Japanese Gate Project - 2006/08/26

The Japanese gate project for the Merritt Horticulture Garden started around August of 2006 and completed in September of 2007. The Merritt Garden purchased using their funds from selling plants. The old growth redwood timber cost about $4500 total. Jay van Arsdale and students were involved in the project from the beginning to the end, starting with the gate design and ending with the gate erection on the site.

The participating students were:

• Barry Stone
• Bob Le
• Donna Di Meo
• Gene Albert
• Herbert Harris
• Herman Hsu
• Jason Stearns
• Jim Clarke
• John Crane
• John Merlie
• Lee Coleman
• Manny Hernandez
• Philip Yee
• Tamer Sakr
• Wade Larder

Click on the photos for more information.

Day 1 (2006/08/26): Gate design overview.	Gate mockup.
Day 2 (2006/09/18): Life-sized mockup.	Day 3 (2006/09/30): Joinery selection.
Day 4 (2006/11/04): Timber preparation.	Day 5 (2006/11/11): Layout on paper.
Day 6 (2006/11/18): Work on ridge beam, rafters with slanted dovetails, and prototype of gooseneck joint.	Day 7 (2006/12/02): Post and beam joinery, lots of sawing and chopping.
Day 8 (2006/12/09): Post and beam mortise/tenon, carving cloud pattern on rafters, more mockup joinery.	Day 9 (2006/12/02): Layout work and cutting of big joints.
Day 10 (2007/01/13): Big joints & secret of gooseneck joint.	Day 11 (2007/01/20): Workbench assembly, rafter carving, more joinery.
Day 12 (2007/01/27): Rafter carving continues, cutting big tenons, Jay's saw sharpening demo.	Day 13 (2007/02/03): Carving, big joints.
Day 14 (2007/02/10): Completing rafter carving and applying paint.	Day 15 (2007/02/24)
Day 16 (2007/03/03)	Day 17 (2007/03/10)
Day 18 (2007/03/17): Gate assembly.	Day 19 (2007/03/24): Joinery exercise from Jay's morning introductory class.
Day 20 (2007/03/31): Gate assembly.	Day 21 (2007/04/21): Fitting rafters, building doors.
Day 22 (2007/04/28): Fitting rafters, building doors and wall panels.	Day 23 (2007/05/05): End cap carving, building doors, dismantling rafters.
Day 24 (2007/05/12): Completely dismantled gate, roof material preparation.	Day 25 (2007/05/19): Test fitting doors, ridge beam carving, more mortise and tenon works.
Day 26 (2007/06/22): Painting end grains and chamfers, test fitting of joints.	Day 27 (2007/07/01).
Day 28 (2007/07/07).	Day 29 (2007/07/21).
Day 30 (2007/07/28).	Day 31 (2007/08/11).
Day 32 (2007/09/09).	Day 33 (2007/09/16) Gate completed.