newcastle woodworking€¦ · · 2011-12-11baby gate ta11031.docx page 3 ©2011 newcastle...

©2011 NEWCASTLE WOODWORKING

NEWCASTLE WOODWORKING ™Seaswift Investments LLC

SLIDING BABY / PET GATE

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION NOTES AND ENGINEERING DRAWINGS

BABY GATE TA11031.DOCX


PORTABLE DOCUMENT FORMAT (PDF) FILE

The file you are viewing is presented in a Portable Document File (.pdf) format. This has a few implications.

To get a more detailed view, if needed, of any photos in this document, simply increase the scale on the pdf viewer. The photos we have included can be zoomed several times without deterioration of the image quality.

The attached engineering drawings are scale drawings. They were prepared with a Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) program and the scale is very accurate. We expect that users will want to print these to use as shop drawings. Please be aware that conversion of the CAD image to .pdf format can slightly affect the scale so a little caution is needed if scaling the drawings.

DESIGN

Layout

The gate is built of two identical frames with rails and slats. One frame is hinge-mounted to one wall and the other telescopes and connects to the opposite wall with a catch. The gate can also be opened by swinging on its hinges.

Slats

The slat spacing used in this design has gaps of less than 2-3/8” as required by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Office of Compliance, Requirements for Full Size Baby Cribs.

Materials

We have used hemlock for the rails and slats. It was chosen for its light weight, low cost, excellent finish and “soft” feel (anticipating use for babies).

Also, because it was for babies, we rounded over all edges wherever possible.

Dowelled Joinery

The slatted frames are made entirely with glued dowel joints.

A dowelling jig is essential when using doweled joinery. The dowel spacing in the attached drawings is appropriate for our Dowelmax jig. The use of a different jig might make it appropriate to change this dowel spacing.

Beam Details

The beams are made of ¾” material with 45° miters in the corners and attached together with 3/8” dia. x 1.5” glued dowels, forming a rectangular frame.

Rail Details

The rails are made from ½” material, attached to the upper and lower rails with ¼” dia. x 1.5” glued dowels.

Hinges and Catch

We have used lift-off hinges so that the gate can be quickly removed or moved to a different location if desired. The hinges used here are McMaster-Carr 1151A71. This is a right handed hinge according to the convention used for hinges.

In our application, rather than to a wall, the open end of the gate attaches to a railing having round, tapered posts. Attaching to a wall would be more straightforward. For this application we used a McMaster-Carr 13525A74 catch and clamped it to a post with a bracket. It is spring loaded so that little fingers would not be able to open it.

Slides

The slides we have used are 22” low profile full extension Rockler slides item 21801 (one pair). The maximum telescopic motion is 22”.

Recommended Tools

Table Saw Router Table with Fence Miter Saw Dowel Jig



Mortising or Straight Router Bit Roundover Router Bits

WORK SEQUENCE - BEAMS

Preparation

If necessary, lightly sand the faces of the boards with 120 grit sandpaper on the belt sander before cutting to size.

Width

We used 1-1/2” wide boards for the beams (and slats) because this width is convenient for working with our dowel jig. It is about the minimum width that can be used for putting 2 dowels in each end while keeping adequate edge margins on the dowel holes.

We could have simply bought boards that were nominally 1” x 2” because they are supposed to be 1-1/2” wide. However, the mill edges are often damaged in handling and the width tolerances not very close in the first place. So we bought 1” x 4” boards (3-1/2” wide, wide enough for 2 rails) and ripped the beams from these.

When ripping boards on the table saw, the saw blade often leaves marks that are very difficult to remove. Therefore, for boards to be used on furniture pieces, we like to make the final edge cuts on the router table. This can be done on the jointer, but with less control over the final width.

In order to get repeatable widths, we run the boards from left to right through the router between the router bit and the fence (i.e., on the wrong side of the bit).

Cutting Workpiece Edges on the Router

With the board held tightly against the fence, the board is trapped between the fence and the bit. Many cuts can be made on many parts and they will

all come out with clean edges and will be exactly the same width.

Router Setup for Finished Edge Cuts

Cut all the pieces to the same width by cutting on 1 side using this technique (mark which side) before changing the setup. Then move the fence and featherboards appropriately and cut all of the pieces on the opposite side.

There is a caveat to using this technique. Notice in the sketch above that the cutting motion of the bit tends to pull the work away from the fence instead of pushing it against the fence. This makes it necessary to hold the workpiece tightly against the fence with two featherboards, and to take light cuts (certainly not exceeding 1/8”). We use a fairly large 1” diameter router bit to also reduce the cutting angle.

Dowels for Mating with Slats

We have used ½” thick material for the slats. It is recommended that ¼” diameter dowels should be used on ½” material. The ability to drill ¼” dowels as well as 3/8” dowels should be a consideration when choosing a dowel jig.

In order to keep a better reference end to locate the dowel holes from, we want to drill the dowel holes that mate with the slats in the top and bottom rails before cutting the 45° ends.

Rough cut the beams to length, leaving a little excess.

Fence

Workpiece

Router BitFeatherboard Featherboard



Choose one end of each upper and lower beam to serve as a reference end and mark them. Trim off the reference ends with the miter saw to clean them up and make them square.

Dowel Pattern in Upper/Lower Beam

Mark the locations for the upper and lower dowel holes as shown in the attached detail drawing. Use such setup lines as might be appropriate for your dowel jig and drill all the ¼” holes in the upper and lower beams.

Beam End Cuts

We will now cut the 45° end on the reference end of the upper and lower beam.

First, trim the other end (not the reference end) of the beams using a stop block on the miter saw so that all the beams are the same length.

For cutting the 45° miter on the first piece, we prefer the trial and error method. Be sure to cut the miter on the reference end first.

Set up the workpiece on the miter saw and set the saw at 45° with the drilled dowel holes being on the shorter edge.

Clamp a stop block on the other end, located so that the cut will not completely clean up the 45° miter. Make the first cut. Then, with the stop block still in place, move the workpiece a very small amount (1/32” or less), move the stop block to the end of the workpiece and clamp it in position

again. Repeat this until the end miter just cleans up.

With the stop block still in place, cut the miters on the other upper and lower beams.

Mark the overall length (23-3/4”) on the second end of one of the beams. Use the same trial and error method with a stop-block as used above until the miter on the second end cleans up to the mark.

Cutting the Upper and Lower Beams

Note that the stop block will be at 45° against the reference end when cutting the second end.

Stop Block at 45°

Next we will cut the side beams to length and miter the ends.

These are a little less tedious to cut because there are no dowel holes to align with.



Cut the 45° miter on one end of each of the pieces.

On one of them, mark the overall 30” length on the second end. Cut the miter on the second end using the trial and error method as above. With the stop block still in position cut the miters on the second end of the remaining pieces.

End Frame Dowels

Next drill the dowel holes in the 45° ends of the beams using your dowel jig according to its instructions. The hole locations shown in the detail drawings are suitable for our Dowelmax jig using the outer corner as the reference plane. Other jigs might require changing the hole spacing.

The frame members are ¾” thick. Usually 3/8” diameter dowels are used on ¾” material, and we have done that here for the frames.

Take care not to drill through when drilling the dowels nearest the outer apex. As can be seen in the drawing, the bottoms of the holes may be quite close to the surface.

WORK SEQUENCE – SLATS

Width

Cut the slats to their finished width using the table saw and router as above for the frame members.

Slat Length Cuts

Lay out one of the outer frames on the bench with dry (no glue) dowels in all of the joints. Clamp the assembly up snug. Mark the mating parts at each corner for later identification during assembly.

On the clamped up assembly, measure the required slat length. Cut one of the slats to length using the trial and error method and a stop-block on the miter saw as done previously.

Determining Final Slat Length With Temporary Assembly

When the first slat fits well between the rails, cut the remaining slats (4 more for the first frame) using the same stop-block setup.

Lay out the other frame and repeat the above process.

Drill Dowel Holes in Slat Ends

Drill the ¼” dowel holes in the ends of the slats as shown in the attached drawing.

EDGE TREATMENTS

Others have suggested the use of roundover edge treatment for anything that will be touched by a child. We have followed that advice here using roundover bits on the router table.

For the outer edges of the frame we used a 3/8” radius roundover on both sides.

On the inboard edge of the frames we have used a 1/8” radius roundover on both sides (the maximum radius that can be used when butting ½” material to ¾” material without leaving gaps).

For the slats, we have used a 3/16” radius roundover bit on all 4 edges.

SANDING AND STAINING

Sand Frames and Slats

All parts were previously sanded with 120 grit paper. We will now finish sanding the raw wood.



First, erase any pencil marks. Sand with 180 grit sand paper. We suggest sanding the sides of the frame and slats with an oscillating sander and all the edges by hand.

Clean the sawdust off all parts. The workpieces should feel pretty good by now if working in hardwood. If using softwood, maybe not so much.

If working in softwood, a little more work can make a big difference. It might be necessary to lightly hand sand with a 180 or 220 grit sanding sponge. This time we are just taking off the “fuzz,” so the sanding motion is with very light pressure and at fast speeds, more like dusting. Repeat with a 320 grit sponge.

If using hardwood, you can wipe all parts with alcohol. This will help make any fuzz stand up. Don’t use alcohol on softwood because it can make the grain stand up in addition to the fuzz and set you back a couple steps with the sanding. After drying, “dust” the parts with a 220 or 320 grit sanding sponge.

Wipe down all the parts with tack cloth or paper shop towels (not kitchen paper towels) to remove the last of the fine sawdust. We use Scott Shop Towels for this.

Stain

We prefer staining before gluing whenever practical. Any glue squeeze-out on raw wood will seal the wood, if not removed with a wet rag immediately, and thereafter stain will not penetrate the sealed spot. The sealed spot can be sanded out, but it takes a lot of sanding and is likely located near an edge where excess sanding can taper the edge. Also, sealed spots are often not discovered until stain is applied.

We prefer applying stain by wiping it on, rubbing it in and blending in any excess, all in a single process. Paper shop towels are ideal for this wiping and rubbing (rubber gloves are advised).

Compared to the more common staining method of brushing on, letting sit and then wiping off excess, the single wiping method has several advantages.

• It is easier, faster and reduces stain consumption

• It provides more uniform results and helps reduce blotching

• It helps ensure that stain does not get into dowel holes

• It is especially effective on large surfaces where the stain can be rubbed in thoroughly in a circular pattern

• There is no cleanup required

Minwax Ipswich Pine Wood Finish

On a Hemlock Slat

ASSEMBLY

Inserting and Gluing Dowels

For this application we applied glue to the inside of the dowel holes before inserting the dowels. This method results in less glue squeezout than applying the glue to the dowels and is considered sufficiently strong for this application.

[For more highly loaded joints we would do both – apply glue to the hole and to the dowel.]

In order to spread the glue evenly and get it all the way to the bottom of the holes you can use a chopstick (for 3/8” holes) or a bamboo skewer (for ¼” holes).



Applying Glue to Holes with Skewer

First, lightly chamfer all dowel holes to aid insertion.

Apply glue to the inside of the holes in the upper and lower frame, including the slat dowels and the end dowels.

Clean any excess glue from the surface with a wet rag.

Tap the dowels in until they bottom using a plastic hammer. Tap them lightly and drive them slowly. Driving them with too much force or speed might split the beam as result of the buildup of glue pressure at the bottoms of the holes.

Dowels Glued and Inserted Into Frame

We want to insert the dowels into the upper and lower frame members first, rather than in the slat ends, because the driving force is greater when inserting the dowels across the grain.

The dowels in the ends of the slats go with the grain and will require less insertion pressure.

By inserting them into the frames first we can drive them 1 at a time with a hammer. For final assembly, when joining them to the mating parts, we have to squeeze 14 of them at the same time.

Next apply glue to the holes in the ends of the slats and uprights.

Assemble slats and uprights to one frame, upper or lower, jamming them home by hand. Push them all the way onto the dowels until the joints are tight.

Putting Subassembly Together by Hand

Gently move this subassembly of 1 bottom frame plus both side frames and all slats onto the clamps (see below).

Clamping

We recommend the use of parallel woodworking clamps for assembling dowelled workpieces. Pipe clamps can also serve with a little more effort.

We usually don’t use quick-grip type clamps because they might not exert sufficient pressure. We have also had poor results from strap clamps due to insufficient pressure at the corners.



Clamp Arrangement for Assembly

The Bessey Revo parallel clamps that we use are easy to cross stack as above with some accessory block adapters.

If using pipe clamps the throat depth might not be sufficient to allow cross stacking. In that case, consider putting 1 pair of clamps under the workpiece and the other (upside down) on top of the workpiece.

Place the clamps near (but not at) corners. We want to leave the corners free for clamping with c-clamps or similar, as shown in the photo above.

With the subassembly sitting on the clamps, align the remaining frame rail to the uprights and slats.

Start the remaining dowels by hand, working back and forth until all of them are started in the mating holes. Then gradually apply pressure with the clamps, working back and forth, to close the dowel joints. Keep the squeezing pressure equal on both sets of clamps.

Squeeze until all the joints are closed. If some of the center slat joints don’t go closed, add another clamp, upside down, on top of the workpiece.

Check to ensure that the workpiece is square. Usually with dowelled joints this is not a problem. If not square, ease up on the clamps and get it square and then retighten.

When all dowel joints are closed and the workpiece is square, apply C clamps to the corners to ensure surface alignment across the 45° joints.

If possible, leave the clamped-up assembly overnight.

Apply Finish

We used Minwax Wipe-On Poly for the finish. We like this finish for its ease of application and amber color. It is easy to apply, we just wipe it on using a circular motion using Scott paper shop towels.

With this application technique there is no question of brush marks and no cleanup. We use very light coats to prevent sagging.

We apply 2 coats of finish before doing any inter-coat sanding. We used a total of 4 coats of finish.

Finish sanding

For inter-coat sanding we use a 220 grit sanding sponge. This is not really sanding, more like dusting to remove any fuzz. We sand by hand, using very light pressure and fast strokes until the work fees smooth.

Wipe off any sanding dust with a tack cloth before applying the next coat.

Touchup

Fill any joint gaps with wood putty. We use Minwax Wood Putty which is intended for application after staining and finishing. Just wipe off excess with a wet rag.

Finally, we like to wipe the surface with a waxy product that is easy to apply. Usually we just use Orange Glo.

Mounting the Slides

The important element in mounting the upper and lower slides is that they must be parallel.

Choose one frame assembly to mount on the wall and the other to telescope.



Locate and mount the outer member of the slide to the upper rail on the wall frame. Mount it parallel to the top of the upper rail. Locate the open end of the outer member flush with the edge of the upright rail.

Fasten it using the fasteners provided with the slide. Insert the inner slide member into the outer member. Lay the telescoping frame on the bench and lay the wall mounted frame and slide on top of it. Keeping the frames flush at the top, attach the inner member to the telescoping frame by sliding the frames back and forth to give access to the screws.

Now the frames are connected firmly together by the upper slide.

Locate the lower slide in position (inner and outer members together). Attach the inner and outer member at the open end only (the side away from the wall). Slide the gate back and forth to align the outer member with the upper slide and install the remaining screws.

Now the outer members of the slides are parallel with each other.

Slide the frames back and forth to provide access to the fasteners for the inner member and fasten that as well.

INSTALLATION

The installation is highly dependent on the location where the gate is being installed, but we will just mention a little bit about our installation.

Wall Mount

This gate will probably be used for only two years or so. We wanted to minimize wall damage for when it is removed. We wanted to run screws straight into a stud, rather than some kind of drywall inserts, to reduce the damage.

We located a stud and made a plate for mounting the hinges that was wide enough to reach the stud from where we wanted the hinges. This turned out to be 6-1/4” wide, which is a lot wider than we would have liked.

Leveling

House walls are often not very straight, square or flat. It this case we had to shim a full ¼” under the lower hinge to level the gate.

Catch Mount

The receptacle for the catch in our installation had to be mounted on a railing rather than a wall. Again, we wanted to avoid permanent damage when making the mount.

To do this we attached a small wooden mounting plate to one of the turned uprights on the railing using a plastic conduit clamp. There are no fasteners in the upright.

Baby Gate - Assembly and InstallationDwg: TD11050Scale: 1/10©2011 Newcastle Woodworking

Newcastle Woodworking™Seaswift Investments LLC

Step Edge

Slide Inner Member

Slide

Telescoping Frame

Catch Mounting Plate

Catch

Stud

Post Wall Mounted Frame

Mounting Plate

Baby Gate - DetailsDwg: TD11052Scale: 1/10©2011 Newcastle Woodworking

23.75

Top BeamBottom Opposite3/4" Hemlock(2 Pieces Each)

3/8" x 1-1/2" Dowel (4 Places)

1.10

1.76

30.00

45

1.50

Side Beam3/4" Hemlock(4 Pieces)

0.44

1.10

1.50

27.00

Slat1/2" Hemlock(10 Pieces)

1/4 x 1.12 Dowel

Raw Material3/4" x 4" x 8' Hemlock: 11/2" x 4" x 8' Hemlock: 2

Newcastle Woodworking™Seaswift Investments LLC

4.15

7.86

11.57

15.28

18.99

1.10

1.76

1/4" x 1-1/2" Dowel(10 Places)

45

Roundover 1/4" Radius



Roundover1/8" Radius

Roundover 3/16" RadiusBoth Sides

Frame Assembly (2 Pieces)

newcastle woodworking€¦ · · 2011-12-11baby gate ta11031.docx page 3 ©2011 newcastle...

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