A wrought iron gate feels solid when the hinges carry the load without sagging and the latch settles with a satisfying click. You notice the opposite just as fast: dragging bottoms, misaligned strike bars, a latch tongue that won’t land home, or a hinge barrel cracked at the weld. Repairing and fabricating hinges or latches on site is as much about geometry as it is about welding. Bring the right approach, and you fix the problem for years. Skip the prep or misunderstand the forces at play, and you’ll be back when the next cold snap or heat wave moves the metal.
I work out of a truck with a portable welder, a small press, jigs, and clamps that have earned their keep across driveways, loading docks, and industrial yards. The metal changes, the weather changes, the substrate under the posts changes, but the way iron behaves under heat and gravity doesn’t. This piece shares how I approach on site welding services for wrought iron gate hinges and latches, with details you can apply whether you’re a mobile welder, a facility manager, or a homeowner trying to understand what a certified AWS welder will actually do at your property.
Hinges fail for three main reasons: undersized components for the gate weight, poor welds at the hinge leaf or barrel, and movement at the posts or mounting surface. Add corrosion where the hinge knuckle traps water, and years of opening arc the bottom edge into the concrete. Latches drift out of alignment for the same reasons, with an added twist: even a small change in hinge geometry moves the latch tongue a surprising distance at the opposite end of the gate.
I see three recurring patterns in wrought iron fencing and gates:
Knowing the root cause dictates whether I reinforce hinges and re-weld, or whether I adjust the post, shim the base plate, or add a gusset. Throwing heat at a cracked fillet without addressing leverage and alignment is a short-term repair dressed up as a fix.
Before the truck welding leads come out, I measure and look. Gate width, height, picket spacing, hinge type, latch style, ground clearance, and how the wind hits the site all matter. A 4-foot pedestrian gate with a latch bolt needs different treatment than a 12-foot driveway swing gate that catches every gust like a sail. Stainless hardware on old steel, aluminum caps welded to wrought sections, or a mixed metal latch added last year all influence the welding process and filler selection.
I check the post. A plumb post is the foundation of an aligned gate. If a concrete-filled post sleeve has pulled away from the slab at a loading dock, hinge repair alone won’t hold alignment. On industrial sites, I often find heavy equipment tires nudged a bollard or bumped a post just enough to stress the hinge welds. You can weld the prettiest bead and still get a comeback if that base plate is floating on spalled concrete.
The hinge type sets the game plan. You’ll see butt hinges, barrel hinges with grease fittings, adjustable strap hinges, and custom knuckle assemblies. Some are designed to be removable, some are welded straight to pickets. For heavy gates, I prefer hinge barrels with thrust bearings or a bottom pintle that carries vertical load and a top guide that keeps alignment. If I find a top hinge carrying weight and a bottom hinge just guiding, I flip that relationship. Gravity wants a proper landing pad.
Finally, I test the latch. Does it rely on gravity to drop, spring tension to grab, or a magnetic catch? Match the latch to the hinge plan. If the hinges will move the leaf out 3 to 6 millimeters after reinforcement, I adjust the latch position before I weld anything. That prevents chasing alignment all afternoon.
On site welding is only as clean as the prep. Painted wrought iron hides cracks and porosity. I strip paint at least 25 millimeters past any suspect area. For hinge barrels, I’ll uncover the full knuckle area and both leaves. Wire wheels, flap discs, or strip discs keep the base metal intact. If I smell zinc, I stop. Many latches and fittings, especially on fences around pools or commercial yards, are galvanized. We do not weld through galvanization without removing it, period. It is a respiratory hazard, and it contaminates the weld. If I have to weld near galvanized parts and removal isn’t possible without damaging the hardware, I’ll switch to a mechanical repair or bolt-on approach instead of risking a compromised weld and my lungs.
Power is straightforward. A portable welder on the truck, a generator trailer, or a line run to a 50-amp outlet gives enough amperage. I keep both MIG and stick ready. For wrought iron, which in modern contexts usually means low-carbon steel with decorative shapes, MIG with solid wire and C25 gas does clean work and makes sense for thin pickets and aesthetic joints. TIG is overkill for most fence welding in the field, but I’ll use it for stainless steel welding on latch tabs or when I’m tying a stainless latch to a carbon steel frame with a 309 filler. For heavy hinge pads or thick strap hinges, stick with 7018 is dependable, especially if the wind strips shielding gas.
Protecting surroundings matters at homes and at industrial sites. Driveway pavers scorch easily, vehicles tolerate only so much spatter, and landscaping doesn’t forgive. Fire blankets and welding curtains go up before I strike an arc. It takes minutes and prevents damage that ruins the finish of an otherwise clean repair.
Hinges are stressed in bending and shear, and they cycle. A pretty bead does not equate to a durable hinge weld. I select process and filler with that in mind.
MIG is my default for hinge leaves on 12 to 14 gauge material. Short-circuit transfer, .030 or .035 wire, and a measured weave tie into both members without burning through. If the hinge pad is 1/4 inch and the gate frame is 1/8 inch, I bias heat into the thicker pad and pause at the thin frame to avoid undercut. I’ll often add a small backing tab inside the frame rail to increase weld area without changing the front profile. That little hidden piece takes the edge off stress concentration.
Stick with 7018 or 6010 makes sense for field conditions when wind or access beats gas coverage. A root with 6010 and a cap with 7018 on thick hinge barrels holds up. On older gates where original wrought components are variable, stick gives me more control on dirty steel after surface prep. AWS certified welders know procedure numbers and testing applies mostly to structural steel, but the principles carry here: clean, fit, control heat, and inspect.
TIG is rare for hinges unless I’m blending a stainless latch or dress-welding a visible decorative knuckle. TIG is precise but slow. On site, time matters, and wind makes it awkward. I deploy TIG for stainless, aluminum, and tight spots where spatter cannot land. Aluminum welding on gates appears when a client has a mixed metal design. Never weld aluminum hinges to a steel post without an isolator, or corrosion will rush in. When aluminum is unavoidable, I use a proper isolation pad and fasteners, then keep the welds on the aluminum side only.
Sag is a geometry problem disguised as a welding job. The hinge line controls the gate position throughout the swing. If a gate drags at the latch end, lifting that end during a quick test blocks out your target. From there, we decide whether to shift hinges, add shims, or rebuild.
When hinges are placed too close together, the gate hangs off a short moment arm and stresses the welds. Spacing hinges farther apart distributes load. On a tall gate, adding a third hinge in the middle reduces strain on the other two. In a repair scenario, I’ll often add a top gusset to the upper hinge pad, tying it into the frame rail instead of relying only on a fillet along the edge. A triangular gusset, 2 to 3 inches per side, does the work without altering the look.
Sometimes the barrel is fine but the hinge leaf cracked. In that case I’ll cut back to sound metal and either fishplate the area or replace the leaf with a thicker pad. Be cautious when welding new, thick leaves to thin pickets. That mismatch can create a hinge that no longer bends where it should. A short strap reinforcing the picket to the next horizontal rail spreads load invisibly.
Board the gate if needed. For heavy gates, I’ll support the latch end with a floor jack or a small adjustable stand. Don’t rely on one hinge to hold position while you tack the other. Gravity shifts while metal cools, and you’ll miss alignment by a few millimeters that show up immediately at the latch.
Heat input must be controlled. Long, continuous beads can pull the hinge off axis as they cool. I prefer multiple short welds, alternating sides, with the gate clamped in final alignment. The clamps and jigs do the thinking while the welds shrink. Once cool, I reassess swing to confirm the gate clears ground and the latch hits home.
Latches are fussy because they magnify misalignment. A latch designed to drop into a strike box demands a narrow window. Magnetic latches tolerate a bit more drift but lose power with gaps and angle. Electric strikes and smart locks add thickness that shifts geometry.
Before welding any latch tab or strike, I open and close the gate through its full arc, watching for twist in the leaf. If the gate is racked, adjusting the latch is a band-aid. Straighten the frame first. For mild rack, a ratchet strap diagonally across the frame, a little pressure, and a pair of heat lines on the high corner can persuade the rectangle back to square. Only after that do I set the latch.
Welding a latch tab to a painted post or to a galvanized surface is a mistake that shows up as a popped weld or rusty halo. Strip to clean steel. If the latch is stainless but the post is steel, I use a 309 filler for TIG or an equivalent stainless-compatible filler for MIG to buffer the dissimilar metals. Then I seal the weld with a compatible primer to reduce galvanic corrosion.
Leave an escape for water. A common failure is a latch box that becomes a rust cup. Drill a 3 to 5 millimeter drain hole at the bottom of enclosed latch housings and paint the inside before final assembly. These details stretch maintenance cycles.
On a sunny driveway, welding goes fast. On a gusty hilltop or a dock edge where wind channels, shielding gas struggles. I keep wind blocks in the truck and switch to stick when gusts steal gas. Humidity and temperature matter too. Cold steel sucks heat and creates hard starts, so I’ll preheat thicker hinge parts with a torch to 80 to 120 Celsius, a touch test range where the heat helps fusion but doesn’t fry paint six inches away. In summer, hot steel expands. If I set tight tolerances midday, the gap may change overnight. I build in a small gap tolerance that survives both extremes.
Surrounding surfaces dictate protection. On masonry, I use magnetic welding curtains and a non-flammable board behind the work. On wood posts, I remove or shield wood near welds and keep a spray bottle and extinguisher on hand. Spatter on glass is forever, so when I’m near windows or vehicle paint, I tent thoroughly. It’s not just professionalism, it’s liability.
Homeowners with decorative wrought iron fencing expect the repair to disappear. A fat MIG bead and a raw patch scream “repair.” I feather new welds, grind only where needed, and recreate the original contours. If the original hinge has a knurled or decorative collar, I source a matching part or fabricate a simple sleeve that mimics the look. Latch strikes can be dressed with a small cover plate that hides new holes, then painted to match. Industrial clients prioritize function, but they still appreciate a neat, consistent finish that resists rust.
Paint is part of the welding plan. After cooling, I wipe with solvent, prime with a zinc-rich primer, and topcoat with an enamel that matches or slightly darkens the surrounding area. Slightly darker hides touch-ups better than a too-bright patch. If the client plans a full repaint, I use a primer that plays nicely with their chosen system.
Stainless on a steel gate shows up most often at latches and padlock hasps. Stainless work-hardens, so drill slow with proper fluid and keep heat light to avoid discoloration. TIG gives the cleanest result, but MIG with stainless wire and tri-mix gas works if TIG access is poor. After welding stainless to carbon steel, isolate the joint from the weather with sealant or paint to curb galvanic action.
Aluminum gates call for a different set of habits. Aluminum conducts heat fast, warps easily, and doesn’t give color cues the way steel does. On site aluminum welding needs a dedicated setup and clean joint prep. I’ll grind down to bright metal, acetone wipe, and brush with a stainless brush reserved for aluminum only. TIG is my first choice for aluminum hinge ears and latch housings. If the post is steel, I avoid welding aluminum to it. Instead, I bolt with stainless hardware and add nylon or rubber isolators to prevent corrosion.
Mixed hardware is common on retrofits. A client buys an off-the-shelf gate kit with a zinc-plated latch and wants it welded to an old iron post. Welding through that plating is a no-go. I strip the plating at the weld area, weld, then apply a cold galvanizing compound and a paint topcoat. If the latch manufacturer warns against welding at all, I follow it and use bolts with rivnut or weld-on nuts behind the post for a clean look.
A residential double swing gate, each leaf about 6 feet wide, sagged after a delivery truck nudged the right post. The hinges were beefy but welded to a frame rail that was only 1/8 inch. The post looked plumb at a glance, but the base plate had shifted 4 millimeters on one corner. I jacked the post back level, set a fast-curing epoxy grout under the plate, and came back 48 hours later to reinforce the upper hinge with a gusset that tied into both the vertical and horizontal members. The latch landed true, and the client didn’t have to replace the gate. Fixing the base first saved the day.
At a loading dock, a personnel gate with a card reader had a stainless strike misaligned by a quarter inch. The wind cut through the alley, making MIG a pain. I switched to stick, added a small steel riser behind the stainless strike to bring it out to meet the card reader housing, then TIG welded the stainless strike to the riser with 309 filler back at the truck bench to control appearance. Back on the post, I through-bolted the assembly instead of welding to a galvanized post, then sealed the edges with paint. The access team kept their hardware, and the fix didn’t fight the galvanization.
On an estate railing, a decorative latch arm had cracked at a braze joint from decades ago. The piece was sentimental, not structural. Instead of blasting it with heat, I silver-brazed a hidden sleeve inside the arm and added a tiny stop tab to reduce the lever force at full swing. The repair matched the original technique and respected the old metal.
If a gate leaf weighs more than 200 pounds, or if vehicles routinely bump it, treat the hinge like a structural element. That may mean replacing hinges with a bottom pintle and top guide, installing a pad foot on the latch end to carry weight when closed, or adding a ground catch to stop wind swing. Pipe welding might enter the picture if you’re tying a gate into a steel fence line with round posts. In that case, cutting and saddling a reinforcing sleeve around the post before welding the hinge pad spreads load and avoids crushing thin wall pipe.
On industrial gates hanging off square tube frames with long spans, consider installing a small wheel at the latch end. It’s not glamorous, but it keeps the hinge barrels from carrying bending moments they weren’t designed for. If the client insists on no wheel, upsize hinge barrels and welds, then schedule inspections. The best repair is honest about physics.

I keep redundancy light but focused. A portable welder that can run MIG and stick, a gas bottle for C25, a small TIG unit for stainless and aluminum, grinders with flap and wire wheels, magnetic squares and deep-throat clamps, a compact bottle jack and stands, a tap and die set, drill with step bits, and a handful of pre-cut gussets and tabs. A fire blanket, welding curtains, and a water mist bottle stop small mistakes from becoming big ones. Two types of primer live in the cabinet: zinc-rich for steel, etch primer for aluminum. For emergency welder calls at night, LED work lights and reflective cones make a sketchy roadside job safer.
On site repairs range widely. A simple latch realignment and weld might take under an hour. Rebuilding hinge pads, adding gussets, and repainting can run two to four hours per leaf. If posts are out of plumb or concrete needs attention, plan for a return visit. Clients appreciate honesty when a quick weld is possible but counterproductive. I’d rather secure a gate temporarily, schedule a proper fix, and stand behind the work than collect a fast fee and revisit the same failure.
For facility managers juggling equipment and personnel gates, bundling small fence welding jobs in one visit saves money. I’ll handle a dock plate crack, a bent rail, and a gate hinge in one trip. That kind of coordination is where a mobile welder adds real value. When stainless or aluminum work is on deck, let your welder know in advance. Bringing the right filler and gas avoids wasted time.
Little details make a repair last. Drill weep holes to stop water collection inside hinge barrels and latch boxes. Add nylon washers at pivot points where metal galling shows up. Use anti-seize on stainless fasteners to prevent seizure down the road. Where dogs or kids lean on gates, a hidden mid-rail stiffener keeps latch alignment without changing the look. On coastal sites, use higher grade stainless hardware and a more aggressive paint system. Inland, a two-coat enamel over primer holds up. Every region teaches its lessons through rust patterns and hinge wear.
A gate that swings true and latches cleanly says someone cared about the geometry, the welds, and the small allowances that keep metal happy through heat and cold. On site welding services live in that practical space. Pick processes suited to wind and access. Respect mixed materials. Make alignment your first and last check. When you need help, look for a welder who can explain why a small gusset in the right spot beats a big bead in the wrong one, who is comfortable with MIG, TIG, and stick, and who keeps a tidy workspace even in a driveway. That’s the craft behind hinges and latches that just work.
On Call Mobile Welding
917 J Pl Suite 2, Plano, TX 75074
(469) 750-3803