Garden Gate
Top of the gate showing wood hinge
Bottom hinge. The mortise goes all the way through the sill to allow drainage.
I constructed this garden gate from ironwood (otherwise known as hop-hornbeam) which is considered a weed tree by local foresters here in northern Wisconsin. The header, sill, and jambs are of tamarack, which is again available locally and is rather durable. Round mortise and tenon joinery holds the gate frame together, and a similar joint serves as a built-in hinge at the top and bottom. A salvaged piece of rusted steel tubing was screwed onto the gate later to prevent sagging.