Scrap-Pile Gates

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That done, we placed the remaining short pole in the center of the gate (parallel to the ends) and made a mark on each side of the wood where it rested on the top and bottom frames. My friend cut a dado notch in both the upper and lower members, and the short post—notches down—was fitted in place and secured with nails.

We finished up our job with a section of woven—wire fencing—cut a bit longer than the length of the frame—that we first attached, with staples, along the bottom and up one side of each gate. We then stretched the mesh over to the other side and stapled it there . . . and, finally, pulled the wire taut at the top and secured it with the metal fasteners. (Any excess wire was bent as close as possible to the poles.)

After we carried our gates to the fence, we secured each in its place with salvaged scrap hinges . . . which were bent to fit the unique contours of each locust limb. (An alternate method—workable but less convenient—is to attach the gates with good old-fashioned baling twine, and then simply untie one side to gain access.)

The latches we added to our "pasture doors" were also homemade. We used old nails and short lengths of scrap chain, which we fastened at a convenient height on the up-and-down post at each gate's end. After hammering a nail partway into the fencepost next to the chain, we bent the fastener into a "V" shape.

To close or open a gate, we merely slide a link of the chain on or off the nail. The crooked spike prevents the chain from slipping off until we want it to.

Our six "scrap-pile gates" have been in constant use for over a year now, and we guarantee that they work every bit as well as their $60 counterparts!

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