attached) because these gates are quite an important job for me & I'm not a fan of threaded hinges or multiples of nuts in a small area looking a bit mechanical, I really want everything to be discreet as possible. The gates are going to be quite pretty with an Arts and Crafts look about them so I'd like the stylings of that period to continue throughout, even the hinges. I'd rather see more traditional looking shims than nuts and thread, even if it is only a few mil.

 

[frank horton]

nicking, my ol mate just had his 4m (metal) high barn doors stolen.......!!!!!!!!!! anti theft, do the best u can..........
frank

 

[steve t]

I prefer the first drawing, will look allot neater in my opinion.