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OT- Gate sweep

johnl

Cast Iron
Joined
Mar 19, 2006
Location
Memphis Tn
I have a automatic gate across the driveway about 10 feet wide. the driveway is not level, so the gap under the gate at the hinge side is about 8" and tapers to about 2" at the other end.
Problem is I have a little minature daushaund that can crawl out under it. He has done it 3 times so far. First time he was at the neighbors playing with her kids. 2nd time he invited himself to a bar b que at another neighbors. Yesterday, he went down the street and jumped into a car with a women as she was getting ready to go somewhere. He is too damn friendly.
When I let him out in the back yard, I usually put a fence board or something across the opening to block it. Sometimes the wife etc. opens and closes the gate, knocks the board down and does not put it back up.
What I need is a flexible sweep that I can fasten to the gate. What would be the best material, and where would you suggest I get it? Thanks
John L
 
Well, this would take some time to make but you could use a piece of metal or PVC conduit and put some chain every three or four inches apart the length of the conduit attached to the bottom of the gate. It could be set so it just drags on the driveway and he would have to lift it or go between the chains.
 
Could you make someting out of chain sort of like what is on the front end of a bush hog -- a bunch of pieces hanging down and maybe a couple long pieces connecting them horizontally.\

On edit: Carl beat me by four minutes. It is hell being a slow typist!
 
I'm only KIDDING here, but how about a strip of plastic, with wires hangind down of appropriate length across the span wired to an electric fence controller. Or maybe one of those shock collars for an "invisible fence?" Please don't beat on me too badly...
 
I had a friend who designed a floating hinge, which he had us build in our shop. Be darned if I can recall the exact details, but it was something like this: the top hinge was more or less normal, but the bottom hinge had a 2" long slot in which a flat sided bushing fit. So the bushing could slide back and forth in this slot, as the gate rose and fell with the terrain. Oh, the outboard end of the gate had a small walking axle with a couple of 6" tires on it to roll easily across the ground, and obviously, this would be necessary to support a gate hanging on a slotted bushing holder.
 
I used an electric fence to keep my Labs in the yard. They love to dig and I can't recall all the times they dug under the fence. After I put in the fencer they stayed put. After 6 months or so I turned off the fence - they'd learned not to mess with it.
 
Ever consider getting a bigger dog?

Just kidding.

I like the build up the driveway idea the best myself, but I have farm equipment to do it with. I guess it depends on your resources.
 
Out of the box, but I hate boxes....

I had a gate to be in 3 different when closed to 3 different positions.
Your 10 ft would be at an extreme but I built a gate with NO triangulation.
I just put 1 bolt at each place the uprights crossed the slats.
A good part of the weight of the gate has to be lifted, but it adjusts to the level of the ground at each end of the fence. The gate is an adjustable parallelagram, not a rigid rectangle. I learned it the hard way, after building too many rigid gates and trying to adjust the ground instead of the other way around.
Rob
 
I had a gate to be in 3 different when closed to 3 different positions.
Your 10 ft would be at an extreme but I built a gate with NO triangulation.
I just put 1 bolt at each place the uprights crossed the slats.
A good part of the weight of the gate has to be lifted, but it adjusts to the level of the ground at each end of the fence. The gate is an adjustable parallelagram, not a rigid rectangle. I learned it the hard way, after building too many rigid gates and trying to adjust the ground instead of the other way around.
Rob

Never thought of that!

Might want to put a wheel on the end so your wife doesn't have to lift the gate. You know those steel wheels off of antique farm machinery people like for yard art roll real easy on rough ground and never need air just a little grease once in a while. Please don't scrap any old farm machinery to get one though as some people like me like to collect and restore the whole machines.
 
The drive way right at that point transistions from concrete to brick. Its an old drive way at an old house. Building up the drive at this point would involve more than what I would like to get into right now.
I am thinking about the hanging chain thing. That might work. I had thought of converor belting or some such, but have no idea where I can get a piece say 12" X 10' at a decent price.
Johnl
 
Oliverdude

I will add a wheel to the next big one I have to build. Thanks.

One thing, the gate swing has to match the shortest opening if you have 3 openings because a hilly farm can vary the length of the gate by a good bit. For 4 or more the center openings should all be close to the same length. Nothin' worse than a gate that won't swing past a post.

Well actually there are a lot of things worse, statring with my EX.......don't get me started.......
 
For conveyor belting try a farmer that has a round baler. They have to replace the belts on the balers. The ones I get are about 8 inches by several feet. Maybe have to do a little repair work for the farmer for the belt. Gets your name out there for other repairs also, if you are interested.
John Burchett
in Byng OK
 








 
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