Tractor hinge for farm gate

[wroughtn_harv]

Yeah, I know. I do things differently

The four inch EMT gate is done but I don't know whether I'll go up to Oklahoma to install it or if my bud will have a local install it. So I made some tractor hinges for it just in case.

1/4 X 2" bar stack cut one foot long. Using my Riley McMillen handy dandy Hossfield imitation bender that fits in the hitch receivers in the back corners of the truck bed I bent two four inch U's.

I welded two three point hitch pieces to the two four inch 1/4 by two U's.

This way the gate can be blocked up in place. The U's can be welded to the gate and the pins can be welded to the posts.

I love these hinges. No grease needed, just a little oil on occasions keeps them alive for a long time. Another thing that's neat is if the weldor is off a little bit in the fit up of the hinge and pin this system self aligns, bind is something for others to enjoy. I also like to use them on gravity hinges, again for the self and or variable alignment reasons.

Besides the beauty of the heim or rod end bearing there is the ease of installation with this system. One of the problems with light weight material like the fourteen gauge used in the gate frame is it offers little strength for a welded on hinge. The 1/4 by two inch bar stock takes care of that.

The hinges are located and welded up along the arc of the pipe. At that point the two pound adjusting tool is used to continue the arc of the bar stock around the pipe. So slick it can make WD 40 look like glue.

 

[dcyrilc]

Nice idea. You have me thinking of another use for that.

 

[Jim in ICT]

Can we get a picture when your bud hangs the gates?

 

[bdog]

Slick setup. Bought me a couple Heim joints just like that at tractor supply and pins to use for my gate. I went with the Cat 2 for a approx 250 lb gate. I still have not decided exactly how I am going to attach the pins and joints. I was thinking of welding the joints on to the post and putting the pins sticking out of ends of the gate - one up one down.

I like the way you fabbed up those joints for the gate - how were you going to attach the pins to the post? 1/2" plate welded to post with hole in it to bolt pin to?

 

[mjncad]

Harv, one suggestion for the rookies who may not know this; welding galvanized/zinc plated metal creates poisonous fumes they need to be aware of; especially if they decide to make a gate or other object with a lot of EMT or similar material.

 

[Redneck in training]

With hinges like that it could be easier to make the gate self closing.

 

[orezok]

There are a number of computer programs which allow you to print coping templates from your printer. The good thing about them is that they allow any angle and any combination of tube sizes and create a perfect joint.

Here are a couple that I use.

Tube Coping Calculator

Derivation of Dan Hopper's TUBEFIT Algorithm

SNiP Sawing Notch in Pipe

 

[UpToNoGood]

What kind of pin would you hang it from? I would like to see the other half of the hinge that mounts to the in-ground pipe.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

What kind of pin would you hang it from? I would like to see the other half of the hinge that mounts to the in-ground pipe.

The pins would be standard three point tractor pins you can buy at any tractor supply or hardware store.

Weld plates to the pins and then weld the plates to the posts.

You asked in another post about the cost of such a gate. The labor is four hundred and the material costs depends. That particular gate I purchased the materials for a buck twenty a foot because they were considered seconds because of the poor galvanizing, not an issue on a painted gate. I got the last of their material that day. I'm not sure if they have any more available. If I have to buy it at an electrical wholesale house it's about five times as much per foot.

The beauty in that material is it looks just as intimidating as schedule forty pipe but weighs a fraction of that. As it iis it's a two man job hanging that gate most days. One out of schedule forty pipe at a fence supply would take a tractor for sure plus you're dealing with a heckuva post to carry it.

If you liked that gate you will love this one. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/111160-other-32.html

There's a couple of gates in there you will probably like if you start at the beginning of that thread and go through to the end.

 

[UpToNoGood]

Thanks for the reply and the cost. I am still on the fence to build or pay to have one built so I have looked at a lot for gates.

What do you think about this hinge?

Barrel Hinges Weld-On - Weld-on Hinges - Welding Hinges | HardwareSource.com