G arden Gate #209 as a study in feathered bent-laminations and grounding grids.

The bent-laminations are punctuated with ribbons of wenge and darker cedar–hence not a good candidate for a painted finish.

Charles and Ben’s coffee breaks are experienced from a medley of custom mugs.

In-Progress

The slats creating the laminations for gate #209 are ripped to dimension and passed through the drum sander before receiving the glue below as they are set onto the clamping form.

The basic outline for the bent-lamination gate design #209 are initially drawn out on cardboard. Below we see the primary truss and the pencil lines of a proposed feathering.Basically an eyeball process.

The second truss for the gate 209.
Following the same system. The top clamping cleats are used to create an even pressure conformed to the profile of the form. Within each lamination is a 1/4″ thick darker ribbon of cedar. This is not accomplished with an eye on the clock. Time has nothing to do with it: Throw distractions out the window and allow the process to consume you.

Three additional layers are added to the original profile, with each layer feathering off to the shape of the clamping forms shown below. Each with its own ribbon of darker cedar.

The feathering truss being planed with a radius plane. Radius planes have a pliant sole that adjusts to a given radius.

Stanley Victor #20 Cast Iron Circular Compass Plane. Circa 1879 (OR Radius plane, for short).
A tool we use on a daily basis.

There comes a point when intuition should be trusted

A fourth, smaller radius being clamped up on a form that will get stashed in the loft, waiting along with the other forms for the fancy gate 209 that will make the next 209 a little simpler.

Meanwhile, the shop comes to a grinding halt to accommodate photographers from Fine Homebuilding’s Taunton Press.

By Ben and Charles Prowell
Featuring gate #209, among others.
Fine Home building April 2016
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