Magnetic Gate Holder
made with pvc pipe, wood, and magnet
No more annoying gate swinging shut on you!
It is inexpensive, looks nice, and does the job.
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Time For A “MacGyver”
A friend was recently interviewing for an IT position. The interviewer asked him for an example of anything he had ever “MacGyvered.” He was far too young to have seen an episode of MacGyver, but anyone in engineering would know what the question meant. Being able to create a solution to a problem, using only what is on hand or easily obtainable, is something all engineers do.
This is an example - in case you are ever asked this question in an interview.
Annoying Gate
My husband got tired of the fence gate swinging shut on him during gusts of wind. We piled bricks and wood in front of it to hold it, but that was an unsightly mess, and I got tired of constantly moving the wood and bricks back and forth when opening and shutting the gate.
He came up with the perfect solution! A magnetic door stop / gate holder - using simple objects and tools he had on hand.
Bricks & Wood To Hold Gate
NOT a good solution!
COLOR CHOICE
We chose black - choose a color that goes with your gate or landscaping
SIZE
The gate stop device needs to be high enough to hold the gate, but not higher than necessary. See instructions below on determining height.
SUPPLIES
SAFETY NOTICE
REMEMBER TO FOLLOW ALL DIRECTIONS AND SAFETY PRECAUTIONS listed on product labels. Work in a well ventilated area. Use a dust mask and eye protection for all cleaning and sanding. Use gloves when using cleaners such as TSP.
exterior screws
drill and drill bit a bit smaller than the screw (if you wish to pre-drill holes for the wood screws)
paint brush and exterior paint (or spray paint) for painting PVC pipe (we did not need the water guard spray shown below)
sand paper
painter’s tape
measuring tool
square and pencil
PVC pipe: 1 1/4” (a 2 foot piece was perfect for our needs)
PVC pipe cap: 1 1/4” (optional)
magnetic catch: our catch was approximately 3” long
wood piece: 1 5/8” x 3.5” (the wood holds the magnetic catch to the pvc pipe - this size of wood fit our project)
post hole digger or shovel
INSTRUCTIONS
Determine Height
Open your gate to the point where you want to place the gate holder. Measure how high the gate is off the ground at that point. The pvc will be sunk into the ground. The magnetic pieces will meet at the lower end of the gate.
NOTE: we did not use concrete - the pipe is secure in dirt, with gravel covering the dirt area
The pipe we used was 24” in length, and was sunk 12” into the dirt.
Mark The Wood Piece
Lay the magnetic catch on the wood. Mark the edge. I have enhanced that line in red, in the photo below. The blue line represents the edge of the PVC pipe, once the wood is screwed into it. The black “x’s” are where the screws will be placed.
Use a square to ensure straight lines.
Attach Magnetic Catch To Wood
The magnetic catch needs to be flush with the end of the wood. Screw it into place.
Attach Wood With Catch To PVC
Pre-drill the wood for the screws. Then sink the screws just beyond the other side of the wood. Then place the wood over the pvc pipe. Hammer the wood against the pipe so that the screws make a mark on the pvc pipe. Remove the wood piece. Pre-drill the PVC pipe where the screws made marks. Place the wood piece on the PVC pipe and screw in the screws through the wood and pipe. The screws will come into the inside of the pvc pipe a bit. That is fine.
Paint The Unit
Spray paint (or brush paint) the entire unit.
Add A Cap (optional)
To finish off the top, add a PVC cap. This will keep rain and debris from falling into your gate stop.
Bury The PVC Pipe
Open the gate. Mark the dirt at the place where you want the gate holder to go. Use a post hole digger (or shovel) to dig a hole.
Fill In Dirt
Fill in the hole with dirt. Make sure the PVC pipe is secure. Add water as necessary to settle the dirt into the hole.
Mark The Gate
Place the metal bracket onto the magnet. Then bring the gate up against the magnet/bracket and mark the gate (draw outline around the metal bracket). This will tell you exactly where to attach the bracket to the gate.
Attach Metal Piece To Gate
Remove bracket from the magnet, and screw it onto the gate.
Huge Improvement!
The new magnetic gate holder securely holds the gate open, yet closing the gate is easy. The magnet is quite strong. No more unsightly piles of bricks and wood!
More Fence Projects
Install a secure fencepost that will withstand ground moisture. Strongly secured with concrete footing.