Miscellaneous DIY Projects (or bits of jobs)

[Big Kev]

Glad you got sorted Ian.
You were lucky with the cover on the gazebo Kev.
I went looking for the etymology of 'gazebo' and didn't really get any joy but I tripped over this factoid. "The earliest known gazebos were in Egyptian gardens approximately 5,000 years ago, found in a garden plan which dates to about 1400 BC.". Now there's a thing.....

Now that is a thing

[Big Kev]

Kev has sorted me out Stanley, not took long, my marking up and Kevs slicing and its bob on for a fit apart from about an 1/8th of an inch on the top rail, I can cut that with my tenon saw. Hung it on two screws to check the fit as it has to come off again for the other bits of timber for the latch furniture and probably two coats of fence paint. A lot further on than this morning.

'tis a fine day for painting today, I reckon you'll get it finished before lunch

[Wendyf]

We have been busy building a new bench after I pinched an idea from a neighbour. 3 x 400mm gabions filled with old bricks and a bench seat made from some wood that's been in stores for years. A lick of decking paint and it's ready for summer! I had something much more rough and ready I'm mind but Colin soon took over!

PXL_20240507_133504613.jpg

[PanBiker]

Nice one Wendy same colour as our gate and shed. Gate is nearly ready to rehang.

[Wendyf]

You also have the same blue Hammerite that Col used on our pub table and bench a couple of years ago!

[PanBiker]

Finished the repainting of the gate and have re hung it. Treated it to all new screws and will give it another treat of a new latch.

[Wendyf]

[Big Kev]

Looking smart

[Stanley]

My neighbour Ian made me a new back gate from scratch as the old one was rotten as a pear. He used hardwood but it must have been kiln dried as it warped over the winter. I need to do a bit of work on the latch as soon as the Wobbler panic is finished in the shed.....
Gate look good Ian!

[PanBiker]

Thanks Stanley. Final hurdle turned into a marathon rather than a ten minute job. I got a replacement gate latch from Screwfix today, last one in stock. Same model as what came off, however, offering it up I saw a problem. The pin was not bent to the same degree as the original so consequently when mounted on the gate it did not fully engage in the catch. The gate and post are exactly the same level so the easiest way (or so I thought) was to alter the pin. I heated it up but could not get it to bend to the correct angle. Probably didn't get it hot enough but I didn't want to fracture it either.

OK, next idea, if I cant alter the pin I'll make a latch stand off to bring the latch to the pin. Knocked up a spacer out of aluminium plate and drilled it out to match the back plate. Offered it up and it wasn't thick enough. I made another one and stacked them together still not thick enough! I ended up with two spacers at the back and two washers behind each mounting hole. Gate works like a treat now and the mounts are all metal so nothing to spoil with weathering. It's a £2.65 gate latch and not exactly precision engineering, could have bent it right though!

[Stanley]

That's often the case Ian and hanging gates properly is as much an art as a science. My gate is the only one on the back street that closes itself. Not down to me, it has always been like that. All to do with whoever leaded the gudgeons in the stone gate post a lot of years ago!
As I mentioned yesterday, I have a modification to do on my latch but I am lucky, I have the tackle to cut out a new part and machine it to exactly what I want. But before I indulge in luxuries like that I must finish my wobblers!

[Stanley]

I haven't finished the wobblers but how often do we have a day as good as today for an outside job? I have remounted the heavy latch on my back gate so that it latches positively but doesn't stick. I got rid of 3 8mm set screws and nuts in the process. No bad thing in an Imperial Shed!