The Gate

When the old gate fell off its hinges and proved unsalvageable, it was time for a new project.

After a trip to the store for pickets, a 2X4, and some hardware (don't buy the prepackaged gate hardware - it's more decorative than functional), it was time to pull out the power tools and get to work.

I love these guys - they're hand-me-downs from my inlaws, older than I am, and tough as nails.

I measured and cut and put the gate together flat on the driveway, laying out the cut 2X4 in a Z and screwing the pickets to it.  After putting the hinges on the gate, I propped it in place with some 2X4 scrap, and 8 lag bolts later, the gate was hung.  Somewhat unorthodox, but it meant I got it done by myself within a couple of hours.  The little helper helped by napping during most of that time.

And because this is a girl's home improvement project, instead of being any old gate, it became a butterfly gate, with the help of google image search and the jigsaw.

 Not as charmingly weathered as the old gate, but infinitely more functional, and, with the new formulations for pressurizing wood, considerably safer, too.  Now I just need a cowbell and an old key to weight the latch-string for the perfect finishing touch.