GARDEN STRUCTURES

A friend of mine built a similar arch way so I thought I’d build one too.

the posts are 4x4s of Alaskan yellow cedar.- A very dense wood that will last even longer than western red cedar outdoors.

The arch ribs- there are 4 of them- are made of Meranti- a hardwood from Indonesia. You’ll notice the joint lines. Each rib is made from 3 pieces, joined with a half lap joint.

Aly saw this archway and wanted something similar. Together we designed this gate.

This pergola is made of white fir. It’s a better grade of doug fir. Straighter and less knots than regular doug fir. Plus it took the paint better.

The pergola was 16ft by 8ft and 10 ft tall.

Recently I’ve started using juniper. It lasts longer than cedar, it’s harder than cedar and often cheaper. I built this 10ft wide gate in SE Portland.

See those 2 wheels mounted to the bottom of the gate. These “gate casters” are spring loaded casters that help support the weight of the gate. Spring loaded so if there’s any unevenness on the ground, the casters will move up/down and maintain the support of the gate.

To make the gate latch accessible from the “inside” I cut a small “window”, so they could reach through to unlatch the gate.

To make this privacy screen used Fiji mahogany for the frame and cedar slats for the infill.

Fiji mahogany is well suited for outdoor use- I used it for the handrail of a 12ft long bridge I built with a group of school kids.

I liked it so much that after planing it down to 1/8″ thickness so it would bend easily, I used it in a unique showcase light.