Tennentslager Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 There have been a few posts on this subject but looking for forum wisdom before i talk to the blacksmith. On the estate we have four distinct areas each with a farm gate for vehicular access. Presently we have an Abloy top range padlock and chain for each gate. All the padlocks ( they cost 160 quid!) are keyed alike and with 150 cabins there are lots of keys. Now, in my wee plot everyone is great at, stopping...open gate...drive through...close gate...no problems with boy racers or chancers cruising around and shooting deer. Not the case on the biggest plot where the gate is permanently open. My plan is for an automatic gate with a digital keypad and pin to open and an autoclose mechanism. Cheapeast i suspect is a vertical barrier type but they dont look very secure. To keep the country farm gate look it will have to be sliding. No mains power so a solar panel atop a post, brick battery box with steel door (someone will steal the battery) will be needed to provide the electrons. Any pointers? The community committee that will pay for this is famously tight fisted so we are talking hundreds of pounds☺☺ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 (edited) Have a look at my photostream of my (can you believe still unfinished) sliding gate: https://flic.kr/s/aHsjYQgVgE My mate John's sliding gate, we actually used my parts for his and then when his kit came thru he gave me the parts used. I got the idea for his curved enclosure from the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai. I supplied the Unistrut, steel sections, made the shafts and rollers and gave him the leccy enclosure and glands etc and advised on the layout etc. He did the welding and most of the wiring: http://s1071.photobucket.com/user/johnnaughton/library/Sliding Gates All three sliding gate kits from Easygates. http://easygates.co.uk/liftmaster-sly-electric-gate-opener.asp All 3 of us have the 500kg 230V kit. Been in and working for years (except mine) They do a 24V version. Google "12v diy sliding gate" EDIT: That reminds me I still haven't made him his Knightrider LEDs to inset in the block paved drive! Keep hoping my boy will do it with a PICAXE chip. I bought it ages ago. Like father like... Edited June 19, 2017 by Onoff 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tennentslager Posted June 19, 2017 Author Share Posted June 19, 2017 Thanks Thats helpful? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted June 20, 2017 Share Posted June 20, 2017 (edited) Are you buying one or four? Is a trad metal farm gate with a hinge side opener kit a possibility? I say because a gate plus two metal posts should cost not more than perhaps £150 approx. That sounds like your gate selection anyway ... I think. Not sure on the costs of hinge kits. I have one of those farm gates and the posts have survived everything up to gravel lorries hitting them gently. In since 1993. Even @Onoff's kits are £500 each for the midrange one and I think you need extra gubbins on top. Can you home brew the gate itself from girders? Serious thought if it needs to be seriously robust. Do you have a duty cycle requirement and backup plan? The gate linked has a reserve kit which gives 10 openings ... sounds a small number for a hurting plot and may require reserve mobile batteries or a failsafe open setting, or manual option. Ferdinand Edited June 20, 2017 by Ferdinand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted June 20, 2017 Share Posted June 20, 2017 (edited) Purely out of interest but my BiL made his sliding gate out of old wrought iron railings welded together, attaching a pair of off the shelf rollers (runs on 20mm round bar) and an off the shelf rack for the pinion drive. Same rollers and rack as in my pics. EDIT: Actually he went for the plastic rack whereas I went for the steel one. Edited June 20, 2017 by Onoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted June 20, 2017 Share Posted June 20, 2017 From memory most of the cost in these systems are in the safety mechanisms needed to stop it closing on someone. There are certain BS / EU regs on what is required iirc. I think the cheapest rack system I found was about £400 then needed a battery backup so around the £500 like others have said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tennentslager Posted June 20, 2017 Author Share Posted June 20, 2017 56 minutes ago, Ferdinand said: Are you buying one or four? Is a trad metal farm gate with a hinge side opener kit a possibility? I say because a gate plus two metal posts should cost not more than perhaps £150 approx. That sounds like your gate selection anyway ... I think. Not sure on the costs of hinge kits. I have one of those farm gates and the posts have survived everything up to gravel lorries hitting them gently. In since 1993. Even @Onoff's kits are £500 each for the midrange one and I think you need extra gubbins on top. Can you home brew the gate itself from girders? Serious thought if it needs to be seriously robust. Do you have a duty cycle requirement and backup plan? The gate linked has a reserve kit which gives 10 openings ... sounds a small number for a hurting plot and may require reserve mobile batteries or a failsafe open setting, or manual option. Ferdinand All things to think through...probably try one out to see how the community use it. Yes to the farm gate, galvanised metal around £90 for 12' one. Im wondering if a nylon wheel system on a concave strip of concrete might work... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted June 20, 2017 Share Posted June 20, 2017 What we've done: Me - bespoke galv track with a nom 20mm dia top profile. From here: http://www.barrier-components.co.uk/gate-hardware/sliding-gate-hardware/sliding-gate-rails.html Good site for other stuff too and handy for me to collect! Fixed with Fischer st/st hammer in anchors. My mate's - I got a length of 20mm galv round bar. Made a jig and drilled and tapped M8 or M10 (can't remember) holes thru about every foot or so. Screwed in short lengths of st/st studs with nuts on the end and set this in a concrete strip. BiL - I got a length of 20mm galv round bar. He welded on 1"x1/4" flat bars about 6" long and screwed to his concrete strip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted June 20, 2017 Share Posted June 20, 2017 54 minutes ago, Tennentslager said: All things to think through...probably try one out to see how the community use it. Yes to the farm gate, galvanised metal around £90 for 12' one. Im wondering if a nylon wheel system on a concave strip of concrete might work... Key feature: guess who is going to be expected to mend it when it breaks ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted June 20, 2017 Share Posted June 20, 2017 54 minutes ago, Tennentslager said: All things to think through...probably try one out to see how the community use it. Yes to the farm gate, galvanised metal around £90 for 12' one. Im wondering if a nylon wheel system on a concave strip of concrete might work... If it's a standard farm gate it doesn't need a rail - castor / roller under the bottom edge at the "hinge" end and a pair above to create a cantilever. Makes it a floating gate and easy to install. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted June 20, 2017 Share Posted June 20, 2017 54 minutes ago, Tennentslager said: All things to think through...probably try one out to see how the community use it. Yes to the farm gate, galvanised metal around £90 for 12' one. Im wondering if a nylon wheel system on a concave strip of concrete might work... The 20mm dia rail is pretty proven tbh. Doesn't crud up too much and the wheels cut through most stuff. I keep meaning to attach a couple of "dustpan" brushes to help clean the track every time it opens / closes. Have a look on Pinterest for sliding gates! I designed my gate frame and had it fab'd and galvanised. Around the £300 mark. Kit about £500 as said. Probably come out about £2K all in when finished. Do you reckon they'd go for this? https://m.imgur.com/gallery/KAYGnsx 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted June 20, 2017 Share Posted June 20, 2017 Google "cantilever 5 bar gates". All the roller / support gear is then on a single, hefty post. The other post is just to lock into. Be aware you need the gate structure to be about 30% or more longer than the opening to "balance" the gate so it slides easily. Some do the extension as a raked, 45deg end and you can add more counterweight if you calc it wrong! You also need extra space for the extension to "park" when open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 C'mon @Onoff. You know you want to build it ( and that's your tiles paid for then ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 21 hours ago, Nickfromwales said: C'mon @Onoff. You know you want to build it ( and that's your tiles paid for then ) I can do it 20 or 25mm galv conduit or Unistrut if he wants it on the quick! Seriously though I can't see a "cheap" solution being viable tbh especially with the position being remote. The legalities are a minefield. There was a case where a kiddie put their arm through a closed gate to hit the open button and was killed when it opened against them. Various issues like overload settings and sensors there but you really need to think carefully. Imagine kids getting the code and playing with it unsupervised! http://www.hse.gov.uk/work-equipment-machinery/powered-gates/safety.htm Say you do "motorize" a 5 bar metal gate, forgetting the ends hitting someone for a moment there's multiple trapping issues as the frame passes the post. That's why mine is close wooden boarded. Some industrial settings put Perspex sheets over the frame so it's still see through. If it's a collective thing I'd get a professional quote. One DIY route I'd considered was to gut an old mobility scooter. Plenty of grunt via the 24V motors (could charge by PV), speed control, flashing lights etc. But then you need to add limit switches and load sensing etc. That's why I went with the kit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 9 minutes ago, Onoff said: Seriously though I can't see a "cheap" solution being viable tbh Who are you and what have you done with @Onoff?! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 22 minutes ago, jack said: Who are you and what have you done with @Onoff?! I couldn't use one of the mobility scooters as they're to make scale Ford Capris....probably for any grandchildren I might have! Tbh the kids have enough fun on them without me cannibalizing them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 I want them to have a drawbridge. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 The trouble with threads like this is two fold. Firstly it started me thinking about adding gates to our entrance, secondly I ended up spending hours researching the cunning hinge systems that are around that allow a gate to open upwards on a sloping drive. I've even "wasted" a couple of hours drawing up options in AutoCad to see what sort of geometry might work. The offset lower hinge point system looks easy to fabricate, and looks like it'll integrate with an off-the-shelf opener OK. Much as I'd love to make an opener, the safety issues are just too great, especially as the units don't seem to be that expensive to buy. It's a pity that the way the fences run either side of the current gate posts won't allow a sliding gate, as that would probably look neater. It's also a pity that the big gate posts we put in are too close to the road to take gates, I'll need to put two more in a few feet further up the drive to hang gates from. That has the advantage of leaving the area to the side of the gates, where we've made a stone hardstanding for the bins to be collected, outside the gates. I just need to work out how to fit a small personnel gate for the postman, or shift the mailbox down closer to the lane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkH Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 10 hours ago, JSHarris said: I ended up spending hours researching the cunning hinge systems that are around that allow a gate to open upwards on a sloping drive. Could you post links to any interesting/good ones? Solutions to this I have devised are very Wallace and Grommet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 6 minutes ago, MarkH said: Could you post links to any interesting/good ones? Solutions to this I have devised are very Wallace and Grommet. What is needed is the offset and crank from the post. Pretty good example here. Search for rising hinges Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 I've found a few on YouTube that illustrate the principle of the offset bottom hinge. This video shows how it works quite well: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryE Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 Jeremy, offset hinges work fine. We had to have them on our last gates. You just need to get the offset correct. The guy who installed the gates welded them himself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 Thanks all, I just need to work out where the best location is, and the geometry of the hinges. It's probably a longer-term project, I think, as we can manage OK without gates for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 This thieved off the mig welding forum. Done by welderpaul there: "Didnt bother making the rising hinges as a cranked set - they were too unweildy and would have hit the fence on the left hand side of the gates which was close to the post.Instead: two tubes which slide inside each other. One welded to the gate on two 80 x 15 plates. Other has a normal adjustable hinge pin welded to the end and a large washer welded on on site as a stop. Wheel attached to the bottom of each gate. as the gate opens and rises up, the tubes slide out and the bottom of the gate rises still staying upright. Hinge 'eye' drilled over large so it doesnt bind on the hinge pin.Works a treat.These gates were painted rather than powdercoated - still a decent finish on them!The gates rose 450mm over a 2000mm length" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 I fancied an opening iris gate, sliding, living hedge or a Stargate! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now