Halloween Cemetery Gates

Cemetery Gate instructions

These cemetery gates can be attached to wood pillars or other fencing. All depends on what you have.

They are made of PVC and wood furring strips.

Time to build:

2 hours

Cost:

$30-$40

Tools needed:

PVC pipe cutter

Screw gun (drill/driver)

Chop saw or table saw

1-5/8” wood or exterior screws x 18

Black spray paint

Tape measure/sharpie

15/16” spade drill bit

Drill press or use a hand drill

Sand paper

Heat gun

Optional: Air compressor and staple/nail gun w/ staples

Materials Needed:

PVC Pipe

1x2” furring strips

Hinges

(optional) 1”x 1” L brackets with included screws

Finials from Kings metal x 10

https://www.kingmetals.com/Catalog/Catalog.aspx?Ca...

Cut list

½” PVC PIPE total 12 pieces of 10ft pvc

90” x 2

85” x 2

80” x 2

75” x 2

70” x 2

74” x 2 (arched frame piece)

Wood

1” x 2” furring strip total 4 pieces of 8ft

72” x 2 Cut at an 45° angle if desired

24” x 6

Step 1:

Cut all PVC pipes to lengths above on the cut list. You won’t be able to get 2 pieces out a single stick you that is why you need 12 pieces. If you decide to buy 20ft sticks you can buy less pieces of course. Mark the arched frame 74” pieces so you know that aren’t to be used for the regular upright pieces.

Step 2: cut the wood furring strips. You can get 4 of the 24” pieces out of one stick, and then cut two more out of another. Cut the two longer pieces with a 45 ° cut.

Step 3:

Take 4 pieces of 24” wood and drill out the 5 holes like the diagram above using a 15/16” spade bit on a drill press or a hand held drill. The press is the quickest way and ensures a straight on hole cut.

Step 4: Take any grit sand paper you have lying around and rub it the entire length of all the PVC pipe. This ensure any paint will actually stay on it as the pipe has a smooth coating that will let the paint run and smear off later.

Step 5: Take one of each of the lengths of PVC pipe (except the 74” arch piece) and then grab your two pieces of 24” wood with the holes in it. Slide both piece on from the bottom and put the bottom piece of wood up 11” so that the bottom of the wood is at 11”. The second piece will go up 24” so that the bottom of that 2nd piece is at 24”. Using the air staple gun or predrilled holes and a screw, secure each pipe to the wood. Only do this on side.

Step 6: Take one of the non-hole 24” pieces of wood and staple or attach how you want (L brackets can work on this too), to the side with the 70” piece (shortest) of pipe. I have the piece inside the two hole piece of wood. See picture

Step 7: Take the longer wood piece and with the lower part of the angle facing the pipe attach that to the outside of the holed pieces.

Step 8: Take the arch pvc pipe and screw it into the 24” non-hole piece from where the holed piece and the upright meet. Screw it to the wood starting about 2 inches from the bottom of the pipe, don’t over tighten the screw or it might spilt the wood. Do another screw about 6” up from there and then another at the top. Bend the pipe to the longer wood piece and screw it to it just under the angle cut.

Step 9: Screw in each upright pipe to the arch pipe. Screw through the arch piece to the uprights to hide the screws for display. Make sure each pipe is straight unless you want it look bent.

Step 10: Heat up the tops of each pipe one by one and press on the finials. As the pvc cools it will keep its shape and compress into the finial base but you can use some wood glue or you can attach a wooden dowel cut to like 8” to each finial and then drop them into the pipe and use a screw or nail gun to secure it.

Step 11: Paint it. You can use flat black spray paint and then a mix of dark brown, rusty red and such to give it a rusted look or just brush on the black paint. You can paint everything first or last, all depends on your wants.

Step 12: attach the hinges to the 24” upright side and attach to your pillar!!!!