Gate installation is a complex and painstaking process. The tightness of the sash and the reliability of the structure depend on the correctness of its implementation. One of the critical steps is the installation of rotating elements. Before welding the hinges to the gate, it is necessary to select the appropriate model and adapt it according to the characteristics of the finished structure
Selection and preparation of loops
For a relatively small sash weighing up to 200 kg, ordinary cylindrical hinges are suitable. Quantity per side – from 4 or more. It is important to correctly calculate the load. To rotate the pin, factory models have a bearing. If it is not there, you need to install a steel ball.
The essence of the modernization is to increase the contact area of the hinge group with the plane of the gate and support pillars. To do this you need to do the following.
- Selection of plates. These are plates that ensure reliable fastening of the loop to the canvas.
- The size of the plates depends on the mass of the sash. The thickness must be at least 3 mm.
- The length of the plates should not interfere with the normal operation of the sash.
Once this process is complete, you can begin assembling the structure.
Method of fastening to the gate
The hinges are welded onto the finished sash. They must be fixed to a support frame; installation on metal sheathing sheets is prohibited. The optimal assembly option is with installed support pillars. It may be difficult to lock the gate in the working position. To do this, you can use additional substructures.
- the gap between the support post and the sash frame is up to 5 mm;
- Markings are made in advance, taking into account that the loops must be on the same axis;
- part of the loop group with the pin is located at the bottom, its direction is at the top;
- first, test welding is done at a maximum of three points, it is recommended to start from the bottom loop;
- after this, the correct operation of the gate is checked - it must open and close freely, the gap is controlled, there is no spontaneous movement of the leaf, regardless of its position;
- final welding of the plates around the perimeter, after cooling - removal of scale and cleaning of the surface.
Over time, the sash may sag or change its position. If the gap does not compensate for this, it is necessary to redo the mounting units. To solve this problem, it is recommended to use hinges with an adjustment function.
Materials and tools
To do the job well, you will need professional tools. can be any, it is important that it provides sufficient power to form an arc. This depends on the thickness of the metal and the diameter of the electrodes used.
In addition to the welding machine, you will need the following tools and consumables:
- welder's protective mask;
- measuring tool: ruler, tape measure, building level;
- lubricant for hinges - grease or a composition similar in properties to it;
- An angle grinder will be needed to clean up welding seams and dismantle an incorrectly installed hinge group.
Support pillars are best made from profile pipe square or rectangular cross-section. This will ensure the reliability of the structure and facilitate the installation process of the canvas.
The reliability of the gate directly depends on compliance with the rules of their installation technology. First, the support pillars are attached. If the canvas is made independently, the dimensions of the frame will be determined only after the first stage. It is important to remember the technological gap.
In the lower part, the distance to the ground surface must be at least 100 mm. This is necessary to compensate for possible subsidence of the structure. Corrugated sheeting can be used as a cladding material. For reliable fixation additional stiffeners are welded onto the corrugated sheet. Additionally, you can provide a small gate. An alternative is to make it separately, if the width of the installation opening allows.
After welding the hinges, the surface is cleaned of rust, a layer of primer and paint is applied. To avoid extraneous sounds when opening, the hinges are lubricated with grease.
The operation of welding the hinges is a mandatory part of the installation. entrance doors, wickets and gates made of metal. In order to weld fittings, the craftsman will definitely need an electrode welding machine, a welding mask, and special clothing.
It is necessary to prepare bearing metal loops (they should be stronger, the heavier the future structure will be). A grinder, solid oil, lithol or other oily liquid will also come in handy.
The order of work here will look like this (for convenience, let’s imagine that the hinges need to be welded onto an ordinary metal gate).
First, thick metal plates are welded to the hinges - they are called plates or ears. This is done like this:
- two plates are laid horizontally so that there is a gap of about 2-3 millimeters between them;
- a loop is placed in the gap;
- These same plates are welded to the loop with a continuous seam - one to the top of the loop, the second to the bottom.
The presence of ears makes it much easier further work and increase the service life of the gate. They do not allow the fabric to “tear” even with the heavy mass of the entire structure.
Marking
The next step is to lift the gate leaves to a vertical position and install them “idle” to where they should be located.
Don't forget that the doors should open outwards. If they open only inward, then in winter with heavy snowfall this will result in serious problems.
Then you should mark the locations for future installation of hinges on the gate - they should be located at a distance of approximately 20 centimeters from the lower or upper border of the door leaf.
Sometimes, if the structure weighs too much (more than 200 kilograms), another additional fitting is placed at the top of the support.
All hinges must be installed strictly vertically; even a tiny misalignment during welding will lead to difficult closing or opening, and therefore to rapid destruction of the support bearings. The evenness of their position can be checked with a plumb line or laser level.
Welding
Now you need to use a welding machine: first, the fittings are welded to the gate leaf, and only then to the support pillars. In this case, it is necessary to constantly monitor the quality of the resulting seams.
When everything welding work approaching completion, it is advisable to process the new seams with a grinder.
You can weld hinges on a gate, garage door and on a metal door according to the same scheme as described above.
However, it should be noted that the craftsman usually has the opportunity to weld the fittings onto the door at the moment when it is in a horizontal position on a flat area, which greatly facilitates the process.
This does not work out with gates: the support pillars, as a rule, are installed much earlier than the actual installation of the curtains begins.
Which loops to choose
When choosing hinges, you must be guided by the parameters of the object on which they are going to be welded. Garage hinges, by definition, should be larger and stronger than hinges for a modest gate or door.
Typically for gates and metal doors use hinges with a ball bearing. Moreover, such hinges and hinges in them can be of different shapes:
- cylindrical;
- square;
- hexagonal;
- drop-shaped.
Most often, cylindrical models have been used lately; square and hexagonal versions are found much less frequently in hardware stores.
And about the last drop-shaped loops (canopies) on the list, special mention should be made. Their use allows you to slightly simplify the installation process. There is no need to first attach ears to them - this is the main advantage of the teardrop shape.
Without any preparation, such loops can be welded to a support post. Moreover, only the top of the lower part of the canopy should be in contact with the post, and the top of the upper part should be attached to the gate leaf.
Drop-shaped products must be welded carefully - after welding they should still rotate easily and freely. And only if this is really the case, you can begin further work.
Other features of welding fittings
There are a few more nuances that those who are planning to weld hinges need to know about. The bottom of the hardware should always be welded first.
Hinges must be welded to round posts with an offset of 5 millimeters towards the opening. This offset allows the gate to open as wide as possible without any obstacles. However, for rectangular or triangular supports, no such manipulations need to be done.
Welds must be smooth, strong and deep. The presence of gaps in such seams is unacceptable.
When vertical welding, it is very important to choose the correct electrode guiding speed. Experts advise home craftsmen to resort to smooth circular movements in this case, which will seem to lift the flowing metal upward.
Welding work requires the performer to strictly adhere to safety regulations. You should start welding the fittings only when you have put on the protective equipment and removed all flammable objects nearby.
Gates that are installed on a suburban area are made of different materials and perform different functions.
The main types of gates that are used for houses and country dachas:
swing;
lifting;
recoil.
Swing gates are the most popular type. The simplicity and low cost of installation have earned them well-deserved recognition.
They can be made of different materials and decorated in different ways. Let's look at a number of rules necessary to properly hang gates on supports.
Main stages of hanging a gate
In order to carry out all the work correctly, before manufacturing and hanging the gate on the supports, you should calculate the main dimensions of the structure and make a sketch or assembly drawing.
At the same stage, the consumption of materials is determined. The gate should be depicted both open and closed in order to take into account all the parameters as accurately as possible.
The following stages of mounting are distinguished: installing supports, making doors, welding hinges, hanging gates on poles.
Installation of supports
Installation of support posts is the most important step in hanging a gate. The reliability of the gate itself in the future depends on how well it is produced.
One-hundred-millimeter steel pipes can serve as supporting pillars. Channels or I-beams with a flange width of 100 mm or more are sometimes used as supports.
Factors affecting foundation depth:
Soil type;
weight of gate leaves.
The functionality of the gate is based not only on its reliable locking, holding power loads and strength, but also on its convenient opening/closing. Ideally, the last two characteristics, as well as the absence of gaps between closed gates, are achieved using high-quality welded hinges. Anyone who knows how to use electric manual arc welding will be able to weld hinges to gates efficiently if they know how to do it correctly.
Opening and closing gates without squeaks or jerks is the best thing that proper installation of hinges can give. How to achieve this? First, choose the right way installation of hinges for a particular material of gates and support posts. Gates are metal, wooden, made of corrugated sheets or polycarbonate, pillars are metal, wood, concrete, foam concrete, brick, stone or cinder block: in any case, it is best to choose ball hinges. There are balls in the cavities of such hinges, which greatly facilitate the movement of the gate.
First, you need to know how gate hinges work in pairs: on one gate leaf, both hinges must be on a mentally drawn straight center line. That is, after completing high-quality work, the lower loop should be exactly under the upper one, and both loops should have an even axial location in space. With such welding of the hinges, the load of the door's weight will be distributed evenly across the hinged supports.
Start of work
The cylindrical shape of the hinges often makes inexperienced welders wonder: “Does this even weld?” It's cooking. Loops made from a hexagon or tetrahedron are actually more difficult to weld. Using the correct technology, the loops are first welded to special plates. It is advisable to do this on a flat horizontal surface, for example, on an anvil (at the same time, you can attach the “minus” of the welding machine to it). An essential requirement: the plates must be welded to the hinges with a continuous seam.
It is not difficult to choose a suitable size dress. We take into account the weight of the gate and the strength of the material from which they are made and determine it by eye, welding seam what length can withstand the weight and prevent the door structure from deforming. The plates provide a convenient working “platform” for welding work, and they also serve as distribution plates for the door leaf, which does not allow the latter to “tear” even with the overall heavy weight of the door structure.
Gate installation
Welding of hinges with already welded plates must be done permanently, having previously placed the gate in the “native window”. That is, the gate will have to be fixed “idle” and reach its required position even before the start of welding work. The position of the doors must be checked and double-checked as many times as the average first-grader knows the numbers - at least ten.
Welding work
After a thorough check of the location of the gates and the pre-measured and marked fields for the plates has been made, welding work can begin from the lower hinges on the posts. Vertical welds are the most difficult job for a welder. But thanks to the plates, even an inexperienced welder can handle them. When one bayonet part of the hinge on the sash is welded, you can use a laser level to check correct location its axis and to determine the exact location of the second bayonet loop.
Completion
After carefully welding the bayonet parts of the loops on the pole, you will need to attach the inserted upper parts of the loops to them immediately with the balls. Then press the baited part against the door leaf as tightly as possible and continue welding work.
At the end of the welding work, the seams can be processed with a grinder.
This technology has been successfully used by all door installation services for a long time. It will not be difficult to do this yourself if you have welding skills and necessary equipment with consumables:
- Metal door hinges;
- Plates/plates;
- Welding machine;
- Electrodes;
- Bench hammer;
- Welding mask, gloves and overalls;
- Bulgarian.
Please note that the gates must open outward, because if the gate opens inward during heavy snowfall in winter, this can become a big problem!
Hinge installation example
Garage doors are an indispensable element of any garage, which performs both a protective and decorative function. When installing gates for a garage or other purposes (for example, for a yard), the question almost always arises of how to weld the hinges onto the gate so that it serves you as long as possible.
Correct welding is of decisive importance, because incorrect formation of the weld and various other defects can significantly reduce the strength and reliability of the entire structure, and also affect the reduction in the service life of the gate. How to ensure the safety of property in your garage (you can do this) and ensure correct installation gate hinges? This detailed guide to action will definitely help you.
What you definitely can't do
Before welding garage hinges into their proper place, you need to understand once and for all some points that must be observed in any case. The rules are as follows:
- Never work on faulty welding equipment. This is not only impractical in terms of efficiency, but also very dangerous for your life.
- Do not carry out welding work on installing garage hinges immediately after painting - first wait until the painted coating is completely dry.
- When welding hinges, make sure your clothing is not soaked in flammable liquids - do this before welding to ensure your safety.
- First remove from the work area all objects, liquids and substances that can easily ignite from contact with sparks from the welding machine.
Now that you know the basic safety rules when working with a welding machine, you can proceed directly to welding garage hinges.
Tools required for work
Welding hinges on gates is impossible without using a certain set of tools. So, before starting the installation process, you need to prepare the following items:
- welding machine;
- hammer and tape measure;
- building level;
- protective mask;
- protective gloves.
It is also necessary to prepare the hinges themselves necessary for installation. Make sure they are of high quality. Even installation according to all the rules will not be able to provide good performance properties if the hinges themselves are of poor quality. Therefore it should be correct.
Always use protective equipment when working with a welding machine - a mask and gloves. They will protect you from vision problems and also prevent hand burns.
Process technology
Installing plates
Many inexperienced welders have certain doubts about the possibility of welding cylindrical hinges to a flat surface. There is no doubt that this procedure with round loops is much easier to perform than with square and hexagonal ones.
In order to properly weld round hinges, you need to take care of installing the plates - they are welded to the hinges themselves using a welding machine. It is necessary to do this with an even seam. By welding the plates to the hinges, a convenient platform is created for installing the hinges on the gate itself. These irreplaceable elements are selected in accordance with the weight of the gate and the strength of the material from which the plates are made.
Some craftsmen weld hinges without using plates. This option is also possible, but thanks to their use the fastening is more reliable.
Installing gates
Before welding the hinges on the gate, the gate leaves must be correctly positioned in the opening of the garage or fence. The complexity of the procedure lies in the fact that the gate should be placed in the opening before the hinges are welded, that is, virtually by eye. To position the gate as accurately as possible, you need to use a building level and a lot of patience. Adjustment of the gate position should be carried out as many times as necessary until the gates are in a level position. Only after precise placement can welding be carried out.
We weld the hinges to the gate
Now let's figure out how to properly weld the hinges on the gate. Despite the apparent complexity of this procedure, it is quite possible to perform it with the proper skill and patience. Welding hinges on garage doors is carried out in several sequential steps listed below:
- Lubricate garage hinges with welded plates with grease to ensure their smooth movement after installation. Also prepare thin linings for the hinges - their thickness should not exceed 5 mm. They are necessary primarily for round hinges.
- Make the correct markings of the fabric for the loops. So, it is necessary to mark indentations from the edges of 25-30 cm. The markings are applied with a construction pencil.
- Weld the hinges to the door leaf. To do this, first weld the bayonet parts of the hinges, first only lightly grabbing them by welding, then weld the metal from bottom to top, ensuring the most even seam possible.
- After welding the first seam on all hinges, you need to use a level (it is better to use a construction level for these purposes) to check the correct opening and closing of the gate. If no defects are found, you can continue.
- After the installation of hinges on the gate by welding is completed, you need to carefully process all welds with a grinding machine. The last stage is painting the gates and hinges in any color you like. That's all!
As you can see, self-mounting Gate hinges are not such a difficult task that cannot be done at home. It is enough to have the necessary equipment at hand and strictly follow the recommendations for action specified in this manual.
If you are installing garage door hinges, weld them in such a way that the doors open outward. Otherwise, big problems will arise after the snowfall.
Welding hinges on gates is a rather multifaceted process, to facilitate the implementation of which it is recommended to follow the following useful recommendations:
- Study the drawing in advance - the gate hinges are installed in a certain order. Then during the welding process there will be no unpleasant situations and no need to redo work already done.
- Straight hinges need to be welded only on gates laid on the ground.
- If you are installing a hinge on a round post, you should make a 5 mm relief.
- The first opening of the gate should only be done after the seams have completely cooled.
- Before welding the hinges, make a step under the lower hinge - it’s more convenient.
The technology indicated in this manual for welding hinges has been used for many decades; it is actively used not only by artisans, but also by professional companies that specialize in installing gates.
Rest assured that strict adherence to these instructions will provide you with positive result, which will last for many decades. Be careful and careful when welding hinges, as working with welding equipment is potentially hazardous to health.