Sunday, July 13, 2014

We got a new gate!!

After the wild pigs forced me to put up an electric fence around the plot, we have had to use long removable springs to connect the wires where our entrance is. Not only has it been a bit cumbersome to do that but it has also not looked good so a proper gate has been on the wish list for a while. When I got a bit of help from a good friend we started the job by digging a small ditch in which we buried a small plastic hose in which the wires could run. 
 The second task was to dig a relatively deep hole in which the pole for the gate could stand. It was not easy since there are so many stones where ever you try to dig in Svångemåla. 
We used three bags of cement to stabilize the pole.
To make sure that the pole stood absolutely vertical we used a bubble level and spent some time stabalizing the pole after we had filled up the hole with cement.

Although it is a very simple gate, it put a lot of strain on the pole so we anchored it to a big stone.

The gate itself is made of treated wood that will last for at least 20 years. It is only a simple frame with a cross beam to make sure that it does not lose its shape after a while.

The latch is made of a piece of wood that I got from a tree I had to take down. It is shaped as a Y and can be lifted up and down thanks to a hinge. Simple, appropriate and sustainable technology :)

The end result as seen when leaving the plot. I have not cut the poles yet since I am not sure if I might want to build some sort of arch over the gate.


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