Gates

gate /geɪt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[geyt] noun, verb, gat‧ed, gat‧ing

1. a tower, architectural setting, etc., for defending or adorning such an opening or for providing a monumental entrance to a street, park, etc.

2. A structure that can be swung, drawn, or lowered to block an entrance or a passageway.

But was is a gate, exactly? First, you have to lay a foundation; Everything begins with a foundation. A steel beam is mounted into the concrete to support the gates.

The rock shell is filled with concrete, further supporting the steel beam. Electricity runs up through the center, as well, so plan carefully!

Jack has made wrought iron gates, bending the rods and sautering the pieces together himself. The torch he was usually actually blew up while he was making his first (and only) full sized gate, pretty much burning all the skin off the back of his legs. But back to this gate.

So once you have the steel beam in, the gate is hung from the steel beam. The rock is just for decoration.

This gate, by the way, isn't the same one from above.

The Bridge

It had a coral snake under it. No kidding.

But that is beside the point. How exactly does one build something out of nothing? You have a bank on one side, and bank on the other, and nothing to span the space.



First, you always start with a structure base with rebar and tin and plywood. This either looks worse than it is, or is harder than it looks. You decide.

This gives the concrete some place to stick and harden.

Did you know? Jack used to own his own concrete truck. The whole town (all 77 people) could hear him blasting the horn as he drove through.

But back to the concrete. So you have to put down concrete for the base of the structure. You put rebar inside the concrete, so if it cracks the concrete will stay in place.

You lay rock, you pour concrete, you lay more rock, you pour more concrete.

When it all drys, the rebar and plywood is ripped out, and hopefully everything else is still standing.

This time, at least, it worked.

Welcome to my site.

Who is Jack Finke? What does he do? Find out here!

Round Top Rock Company was established over ten years ago in a tiny town in Texas called Round Top. Hence the name. Working at Festival Hill Music Institute as a grounds keeper, Jack began to build out of wood, then rock, then concrete. And then back to rock. His kids became the grounds keepers.

Today, Jack works locally still based out of Round Top. Last time I checked, he was booked 6 months out or more. The small wonder, (only 5'10"), works continuously, even in the August heat, often manuevering rocks, albeit with machinery, that weigh as much as 6 tons! What drives any man in that type of weather - hunting season.