How to Build a Wooden Baby Gate

Drill, a common construction tool used to build baby gate

Baby gates are movable barriers, mounted in doorways to keep babies (6 to 24 months) from entering hazardous areas, such as a stairwells and swimming pools. Baby gates are also used to contain pets. To prevent accidental strangulation and entrapment, there are Federal government standards of safety for baby gates. With appropriate materials and equipment, you can construct a lightweight wooden baby gate that is secure and that you can see through.

Things You'll Need

• 1x3-inch clear lumber
• Measuring tape
• Jig saw
• Drill
• 3/8-inch wood drill bit
• 1/8-inch wood drill bit
• Drilling jig
• Wood clamps
• Wood rasp
• Sandpaper
• Pencil sharpener, manual, hand-held
• 3/8-inch wooden dowels
• Wood glue
• Mallet
• 4 square bend screw hooks, 3-inches long
• 4 eye screws, 2-inches long

Instructions

1. Measure the opening of the door.

2. Cut two pieces of 1x3-inch lumber 2 inches shorter than the width of the door opening to make the upper and lower rails of the baby gate. Measure and mark a longitudinal line down the center of one rail. Stack one rail on top of the other and clamp the two rails together. Use a jig saw to round the corners of the rails, cutting both rails at the same time. Rasp the edges to remove sharp corners. Sand smooth.

3. Measure to find the longitudinal center of the planks and mark. Mark dots on the line, 3 inches apart. The marks on the ends of the planks must be no further than 2 inches from the ends. Place the planks on a flat surface. Using a drilling jig set to 90 degrees and a drill with a 3/8-inch wood drill bit, drill vertical holes through the planks. Count the holes, which will receive wooden dowels. Remove the clamps.

4. 

   Use a pencil sharpener to round the ends of the dowels.

   Measure and cut the dowels 28-inches long. Using a pencil sharpener, slightly round the ends of the dowels. One turn of the pencil sharpener is enough. This will make it easier to fit the ends of the dowels into the planks.

5. Lay one plank on a flat surface. Apply wood glue to the end (1/2-inch) of a dowel. Push the dowel vertically into a hole in the plank, stopping when the end of the dowel is flush with the bottom side of the plank. Continue placing the dowels in the plank until every hole has a dowel.

6. Lay the second plank on a flat surface. Apply wood glue to the ends of the dowels. Hold the plank with the dowels so the dowels are vertical and positioned over the holes in the second plank. Guide the tips of the dowels into the holes in the second plank. Using a mallet, gently tap the upper rail to push the dowels into the bottom rail. Work gradually from one end of the plank to the other, moving the dowels just a little at a time. When tapping the upper rail, make sure you strike over the end of a dowel, not between them.

7. Dry the glue, per manufacturer's instructions. Measure and mark the centers of the ends of the rails. Using a 1/8-inch bit, drill pilot holes in the ends of the planks, 1 1/2-inches deep. Screw a square bend screw hook into each hole. On the final turn, the hooks should all be pointing in the same direction, toward a plank. The hooks should protrude 1/2 inch from the ends of the planks.

8. Measure and mark the center of the door frame, 1 inch from the floor, on each side. Drill a horizontal pilot hole through each mark. Screw an eye screw into each hole. Position the baby gate in the doorway. Place the square bend screw hooks into the eye screws near the bottom of the doorway. Mark the center of the door frame at the position of the shanks of the screw hooks on the upper rail. Screw eye screws into the pilot holes. The screw hooks should be horizontal.

9. Lift the gate so the square bend screw hooks (pointing downward) are positioned just above the screw eyes in the door frame. Lower the hooks into the screw eyes. You may have to slightly adjust the depth of the screw hooks and eyes for a perfect fit.

References

• US Consumer Product Safety Commission: The Safe Nursery, CPSC Publication #202
• Woodworkingadvice: Drilling Guides