Metal barn door

[C-Bag]

We have been on an improvement bender since May. Started on the west side of the yard with the fence then went down the side of the house repurposing the 5k of bricks we pulled up year before then reset them with sweep in mortar and worked all the way around to the other side of the house. While the guys we’d gotten to do this backbreaking work were doing this we looked high and low at replacing the useless 8x10 garden shed that came with the house. SO wanted to build a small shop but after conferring with my contractor and weighing the cost and potential of raising the ire of the insane neighbor I decided to go with the max legal limit 10x12x12 stick built. It turned out he could put one up for around $3k which was way cheaper and sturdier than any metal building I could find. While still setting parameters he asked door size and I went with 5’x7’. The next was where would he get such a door and I said I would make it so the race is on!

I started looking at Homedump and Lowe’s to see what kind of roofing and materials I could use off the shelf. I did my research online and neither have a great site. ‘Dump didn’t seem to have much metal material just metal studs which were useless because they have big cutouts for electrical/plumbing/etc. But LOWE’S had tracks which are used as the base to screw the studs into so that looked promising. They also had 3x8 galvalume roofing which I also liked. Of course we don’t have a local LOWE’S so we had to drive an hour which is inconvenient to say the least. I had a rough idea that was subject to what they had in stock. The tracks are 25ga so kinda flimsy on their own but they nested together wonderfully and stiffened right up. The back would be double channels and the front would just have a flange on one side and the other side would wrap around the edge of the door. So 2 3x8 sheets of galvalume and a bunch of tracks as it dawned on me I’d not thought of doubling the back before seeing them in person. All up around $330.

 

[C-Bag]

I laid the galvalume on my big saw horses and worked out the dimensions. I have every sheetmetal shear known to man but for this one that worked the best for me was the good ol angle grinder with a suicide blade. Especially on the cross cuts. Those v’s are no fun. Then flipped them over and pop riveted them together. Then started laying out the track back frame. First with legs up. I was really glad I’d gone down to HF and bought a pneumatic riveter and little pneumatic angle head with 1/8” collet. The angle head with the collet instead of a chuck would get in tight spots like no other. Luckily so did the riveter.

I overlapped the corners and changed orientation from the top and bottom layers trying to build in as much strength as possible. I was really glad I noticed some of the tracks had those beads down the sides as that would become handy for doing the front frame.

 

[pdentrem]

We have to make new sliding door for the barn. I will keep an eye on this build.
Pierre

 

[C-Bag]

After doing the first run of track around the whole perimeter I tried picking up one corner and it was very floppy. Partially I was seeing just how strong it was before I finished the boxing of the frame and I was pretty alarmed. But also to see how much if at all it stiffened with the top layer of the box frame. I carried on laying out my lengths and getting the corners set right. Overlapping the corners and riveting all four corners of each overlapping corner. The material was super easy to cut only being 25ga. which is good and worrisome at the same time. I was pleased to see it had stiffened up considerably when done.

I flipped the door to do the outside with all the ridges. This is where the bead lines on the tracks really came in handy as it turned out. The first bead was just right to be the right height. And it also worked out luckily that I would fit in my 3n1 to bend that leg so it would sit on the flat between the v’s of the galvalume. I had to notch in order for the v’s. The go back in rivet. There was only one layer on this side. The pic on the right is the door on its side before we hung it. And is the front of the door.

 

[C-Bag]

As with everything else on this build having never done this before there was a lot of online shopping and research. One of the last items was trying to find a decent barn door track. I’d never priced them before but WOW they can get pricy. I found what I was looking for after lots of research that seemed reasonable. $80 delivered. Like it a lot and it seems like metal sealed bearing hubs with looks like Delrin wheels. Nice HD solid track and the door is way below its 300lb capacity. Used 3/8” rivnuts to mount the guides to the door and it’s totally silent opening and closing. It doesn’t open the whole 5’, more like 4’ but doesn’t seem to be too bad. The latch was one I picked up at Ace hardware I like also. Here it is all finished up on the right. I found the windows in the local reStore for $35ea. and they make all the difference as the shed faces south so it’s totally light inside.

 

[DavieJ75]

Very nice build.