The gate

[wroughtn_harv]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( One quesiton: What camera? Something for the homeowner to look at who's coming to visit?)</font>

When we're done a visitor will send an alert via internet to the homeowner's tv or office computer. The homeowner will be able to see, converse, and operate the gate from same points.

On another thread I've mentioned a cabinet with all the power and electronics close to the gate but still about three hundred plus feet from the house.

The camera is in a beautiful billet aluminum housing. It's got it's own diode light source. And it needs to be in the overhead. I haven't decided if I want it in the rock or if it'll be a distraction.

What do you think of the pink tips on the star? I did that this morning because I could. Darn, I've heard that somewhere before, must of read it in a book I got for Father's Day. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I got the star up just before the rain came again--still. We're running at a rate to have number two June record for rain this year. At Bird's I'll bet they've already beat the 1928 record.

You gotta luv the mud. Of course it could be worse, it could be muck. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[AndyM]

<font color="blue"> When we're done a visitor will send an alert via internet to the homeowner's tv or office computer. </font>

Where I come from, you drive up the driveway, walk up to the front door, and ring the doorbell! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

It sure is certainly the nicest looking gate I've ever seen though! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[wroughtn_harv]

The hole in the bottom is for the camera. It, the hole, is two and half inches across and three inches deep. The camera is two inches in diameter and two and a half inches deep. In the back of the rock a rectangle is cut out for a weathertite electrical box. And there's a five eighths hole between them.

I've still got to color the star rock with the torch so it'll look like the Texas one. I was lucky to get it up before the water came down. The place is a muddy mess.

It was a little bit of a challenge to install it by myself. But Lucy was there and she's so willing and capable. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Bird]

Harv, that looks great. Of course, I might tend to be a little leery of driving under a rock that big. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

And you're probably right about the rain. I really needed to mow today, but there were still puddles standing in the yard and then we got another downpour this afternoon.

 

[MossRoad]

Oops... I meant neat STAR, not neat start /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Anywho, the pink tips look great. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif How did you color them?

<font color="blue"> I did that this morning because I could. </font>
That's the best reason to do anything! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I was reading your electrical cabinet thread. Lots of trenching. Those built in illuminators are pretty cool. I'm assuming it's the type that floods the viewing area with infrared light?

 

[polecat]

As always harv!!!!!!!!! Top knoth work...I think i'm gonna have to come down there and help u on a few of those projects!!!!YER JIST HAVIN WAY MUCH FUN ALONE!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[wroughtn_harv]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Anywho, the pink tips look great. How did you color them?)</font>

I used a torch. I know it sounds silly but a cutting torch works great as a paint brush on sandstone.

*one of those factoids I've discovered all on my own* /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Don't ask.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Here's the star after I "Painted" the surrounding surfaces and left the star out of the fun.

 

[Bird]

Two questions, Harv.

1) Does that "painting" method cause sandstone to deteriorate faster than normal?

2) Have you ever stopped at the Golden Tree Materials at 1080 E. Highway 121 in Lewisville? I was in there a couple of days ago to see about some sandy loam. I knew just from passing by that he had an assortment of rocks, but I had no idea what a large assortment he had until I went in looking around. Of course, I suspect you know places that have as much or more, but I hadn't ever noticed a place with that much variety.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

1. Morning Bird. I haven't been doing it long enough to see a difference. I suspect I'm speeding up the deterioration process, not unlike pouring muriatic acid on steel to speed up rust.(patina?) /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

And that's okay for two reasons. First of course is I seal it with a good sealer after brushing off the dust. And I get the old look right out of the gate.

2. I haven't been there but will keep it in mind if I get in that area.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

The other day I ran the coax and power cable from the cabinet to the star. I used some liquid tite between the overhead where I'd welded on a nipple. And a weather tite box that I'd screwed and siliconed in.

Here's the north end of the southbound star.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

This is the southend of the southbound.

I had two bags of grout from tiling our bathrooms, different colors. A little of this one and a little of that one, some water, and I love being lucky more than anything. Don't ask me how but the color came out close.

What I did was use some packing foam to position the camera in the cavity. Then I grouted in the part that would show.

This way if there's a problem it will be easy for the security crew to chip out the old grout and free the camera.

 

[_RaT_]

Rotten, your gate is suberp. I enjoyed the post and all the pictures. Thanks.

On the gate equipment side, I have an Apollo operator. I would like to add some kind of sensor to open the gate along my gravel driveway. Who, what, where has the stuff? I have no keypad and perhaps that will someday be an option, I'm sort of in a temporary situation. Thanks again for all your generous advice and even more, your artful work. Rat...

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Morning RAT,

In place of the keypad I often suggest posting the phone number to the home. That way they can contact you for access.

I use a product called a "free access probe." It comes with seventy five feet of cable. You bury it parallel to the drive and then you can set the sensitivity in your box to where a four wheeler can set it off or only a car can.

I'm doing the finishing up today and tomorrow which includes installing the free access probe.

Yesterday I installed the talk box and key pad. I recessed them in a chunk of stone. I think we got lucky one more time.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Here's a shot of the installation.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

And another.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Leo wanted a better shot of the star. So I got up in the bucket and son in law made like an elevator operator.

 

[_RaT_]

Great job Harv!

 

[dummy]

That homeowner should be very tickled with what you created for them. Amazing what you can come up with. Since this is the kind of stuff you do for work, what do you do for play???