Learn me chainlink double gate hardware. (AKA, let me stop wrapping a chain around my gate.)

I replaced a few feet of fence a couple of years ago with a double gate. I thought I had everything worked out in advance, and all of the hardware I bought worked, except the latch.

I started with this: and this:

...because that was the fence hardware of my youth, and I remember it working. Well, almost. My parents' gate hardware blocked lifting the drop rod when the latch was closed. Dad was a mechanic, machinist and welder, so his drop rod might not be at stores. I couldn't find any way to arrange the latch and drop rod so that the drop rod couldn't be lifted when the gate was latched and locked.

I did some internet research, and found this hardware:

So, I installed it:

Problem?

That is one-handed.

I've had a chain wrapped around this whole mess, but I'd like to get fairly reliable locking, and I'm sure I'm missing something simple.

Any suggestions on what I'm missing?

How about something like this:

Latch

Not perfect, but maybe in conjunction with the drop rod you already have if you add something ( like a fancy piece of angle iron) on the other gate to block the drop rod from lifting when closed.

A welder and some scrap steel?

Make a hinged flap with a pin a padlock can be locked to, hinge the flap to one half and weld a plate on the other half that the flap pin goes through and pad lock it through the pin.

Get out a can of silver rustoleum and get yourself a beer.

What you are missing is the height of the fence will only discourage the mildly interested, anyone with any sense of seriousness will vault the fence.

The problem is that outsiders can see whatever is behind the fence that may be inviting.

You keeping in a dog, or the scrappers out?

Replace your whole works with three hinge brackets. Put two on one side and one on the other, with the loops all facing the center gap. Ideally one pin would drop through all three, but if they don't overlap for that then bend your existing rod into a tight "J" with the long leg in the side with two hinge brackets and the short into the other side.

Problem with my solution is has to be unlocked from one side or the other depending on build.

I get that people can jump the fence, but right now, it's faster to force the gate even if you have the key in your pocket. It's probably faster to force it if the fence is unlocked.

I'd just like to make it where one has to jump it or have tools.

I don't have access to a welder, or the skill to use one. Most of the stuff is zinc coated, which I believe calls for special handling.

I might try to rig something all the same.

Thanks for the suggestions.

do like you're supposed to do with chainlink fencing and put a solid fencepost there to hold it in place so it doesn't give when you push on it- maybe also put on on the other side of the opening where the gate pivots.

novaderrik wrote: do like you're supposed to do with chainlink fencing and put a solid fencepost there to hold it in place so it doesn't give when you push on it- maybe also put on on the other side of the opening where the gate pivots.

I'm not sure I follow. Where are you saying I should add the fencepost?

Weld a piece of tube on a standoff from the right side gate, then drop the long pin through the two brackets on the left side,trapping the tube between them. There, I did that in one sentence.

Mike wrote:

novaderrik wrote: do like you're supposed to do with chainlink fencing and put a solid fencepost there to hold it in place so it doesn't give when you push on it- maybe also put on on the other side of the opening where the gate pivots.

I'm not sure I follow. Where are you saying I should add the fencepost?

Where the fence ends at the gate.. you want the end of the fence to be nice and solid, which is something that doesn't happen with a prefab fence section like you appear to have.. drive the posts into the ground on both sides of the gate so you wonder up with a nice solid door.

Since it is a double gate: If the pin in the second setup you got cannot be pulled out sideways thru the slot in the clamps, get a second one of them and put the clamps on the second gate. Alternate the height of the clamps from gate to gate. Then line the clamps up so the pin dropped thru all four.

Another vote for your fence not being strong enough to support the gates. If the fence itself wasn't flexing, the gates wouldn't be able to flex enough for it to slip out.