Lol, I think I wrote in an earlier thread... i saw a tv program (fictional) which took place in japan, and on some of the informal gardens they used a simple piece of rope to tie the doors together. I think locking mechanisms are really expensive in the old times... And the metal locks where only used by the nobility. The trick is to make something that can be opened from both sides... And perhaps only locked from the inside (like a wooden bolt) or something. Perhaps someone skilled in history can elaborate further.

The gates you buy today do have a real locking mechanism with key.

/henrik

Hey Kevin, I've come up with what I call a traditional latch, even though I've never seen it used before, and I've used it on a couple of gates I've built. It's all wood, and is just a slide bolt. I put some pics of it and its gate up on the web for you to take a look at. It's a gate that leads into a backyard where I built an outdoor dojo.

When you see it you'll understand how it works being so simple. I just drilled a hole thru a couple of the vertical gate members, and mounted the bolt as I assembled the gate. Once the gate was hung I drilled a corresponding hole into the jamb. I inseted a smaller dowell thru the wooden bolt to make it easier to grab. Pretty simple, but like I said you have to install it while you're building your gate.

The two pics of it, #7 and #8, are closeups of the gate latch and show it as it's ready to be slid into the jamb.

After you click on each pic you can click it again to enlarge.

I'd be interested in seeing other ideas that people have come up with for latches and hinges.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dojo Gate

say, would anyone know why I never get email notifications when replies are posted ? My Security Settings aren't too high, and I have the garden Web on my whitelist.

Joe -

I think the Garden Web notifies only the person who started the thread - and even then, only if he asks.

Your gate latch looks very effective - but am I right in thinking that the gate has just one door, and not two doors that meet in the middle?

My gate has two doors that meet in the middle, and I'm coming to suspect that a latch that just tries to hold the two doors together doesn't work very well & that the only thing that's really going to work is a really long bolt on each door that slides down into a receptacle cemented in the ground. To make the gate accessible from both sides, I'll have one bolt on the 'entry' side & the other (on the other door) on the 'exit' side.

Herb

Herb, all you need to do is have a cane bolt on the fixed door and that latch would work just fine. Slide it back and open the active door. If you need to open both then slide up the cane bolt. This is how any double gates or double doors usually work.

You only have to drill a slightly oversized hole for the cane bolt to drop into, don't need to cement anything in, unless there's only dirt under the entrance.

Joe,

I think you just solved my problem. I'm going to make a cane bolt & install it on one of the doors on the vegetable garden side of the gate. Then I'm going to look round for a good-looking latch that works from either side of the gate.

Herb

Joe, that is an outstanding gate you built - beautiful! I undersand the latch and will look to incorporate something like that in mine. What did you use for hinges?

Right on Herb, I'm so glad I could help you !

Kevin, I usually use 3 regular solid brass butt hinges.

Joe - thanks for sharing your work. The gate and deck railing are well designed and beautifully executed.

Kevin & Joe - here's a picture of the improved fastenings for my gate. As viewed from the rear of the gate it all looks a bit crude, but it's the vegetable garden side, so I reckoned it didn't matter. Viewed from the from the front on the other hand, none of the hardware is visible - all you can see is a really inconspicuous piece of cord that we pull to open the latch. But it all works really well, and seems to be entirely wind-proof - thanks to the cane bolt. Thanks again, Joe.

Herb

Click here for a small picture: then click on 'large' or 'original' for bigger ones.

Try Hida Tool.

Also try Soko Hardware in Japan Town, San Francisco.