Guide to Iron Work
Everything that Oak Tree manufactures is made using traditional techniques, while also taking advantage of modern tools such as welders, grinders, Plasma cutters etc.
We still hand make our own scrolls for all our gates, railings, security grills, signs etc. This is because generally the scroll should fit in whatever you are making, for example we make your gate to the dimensions between your pillars, these dimensions will dictate how the gate will be set out and in turn the amount of space the scroll has to sit in. The end result should be that the whole look of the gate should be in proportion.
The latch on our gates are also made by hand, as this also is never the same for each gate. Consideration on its appearance on the gate and function-ability mean that it is always a different length.
Even when our gates are made to drop on existing hangers, you will never see any of our gates with bolt eyes for hangers, we take the trouble to measure the existing hanging pins, and if necessary compensate any out of plumb on the hinges, the gate hang is checked before sending off to be galvanized and or painted
Galvanizing
Galvanization, or galvanisation, is the process of applying a protective zinc coating to steel or iron, to prevent rusting. The items are first dipped into a bath of hydrochloric acid which removes any trace of rust or mill scale. Then re-dipped at a higher temperature in molten zinc, when removed a layer of molten zinc is formed on the top of the alloy layer,(termed free zinc), which gives off a silvery appearance. This can be left unpainted if desired, but weathering will dull down the appearance. Galvanizing protects in two ways:
It forms a coating of corrosion-resistant zinc which prevents corrosive substances from reaching the more delicate part of the metal.
The zinc serves as a sacrificial anode so that even if the coating is scratched, the exposed steel will still be protected by the remaining zinc.
Painting
Before painting, the galvanised product is thoroughly cleaned and surface prepared by removing any excess galv runs and sharp edges. The surface is keyed and cleaned, then a coat of etch primer followed up by four coats of top gloss or satin finish.
The image on the right is what not to expect on our gates. This is what you would expect to see on a mass produced cheap gate maybe from a garden center or DIY store. It uses an eye bolt for a hanger which allows for adjustment so that the gate can be fitted to a pillar that is not level, you can also see in the image another hole in the frame so that this hanger could go higher up on the gate if the wall was taller. the wall hanger is just bolted to the wall, its perfectly sound but not exactly aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
The preferred method of installation can be seen in the image on the right. This method is called core drill and chemical fix, where the wall or pillar is drilled and the hanger is then fixed using chemical resin and then faced off with some cement to finish. Sometimes there are wooden posts that are already existing in which case we would use an ornamental screw-plate hanger. The gate catch is also fixed using the same methods. A post would be fitted if there was nothing structural to fix the hangers too.
