# PVC Gate



## Eric Striffler (May 6, 2006)

I'm going to be putting a PVC gate in the frame for the entrance to our exhibit. It will be on hinges and will open towards the people. I'm thinking of making it out of PVC pipes and painting it black. No one will be touching it except our actor at the front gate, so they won't feel that's it's just PVC pipe and paint. ;]

Does anyone have any suggestions on building it? I plan to just have 2 vertical PVC pipes and 3 horizontal ones, then attach the end of it to a 2x4 and attach THAT to the frame with hinges.

Also does anyone have any idea where I could find springed hinges that will close the gate back up? That's not needed for the gate as an actor will just shut it, but further into our exhibit I'll need the door to shut on it's own. Can I make that or buy that somewhere for not too much money?


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## propmastertucson (May 20, 2007)

Erick

On the gate try to stay away from buying PVC fittings. Pipe is cheap the fittings will add up very fast. Now that being said, do you have a paint-stripping gun? If so understand that they get very very very HOT. Now you understand that they get HOT!!!!!!

Ok now what I use my Paint stripping gun for is to heat PVC and shape it as needed. Something to think about, can you build a gig to shape heated PVC for some of your gate parts?

Think about it, if you can construct a gig that has (lets say) an S in it you will be able to heat a section of PVC and fit it into the gig. When it comes out you will have an S or the top of your gate.

Take some time and draw out what you want. But most of all take every possible effort to be safe. USE GLOVES, HAVE SOMEONE TO HELP YOU. REMEMBER THIS STUFF WILL BE HOT AND WILL BURN YOU VERY BADDLY. 

Now one more thing, when you heat the pipe, take your time!!!! The more time you give it the better the out come. Now I don’t know what size pipe you want to use, but it is best to heat the pipe from the inside. So you will need some type of adaptor to channel the heat inside the pipe. 

Now you will not be able to bend PVC into 90∞ but you will be able to make some a lot of different shapes if you take your time,

Now remember THIS stuff can HURT you or one of your friends. BE SAFE. If you feel that you CANNOT be SAFE than DON’T DO IT. 

PMT


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## pyro (Oct 7, 2006)

erick i used 1/2 pvc for the horizontal , 4' [email protected] 6" apart on a 1/2 x 2" board
as for finals (tops) i used 2" skulls and sprayed everything flat black--checl out my pics you will see my fence made that way-im also goin touse it in my musoliun.


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## widowsbluff (May 24, 2006)

Erick I used pvc for my gate. I did not use hinges, but placed the outer pvc on rebar and then just swung it open on when I needed to.


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## Eric Striffler (May 6, 2006)

Hm okay thanks everyone for the help.
About heating/bending the PVC, I've done that before and it worked well so maybe I'll do it again.
And this door basically just needs to stop people from going through to let the other group get ahead, then the next group will be let through. It doesn't have to look too amazing, it won't be lit up.


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## airscapes (Oct 3, 2006)

Here is a pic of the one I built 3 years ago and am still using. Higes are made of wood with large bolt for pins. reast is pvc 1x2 pine and some platic latic
Handles are towel ring, tops are steel fence tops and rivits are wood plugs.


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## Big Howlin (Jul 15, 2006)

How much does it usually end up costing to make a gate like the one above? One that could cover an avg yard. Minus the gate.


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## airscapes (Oct 3, 2006)

The fence section are 8' long and with paint and screws and pipe and wood I think they were about $25 or $35 a section in 2003 and 2004. The pillars are mostly reclaimed (trash picked) lumber but the big ones do have pink foam. The best way to reduce cost is to reuse other peoples junk if you have time to look for it, and can find it.. also have to store it.. Unlike a lot of folks I am an old man and my wife is more into this than I, so she lets me spend the $.
Oh the metal tops were about 50 cents each from this company http://www.decorativeiron.com/ Keep in mind it took a long time to build this stuff..I think the pillars were done in the winter one year and the gate the next summer.


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