Drive pintles in stone, how to?

[88v8]

I need to hang a couple of oak gates*, well I will when I've made them.
They'll be hung on the north wall of the house, which is an ashlar wall of Cotswold stone.
The pintles are ¾" and 6" long.

Obviously I have to drill the holes somewhat oversize but then what? They have to be in pretty tight.
Do I line the holes with lead strips to make a wedge fit? Or strips of oak?

I am nervous of splitting the stone.

Ivor

*they will serve a weird purpose

 

[DJH]

Molten lead Ivor, I reckon. After fixing the pintles in the holes form up some clay into a pouring cup which will leave a small charging reservoir above the hole and then pour in some molten lead. A sharp chisel will clean off any dribbles or excess lead.

WARNING...don't overheat the lead as it might well erupt if it comes into contact with moisture. If you melt it in a ladle or tin can pour it when it has just melted and that should do the trick. Done it lots of times...

Doug

PS would a photo help?

 

[Flyfisher]

While I'm totally confident that Doug would do a fine job with molten lead, I'd personally be a little nervous about using it myself - too much scope for jets of molten lead due to moisture and/or heated air in the hole for my liking.

I'm afraid I'd opt for modern technology in the form of a resin anchor. Something like this: http://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-polyester-resin-175ml/53359, though there are loads of different types.

Just another option.


Edit: Another (possibly daft?) thought. Assuming the pintles are square section, how about carefully drilling the stone such that the corners just don't fit the hole? The pintles could then be hammered home and the corners would gouge their way slightly into the stone for a tight fit but without enough pressure to split the stone. Or perhaps drill a larger hole first, plug it with oak and then drill the oak plug so that the pintle corners gouge into that instead of the stone, which might ensure a bit more 'give'?
Of course, that's easy for me to say and I take no responsibility if you should give it a try!

 

[plasticpigeon]

Anchorfix is pretty strong, I bet it would be more than adequate for holding your gates, but it's not very traditional! It depends how much of a masochist you are.

 

[plasticpigeon]

Anchorfix is pretty strong, I bet it would be more than adequate for holding your gates, but it's not very traditional! It depends how much of a masochist you are.

 

[DJH]

Is there an echo?

On reflection maybe not molten lead FF. I'm sure Ivor is more than capable of it but an alternative is lead wool if he can get any 8) Small pieces or strips of lead driven home with a blunt cold chisel will work...

Doug

 

[88v8]

Mmmm. I could snip up a load of lead and ram it in. I have plenty of offcuts and a variety of punches.

I used resin for a ground anchor yesterday, hadn't thought of it for this purpose though.

Molten lead. Gosh. A long time ago, 1981 or thereabouts, I had some new sash windows made for our previous house. The sashes were heavy. Mahogony, double-glazed (mea culpa). The sashes were wide but not tall, so the standard iron weights weren't heavy enough.

I decided to make my own weights from lead.
2" square. I calculated the necessary weight of each (pound under pound over) which gave me the length I needed. I was using sash chain rather than rope. I made a mould, intending to pour the lead in and then dangle the chain fixing in the top while it cooled.

So, I make the mould of wood.
A square softwood box, 2" square, upright.
For the first weight, I marked inside the mould how high the lead has to be.

I weigh out the lead scrap and on the kitchen stove, start melting it in an old pressure cooker base. A lot of fumes. No extractor fan.
Eventually, I've got this pan sufficiently full of lead. Skim off the cullet.
Then, with the mould standing on the lino floor of the kitchen, I prepare to pour the lead.

First problem; it's b***y heavy. And it sloshes. Terrifyingly.
Its so hot, I have to pick it up with two oven gloves and the handles are so hot the heat is coming right through.
And it sloshes. The slightest movement. The inertia of it, the slow-motion sloshing, I have to move soooo slowly.

So. Now I pour the lead.
Immediately the mould catches fire. Smoke. I can't see the height marks.
The kitchen fills with smoke. The lino melts.
The mould was made of fresh wood. Damp. The moisture in the wood is flashing into steam, blowing out spits of lead like fireworks.
Pssst on the lino and on my clothes and hands.

Eventually it dawned on me that this wasn't going to plan.

So I totter slowly outside with the lead.
Pour a pan of water on the mould.
Open all the doors in the house to clear the smoke.

'Is it alright?' says the wife.

I remade the mould. Sideways. With a moveable end, and a holder for the chain fitting, the end sealed with plasticene.

I cast the sixteen weights, some of them were, well I forget, but heavy. The sashes, 2.25" thick, with the 1" air-gap units, weighed up to 40lb, so that would make the weights up to 20½lb each.
The sloshing and the heat was a problem I never really got over. Carrying 25lb or more of molten lead from the kitchen to the back garden where the mould was. Out the door, down a step. One has to melt extra lead, some always sticks to the pan.

Molten lead.
Maybe for the hinges I'll just punch it in.

Ivor

 

[DJH]

There, I knew you could do it Ivor... :lol:

Doug

 

[Flyfisher]

:lol: :lol: :lol:
Just what I was thinking . . . . in between laughing!

 

[a twig]

I thought one just drilled a hole and mortared the things in?