A Gate Above: My White Oak Build for a Fellow Parent

I’m always on the hunt for a new woodworking project and a fresh challenge. So about a month ago, when my buddy asked if I could build a custom baby gate, I said, “Sure!”

I went over to check out his house and see what I was working with. They had custom-built it a few years ago, complete with a gorgeous white oak staircase and sleek black balusters. His wife wanted matching baby gates at both the top and bottom of the stairs.

Now, since we’re friends, I had to be upfront: custom wooden baby gates aren’t the same as the $40 ones you toss in your cart at a big box store. I told them the wood alone would blow past that price—never mind fixtures, finish, and labor.

She nodded and said, “That’s what I want. Put a quote together.”

So I went digging—pricing balusters, lumber, latches, and hinges (we’ll get to those)—and sent him a quote. His immediate reply: “Way too high. I was thinking more like $70 per gate.”

Cue panic mode. I had already stripped the costs down to bare bones and basically quoted at cost. I shot back: “That’s the best I could do with a friends & family discount. The lumber alone is more than $70.”

Then he dropped 5 🤣 emojis and told me he was kidding. (I’m still not sure my blood pressure has recovered.) He said he didn’t want any discounts—full price only—and that I’d better make money on the deal.

So I charged full price. I even considered adding a “gave me a heart attack” fee, but I let that one slide.

Hunting Down the Right Hardware

I quickly sketched out gate sizes and frame dimensions. The lumber? Easy. The balusters? Simple. But when it came to latches and hinges, I hit a wall. Every search brought up farm gate hardware—big, bulky, and not exactly “modern stairway chic.”

I spent four days digging before I finally struck gold: hardware that was solid, minimal, and actually looked good.

Building the Gates

One gate measured 32" x 46", the other 36" x 47". I milled down white oak to 1.5" x 2" stock and cut mitered joints. Once the hinges arrived, I realized each was 2.5" wide, so I trimmed the gate widths to fit.

Next up: drilling holes for the black round balusters to match the stairs. I measured the spacing about four times (white oak isn’t cheap, and crooked balusters weren’t an option). I even marked reference points on the rails to keep everything dead-on during assembly.

Glue-Up Adventures

Assembly was another puzzle. My new Bessey strap clamps worked perfectly on the smaller gate, but the larger one was just a hair too big. Cue the truck cargo straps. With some corner clamps and a little ingenuity, I got everything square and glued.

Glue is strong, but mitered butt joints aren’t exactly famous for lasting forever. So I cut splines into the corners for reinforcement. That was another puckering moment—I’ve cut splines before, but never on something this big. I built a jig with help from Peter (my 3D printer), tested on a mock-up, and went for it. It worked. A couple splines snapped during install, but I swapped them out without too much fuss.

Finishing Touches

My friend chose a natural matte finish. Thankfully, I’d been smart enough to sand 95% of the pieces before assembly. After a quick touch-up around the splines, I applied a natural stain and topped it with Halcyon finish. The grain of the handcrafted white oak really popped.

Installation Day

When schedules finally lined up, I brought the gates over for install. I was thoughtful—blankets under my tools, shoes off at the door, even a little shop vac in tow.

The first gate went in smoothly. No hiccups, no issues.

The second gate? Not so much. Since it was a friend, he was sitting there chatting while I worked. In all the talking, I grabbed the wrong drill bit for the banister holes. One size too big. The screws had a friction fit but didn’t actually grab.

I owned up immediately (and blamed him, naturally). Then I ran to the store for dowels, glued them in, trimmed them flush, let them set, and re-drilled the holes correctly. This time the screws bit tight, and the gate locked in perfectly.

Wrapped Up

Both gates looked great, and my friend and his wife loved them. Before I even packed up my tools, they had offered me three more projects on the spot (you’ll hear about those in a future post).

These custom white oak baby gates not only blended seamlessly with their staircase but also proved that safety and style don’t have to be mutually exclusive. See the Gallery for pics.

Thinking About a Custom Wooden Baby Gate?

If you’re tired of plastic gates that clash with your home or don’t quite fit your stairs, I’d love to help. Every piece I build is handcrafted to match your home’s design—whether that’s white oak, walnut, cherry, or another hardwood.

Contact me here to talk about a custom wooden baby gate or another woodworking project for your home.