This was one of the first woodworking projects I did after we moved to our current property over 20 years ago now. We needed a gate for the side of our house. So I designed this one in Sketchup and made it out of Sapele. There were lots of firsts for me on this project. First time working with hardwood. First time building something from my own design in Sketchup. First time edge jointing and gluing boards together. First time chiseling mortise and tenon joints. First time drawboring. First time making my own beading. First time doing a proper assembly.
Each rail is joined to the stiles by a double mortise and tennon joint, drawbored to the stiles using beech dowels. The panels consist of 7 boards edge glued together and then routed with a V-cutter so they resemble tongue and groove. The bottom beading on each panel is deeper than the side and top beading and is rebated into the panel to just passed the bottom of the V-grooves. That way the rain can run down the panel and over the beading rather than behind the beading. I filled the grain on the panels, but didn't bother on the rails and stiles (well as my wife kept reminding me, "It's just a gate!"). The panels are glued to the beading in the middle only at the top and bottom, so the panel can expand and contract across its width. I allowed 10mm either side for expansion so I hope that's enough.
Initially I tried steam bending the top beading, but it wasn't that successful. It became difficult to fit due to spring back. After two failed attempts, I bought two more boards, edge glued them together and cut the shape out to match the arch, then routed the profile on it.
The posts are pressure treated pine stained to match the gate. Unfortunately, the budget wouldn't stretch to 5" square Sapele posts. I'm just wating for the last coat of finish to dry on a Sapele fence panel that goes to the left of the gate.
All in all, I'm quite pleased with the result considering all the 'firsts' and the fact that it was built on a Black & Decker workmate in the back garden.