Build a Bamboo Garden Gate

Use a fine-tooth saw to cut the poles. For the cleanest edge, rotate the pole in the jig as you cut.

Vertical gate pieces should be about 36″ long, with a node at the top (Figure B). Horizontal pieces should be about 32″. Use 1¼” diameter for vertical, ¾” diameter for horizontal

After positioning the poles to minimize any obvious zigzag, mark the vertical poles for the location of the horizontal poles. Drill each hole in one side of the vertical pole, not all the way through, sized just under the smallest cross-section diameter of the horizontal pole. Do not use excessive pressure or bamboo may split.

Once holes have been drilled, carefully enlarge them to match the size of the end of the ¾” pole by carving with a small knife. To avoid splitting, carve each quadrant in the direction shown (Figure C).

The ¾” pole should fit snugly into the 1¼” pole and rest against the back side. Do not force or the bamboo may split!

Repeat this step in six places to temporarily assemble the basic frame.

The following steps are done only in the four places indicated in Figure D.

Drill ¼” holes ½” away from where two poles join (Figure E).

Then carve openings from each hole back to the joint, as shown in Figure F. These are the keyways for the structural X bracing.

To pin the horizontal poles in place, drill 3/16″ holes 1/8″ inside the centerline of the vertical (Figure G). Use bamboo scraps to carve snug-fitting pegs. Taper the pegs slightly to ensure a tight fit.

Lightly tap pegs in with a hammer (Figure H), leaving ¼” of peg protruding from both front and back. Then cut off pegs as shown in Figure I.

The remainder of the gate structure is built using strips of fresh “green” bamboo from 1½”–2″ diameter poles.

Split the bamboo through the center axis for the first cut (Figure J), using your bamboo hatchet or similar tool. Be sure each pole is at least 12 feet long. The idea is to make at least six strips of bamboo that are 12′ long by ½” wide, because each loop in a three-loop gate takes two back-to-back strips. Add to that the four 4-foot strips for the X brace.

Splitting the green bamboo will be the most difficult part of building this gate. It takes some practice to get the hang of it. Split the bamboo from the top down; it’s easier. Much difficulty and time may be saved if your bamboo supplier will agree to split your 2″ diameter poles into 8 strips using a specialized bamboo splitter tool.

Bamboo strips are used back to back, in pairs, so a “finished” side always faces out. Soak the strips in water or wrap in wet newspaper until just before use.

Use a sturdy and very sharp knife to rid each strip of pithy material from inside, leaving the woody, outer 1/3 of the strip (Figure K). The thinner the strips, the easier they’ll wrap around the gate frame without splitting or breaking. It is important to keep them wet to keep them pliable.

The X bracing fits from peg to peg on the diagonal, to make the gate rigid and square (Figure L). Cut the bracing 1/8″ “too long” to ensure that it continually pushes against the pegs to hold the gate square. These X braces will tend to bow out now, but will be held down when the lattice work is finished and tied.

For the first loop, lay out a lattice strip so it’s parallel with an X brace and crosses the top rail at the ¼ point, then loop as shown in Figure M. Strips may crack if forced to bend too sharply, so handle them carefully and keep them wet. Avoid having nodes at the apex of sharp bends.

TIP: While weaving the lattice strips around the frame, I found it easier to keep them in position by using zip ties to temporarily secure them where they cross the other strips. When the lattice weaving was finished, one-by-one, I removed the zip ties and replaced them with the more decorative black twine for a final product that was strong and rigid.

Figure N

Figure O

Figure P

Complete three loops using back-to-back strips (Figures N, O, and P). Always weave over-under-over-under wherever strips cross — except do not alternate strips over the top rail.

Begin and end strips in the bottom 1/3 of the lattice area. Tuck the beginning pair inside of the ending pair, overlapping the ends 12″. The overlap should extend through two intersections with the perpendicular strips. Cut the ends horizontally.

At all points where strips cross, tie them with the hemp/palm twine to strengthen and finish the gate (Figure Q). The traditional Japanese knot for this is the ibo musibi, the knot that’s used in the traditional yotsume-gaki bamboo fence. You can learn to tie it from YouTube videos such as youtu.be/Fva7A07Ioak or youtu.be/46lCdSS3yRw.

I started my knots as an ibo by crossing the twine in the back, but finished with an ordinary square knot in the front. In my opinion the square knot looks fine as a substitute for the ibo.

Soak the twine in water before tying and it will shrink when dried, making a tight knot.