Cannonballs for closers

Technology
Cannonballs for closers
cannonball_gate_closer.jpg
cannonball_gate_closer_02.jpg

I am pleased to announce that I have been nominated to receive this year’s Most Ridiculous David Mamet Allusion award. Also: I dig the no-BS approach of this traditional weighted gate closer from Snug Cottage Hardware. No springs, no strings, no pulleys. A pretty easy remake, too, if you can find a cannonball.

16 thoughts on “Cannonballs for closers

  1. Rajio says:

    It looks like a great way to ensure that your gate will slam noisily every time its opened. Theres got to be some kind of cushioning or padding or both your gate and your ears will take a lot of punishment.

  2. bem says:

    They do this all the time in Colonial Williamsburg. Some gates close noisily, but none harder than your standard spring screen door.

    1. Jay says:

      I was just going to say the Colonial Williamsburg bit. I am sure they sell them there too, and I’m sure they are not $82. My wife says “maybe $15 or $20, and I can’t remember specifically… so that sounds about right. Maybe $22 sounds just right.

      Includes chain and ball, already welded together.

  3. St.Eligius says:

    $82? A bit much I think.

    1. Sean Michael Ragan says:

      I agree. It’s the idea I’m about, not so much the particular product.

      1. St.Eligius says:

        Thanks for that observation.

  4. Anhizer says:

    Looks like a standard fishing cannonball weight used for ocean fishing…. most decent tackle shops should have them

  5. Alex Smith says:

    Using the same principle, a rock is cheaper, freely available (here in the Lake District in England) and only requires a hammer drill and an expanding bolt to achieve the same thing.

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I am descended from 5,000 generations of tool-using primates. Also, I went to college and stuff. I am a long-time contributor to MAKE magazine and makezine.com. My work has also appeared in ReadyMade, c't – Magazin für Computertechnik, and The Wall Street Journal.

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