Fence gate hinge on live edge posts

Hello!

I’m building a big fence for a garden in an area with lots of critters. Posts are Black locust about 6-8 inches in diameter, bark stripped.

Picked 2 of the straightest posts for the fence gate, about 5 feet apart, but they are certainly not perfectly straight. I’m much more of a farmer and forester than a farmer- from a bit of research it seems like there a million hinge options. I’d ideally like to keep the posts round and live edge, but can always shave a flat edge on the inside if need be. The gate will be made of thickish branches and decently heavy.

What recommendations do people have for hinges?

Thanks!

Just to help the discussion, are you looking for store bought hinges or homemade ones?

Mike Haasl wrote:Just to help the discussion, are you looking for store bought hinges or homemade ones?

I’m open, but leaning towards bought for ease, timing.

I do the same.  My go to is just a galvanized strap hinge from the hardware store.  But they're a bit of a challenge to affix to a round post.  And the gate can only open one way.  And it may not open more than 90 degrees.



I'd probably investigate a strap and pintle hinge setup.  It can probably work with the widest arrangement of posts and gates.  I've never used the strap/pintle myself but that's where my head's at...

Mike is on the right track.  The strap & pintle variety allows you to adjust the pivot point of the hinge to any arbitrary point away from the pole, regardless of the wobbles and curves in the post.

I prefer the threaded bolt variety over the lag-screw style (as shown by Mike).  The bolt version is a lot more adjustable and they come in two or three different lengths - by adjusting the tightening nuts a little bit you can get a self-close or self-open gate.  Just be sure you drill your holes in the same plane!

Mike Haasl wrote:I do the same.  My go to is just a galvanized strap hinge from the hardware store.  But they're a bit of a challenge to affix to a round post.  And the gate can only open one way.  And it may not open more than 90 degrees.



I'd probably investigate a strap and pintle hinge setup.  It can probably work with the widest arrangement of posts and gates.  I've never used the strap/pintle myself but that's where my head's at...

Cool, I’ll look into the strap and pintle- thanks!

I’m building a 9 foot garden fence for deer from black locust posts, 6”-8”. Have two fairly straight, round posts about 5 feet apart for the gate. Seeking suggestions for a good hinge to buy.

I can shave a flat edge on the inside of the post where the hinges will go if need be. The gate will be decently heavy, I’m look for something first and foremost effective, and ideally also then easy/ efficient.
Thoughts?

Thanks!
-Jamie

Having hung many heavey gates, I would suggest you install a strong cross bar over the top of the gates.
This will ensure the post with the gate on it does not move. Also have a block under the gate when its open or closed.

HA! Mike Haasl - Thanks for the picture of a pintle hinge, I've seen them in situ but never really thought about why I would use one. Permies forums are great!!

Not sure if you want to get fancy but this one is fun to look at anyways.

Pintle hinge on the top and a custom, (what looks to be) self closing hinge on the bottom

Video in action: hinge idea


source

Pintle & gudgeon, delfinitely.

+2 on John. Put that cross piece spanning the two gate posts. Probably be worth tacking on some tall extensions to each post just to make that happen high enough for adult folk. And yes, install something permanent that the heavy end of the gate will rest on when close and when it's full open. Everything wants to sag these days...

> hinge
The gudgeon, the sleeve receiving the pintle, if it's installed with a lag thread like the one pictured, _will_ try to twist - ie. unscrew or screw in further.  This is an annoyance, not a show stopper, but the take away is to install the gudgeons in the plane of the gate when it's closed. If the gate is the hour hand and it's pointing at noon when it's closed, install the gudgeons so they point at noon, not 9oclock or 3oclock or any other position around that post. Because then they will _really_ want to twist. They will still do their duty, but you will have to reposition your pintles to compensate for the hinges twisting in the post. And when you swing the gate the other way, the hinge will twist the other way...  So install the gudgeon in the plane of the gate when it's closed. It's the best compromise. You could try welding a brace to the thing (with a hole in it for a spike) and try to spike the thing where you want it, keep it from turning. But make the brace at lease 3" long and wrap it around your post and use a big spike or lag. There's a lot of leverage on those hinges.

Also, after everything's just perfect and you're about to lift that glorious big gate onto it's hinges... Cut 1/4" or so off the bottom pintle so it's shorter than the top one. This will allow you to get the long pintle started in the hole first and _then_ insert the shorter hinge in it's hole. It's MUCH easier to deal with starting those hinges one at a time!!!   And yes, I wish I'd known this "secret" some time ahead of when I figured it out!


Cheers,
Rufus

Oh, and the reason these hinges are the right ones...

You can remove the gate, no fuss no muss. (Well, just a sprained back.)  And the hinges live a long time and do the job. Sometimes being able to remove a gate when there's 3' of snow piled around it is a life saver.


Rufus

I agree with Eliot about using a bolt through hinge pin instead of a lag. Makes it possible to adjust the gate as the structure shifts and settles.

The most reliable and adjustable for natural in my experience is the lag screw with a pin that fits in a colar fited to the gatehttps://www.lowes.com/pd/Blue-Hawk-Gray-Metal-Fence-Post-Hinge-Chain-link-Fence/3160491?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-lum

With both pins pointed up the gate can be lifted off. To prevent that the bottom one points up and the top one points down

Hans Quistorff wrote:The most reliable and adjustable for natural in my experience is the lag screw with a pin that fits in a colar fited to the gatehttps://www.lowes.com/pd/Blue-Hawk-Gray-Metal-Fence-Post-Hinge-Chain-link-Fence/3160491?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-lum

With both pins pointed up the gate can be lifted off. To prevent that the bottom one points up and the top one points down

Nailed it, Hans! If theft or weight is a concern, use three, the with the middle upside down, slide collar up and on and tighten in place. This means a crook has to use tools to remove, and not just lift and run.

If weight is really a concern, ensure post is at least half as deep as the gate is high, and run the post at a very slight backward angle. If post is left extra tall, a wire rope cable can run from top of post to far end of gate - this makes opening and closing much easier and/or adding a wheel to the end opposite to hinge will make using the gate effortless.

Lorinne's experience seams to match mine. One possible variation she did not mention: the OP is making a deer fence so the posts are high enough to put log across the top the gate post. It only needs to be half the diameter of the posts. With a diagonal wire brace from the top of the gate posts to the bottom of the adjacent posts it can support a heavy gate. If you wish to have the gate swing all the way back to the fence to get it out of the way mount the hinges on the side of the post that it opens. If the hinges are on the opening side of the posts the gate can swing both directions. 2 gates meeting in the middle has advantages for a wide opening.