Lift-out leaf-bay front gate

Retain loose leaves at the front of a compatible open bay while allowing the entire gate to be lifted away for turning.

Editorial construction draft. Original digital diagrams; no physical build or load certification. Read dimensions, fit and use limits before making changes. US customary dimensions control; metric values are references.

Before marking and cutting

• Measure the stated stock sections before cutting. Use the cut-list geometry, not scale measurements from the drawing.
• US inch dimensions control; millimeter values are rounded conversions. Ordinary cut target ±1/16 in (1.6 mm); fit commercial accessories before boring attachment holes.

Use limits

• Original bounded garden component, not an occupied structure.
• No human standing, sitting, climbing, lifting or fall protection use. No stated safe working load.
• Geometry and fastener quantities are editorially checked; no prototype build, wind test or crop trial is claimed.

Materials and cuts

Hardware and consumables

• 20 #8 × 1-1/4 in screws for slats, 2 per slat/upright crossing
• 2 commercial 32 in-long U channels with at least 1-5/8 in clear internal depth for the 1-1/2 in-thick gate; compatible flanged mounting and fasteners selected for the actual bay posts
• Mounting screws selected for the actual sound bay posts, outside the sliding track
• 2 removable upper retaining pins; no latch-load rating

Tools

• Tape measure and steel rule
• Pencil, square and clamps
• Saw suited to the stated stock; eye and hearing protection
• Drill/driver, countersink and bits matched to fasteners
• Sandpaper and edge file; gloves when handling cut mesh

Assembly

1. Plan the lift-out leaf-bay front gate for this result: Retain loose leaves at the front of a compatible open bay while allowing the entire gate to be lifted away for turning. Confirm the design reference before cutting: Gate 32 × 32 in; track clear width at least 32-1/8 in (816 mm). In the drawings x runs left to right, y runs front to rear and z runs upward.
2. Verify the required stock before laying out these parts: 1 × 2 in board: actual 0.75 × 1.5 in (19.05 × 38.1 mm); 1 × 3 in board: actual 0.75 × 2.5 in (19.05 × 63.5 mm). Reject split or twisted wood and unknown salvage; thinner stock requires recalculating the joints, not simply using the listed lengths.
3. Cut and label the finished parts: 2 Gate uprights 32 × 1.5 × 0.75 in (812.8 × 38.1 × 19.05 mm), mark P01; 5 Gate slats 32 × 2.5 × 0.75 in (812.8 × 63.5 × 19.05 mm), mark P02. Keep saw kerf outside each finished line. Rip only where the finished width is narrower than the actual stock; use a suitable guide and target ±1/16 in (1.6 mm) for ordinary cuts. Dowel triples mean length × diameter × diameter, not square dowel stock.
4. Build the 32 in-wide gate with two uprights behind five 32 in slats. Slat lower edges are 0, 7-3/8, 14-3/4, 22-1/8 and 29-1/2 in.
5. Pilot two front-entry screws at every slat/upright crossing and install twenty 1-1/4 in screws. Confirm points remain inside the 1-1/2 in combined thickness.
6. Select two smooth commercial U channels whose actual clear depth accepts the 1-1/2 in-thick gate with at least 1/8 in running clearance. Measure the chosen channel and sound bay posts before drilling any mounting holes.

7. Mount channels vertically to the actual sound posts with their inner guide faces at least 32-1/8 in apart, using the selected product flange and compatible fasteners. No fixing may project into the sliding groove. The drawn wood assembly is the gate; the channel profile is an explicit purchased equipment input.
8. Round the gate’s lower corners and trial-slide it into both tracks empty. It must lift straight out without levering against a post.
9. Fit a removable retaining pin above each gate top corner to prevent accidental upward displacement; pins do not carry leaf pressure or certify a retaining-wall load.
10. Add only loose leaves, keeping the front face accessible and the tracks clear. Do not pack soil, stone, wet manure or heavy material against it.
11. Before turning, remove pins and lift the gate fully out with two hands. Lean/store it away from the opening so no fixed threshold creates a trip hazard.
12. Complete the acceptance checks below before putting the assembly into service. Record any changed stock thickness, fastener or equipment fit on the project sheet. The published geometry has not been physically built or load-tested.

Checks

• Gate 32 × 32 in; track clear width at least 32-1/8 in (816 mm).
• Empty gate lifts freely; pins removable and tracks contain no exposed screw points.

Operation

• A loose-leaf access gate, not a pressure-rated bulk retaining gate or animal barrier.

Cleaning and maintenance

• Brush tracks and inspect slat ends and bay mounting before refilling.

Primary context

These sources inform the context and do not endorse the original construction design.

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