Make Sliding Barn Doors Using Skateboard Wheels

Intro: Make Sliding Barn Doors Using Skateboard Wheels

I built a couple of wooden sheds (okay, glorified yard barns) and wanted to equip one of them with sliding type barn doors. I like the look of sliding doors and they are very practical for a shed, allowing a much wider access opening than a normal door. But after visiting my local building outlets to check out the cost of the track and installation kit hardware I would need for such a project I developed a bad case of sticker shock. The cheapest place I could find was Tractor Supply, and even there the price for just the barn door hardware (not the doors themselves) ran from $246 to $326, depending on how fancy I wanted it to look.

So I began to snoop around for some sort of alternative I could fabricate myself. And the biggest obstacle to any DIY sliding doors turned out to be the wheels/rollers. I needed something that was made for exterior use, would roll smoothly, and that was heavy duty enough to take abuse while not costing an arm and a leg. While prowling around in my shop for something that fit the bill I happened to stumble on my son’s old skateboard. And the wheels looked like a perfect candidate for the job.

After a few minutes of price shopping online I ordered a set of four skateboard wheels and bearings from Newclue Inc. via Amazon. The total price of the wheels with shipping was $17.35.

Next I needed a rail for the wheels to glide on. I found the solution in the electrical department at Home Depot. It’s called Superstrut, and a 10' length sells for $15. Superstrut is a three-sided channel of heavy gauge galvanized steel. Unfortunately it didn’t come in 12' lengths, which is what I would have preferred to use, so I had to purchase two ten-footers for $30. To provide a little additional strength I topped off the Superstrut with two 6-foot lengths of 1x1 angle iron at a cost of $26. I doubt this extra precaution was necessary and think the rail could be built without it.

The hangers themselves are fairly simple. 1½" x 1/8" flat stock steel was bent into a U shape and then drilled to accommodate the axles for the wheels/rollers. I bought two 4' lengths of the flat stock from Orchard Supply for a total of $18. The other miscellaneous nuts and bolts I used came to $3.

My finished sliding barn door hardware cost a grand total of $95. Yes, this is quite a bit more than simple hinges and a hasp lock, but it is also well under the cost of the very cheapest commercial price for barn door sliders of $246.

Here is how I fabricated the barn door skateboard rollers.

STEP 1: The Rollers/wheels

These photos show the skateboard wheels and bearings as they arrived from Newclue. The wheels are 1 9/64" wide and 2" tall.

STEP 2: Shaping the Hangers

Cut two 4' lengths of 1 ½" flat stock in half yielding a total of 4 sections at 24" each. Each section is then bent in half around a piece of 1" metal pipe. To do this, lay the flat stock on a solid bench or table and then lay the pipe over the flat stock at right angles. Clamp the pipe to the work bench.

Grasp each end of the flat stock and pull upwards. It will bend relatively easily. Use a hammer to coax the bend down near the pipe. You want to end up with a fairly tight bend and space of about 1 1/4" between the two sides of your hanger.

Place a wheel in position to insure the width of your bend will allow free movement of the wheel and make a mark at the center of the flat stock where the axle will be.

STEP 3: Mounting the Wheels in the Hangers

Cut a piece of 2x6 lumber 1 1/4" long and place it between the two sides of the hanger for support. Drill a pilot hole through the top and then the bottom of the flat stock where you made your mark. I used a drill press to do this but if you are very careful to keep things vertical you can use a hand drill. With the hanger still clamped in place, switch to a 5/16" bit and drill the final mounting holes for the axle. Most skateboard axles are universal, but measure the diameter of your bearings to insure a 5/16" bolt will fit snugly. The exact position of the axle hole from the top of the hanger does not need to be precise as long as your wheel is down far enough so that it will turn freely.

Washers will need to be placed on each side of the wheel bearing so that the axle bolt can be tightened but the sides of the hanger will not come in contact with the rubber wheel. You will also need to keep in mind the thickness of your door. You may need to experiment with different numbers of washers to get it just right.

Drill two door mounting holes near the other end of the hanger. The exact placement of these holes will vary a bit depending the door you are building/using. Just make sure the holes will be placed in a solid area of the door.

The rollers/hangers are then painted and reassembled.

STEP 4: The Parts for Hanging the Rail

The first photo shows what the Superstrut rail looks like. For a six foot door opening like mine, the Superstrut is cut into two six foot lengths for a total rail length of 12'.

The rail is mounted to the building using four 3" lag bolts, 12 steel washers (some nylon washers are shown in the photo but use all steel washers) and four 11/16th" nuts. These nuts slip over the lag bolts and are used only as spacers.

Not shown are the two 6 foot lengths of 1x1 angle iron which are laid on top of the Superstrut.

STEP 5: Hanging the Rail

To hang the railing, first place a temporary spacer about ½" thick under your door opening. Set your door on top of this spacer and mark the height of the top edge of your door (I have not covered the door or door construction in this Instructable). Make a second mark ½" above this first mark. With a carpenter’s level, use this upper marker to draw a line extending 6' to either side of the center of the door opening. The line should be 12 feet long total. If you are making your door wider or more narrow than the 6' door opening width used for this building, adjust you rail accordingly.

Set the angle iron on top of the Superstrut and mark the angle iron in the center of the hole in the Superstrut. Drill a 3/8" hole through the angle iron. Then with an assistant holding the Superstrut in place just above the line you drew earlier, mark and drill holes in the building for the lag screws. If there is no stud directly behind this hole, you will need to cut and nail a 2x4 support between the existing studs directly behind the hole. The lag screw needs a very solid base for mounting. Then assemble the Superstrut and angle iron and screw them to the wall as shown in the photo.

Set the right hand door in the door opening and temporarily clamp it or have someone hold it in place so that it is centered in the door opening. Slip two roller/hangers over the Superstrut railing and position them near the left and right sides of the door making sure they are positioned at a very solid portion of the door. Mark and drill 1/4" holes through the door to match the two bottom holes of each hanger. Then attach the door to the hangers using 1/4" bolts and nuts.

Slide the door to the end of the Superstrut to ensure it does not bind at any point. Repeat the mounting procedure for the left side door. You will note that the outer most lag bolt will act as a stop, preventing the wheels from ever running off the end of the rail.

STEP 6: Installing a Bottom Deflector

To keep the door vertical while it is being opened and to prevent the wind from ever blowing it outward, install a section of galvanized or aluminum angle iron at the bottom of the door (see arrow) using concrete screws to fasten it to the surface.

STEP 7: The Completed Sliders

The finished skateboard barn door sliders.

Comments

[wmhalpin]

Thanks for posting your work.
Rather than the C-channel, do you think you could have used a 2x4?

[Boulderguy]

What's the purpose of the 'superstrut'? If the angle is supporting the load, it seems unnecessary. Thanks for the project tho, great write up.

[Colin P]

Great post, Dewey302. I've sourced a set of skateboard wheels that are 36mm in width (1.41 inches). Since this is just under 1 1/2" inches, do you think this design would work if the 1x1 angle iron (L-shaped angled steel) and Superstrut were replaced with a simple, plain old 2x4?

I'm thinking the skateboard wheels would just run along the top of the 2x4 and the hanger would prevent it from coming off. Any thoughts? A 2x4 is much cheaper than the two metal pieces.

[dewey302]

I'm thinking it could work with a 2x4 as you suggest but a couple thoughts. First, you will probably need to install spacers (simple washers will do) to insure the hanger straddles the 2x4 and does not squeeze the board when you tighten the wheels in place. Second, I'm not sure what the results might be due to warping of the 2x4 over time. My shed sits in the hot central valley sun of CA and the door really takes a beating in terms of warping. I could envision the door becoming difficult to open if it warped enough. But it may be worth a shot to use the less expensive 2x4 rather than Superstrut. Post your results if you go with the 2x4 idea.

[GerardoG74]

here is an easier way to do it, it does not require any other skills other than basic carpenter skills, 4 wheels from the hardware store and and inside wall or anything else to hold it.

[NeoN9]

Since the roller rolls on top of the angle iron, what keeps the wheel from sliding off of the angle iron?

[dewey302]

The hanger keeps the wheel centered on the rail. Note the way the hanger is made in step 3 and how it is mounted in step 5. The hanger curves over the top of the wheel and over the rail on both front and back sides and is then bolted to the door which hangs below the rail.

[Old Coot Papa]

Excellent Instructable! We are thinking of selling our house and building a smaller one. We want to use a sliding door for our new bedroom. This will be perfect, and I'll only need 1 section of the Super Strut. I was kicking myself because I tore down an old shed and didn't save the sliding door hardware, this will be perfect! Thanks for this instructable!

[Beemoney]

Dewey302 Old Coot PAPA knows his stuff? I saw it too. And, right away. This is a perfect low-cost option for an indoor pocket... The hangers you made are brilliant in so many ways. They could be 'primped-up'or down to match any era's decorative scheme,or just painted over for a clean looking wall and not a door. So, MANY PEOPLE IN TITE, Tiny apartments or highrises benefit with FOUND SPACE THAT THE DOORS 'circumference allotment, or 'dead-space'. AND, I did a little tweaking to this idea because the hangers and wheels,for a similar PRO MFG. Set are $25O+ for cheaper hardware? and that's for the smallest door SO, I GOT CREATIVE AND BLEW THE DAY. Because of your hinges. I now have a secret passageway from my dining room to my office. Flanked, on both sides of the dining room wall common to the office. Were to matching book case/sideboardish units. I mounted a slider using your idea behind one of the book case units that had a closet handy on the otherside of the wall(in the office. Once I had my opening and slider hung I bolted the bookcase to the slider. This made a retention plate, (spaced from the wall)mandatory to allow the door to stay from pushing into the wall making it hard to move. painted the stud groove to match an extended pce of crown moulding from unit to unit so you cannot tell its a track ? unless your pretty good.
I took my time and cut the entire perimeter of the adjacent wall inside the clost. I 'glued&screwed' the entire piece to some cheap plywood and with three old hinges mounted it back in the closet. I used a piece of thick styrofoam, protruding slightly more than what's called for and this keeps the opening(secret doorway)snug and unnoticeable to the eye. I've told nobody and BOY THEY'RE SCRATCHIN'THEIR HEADS. BUT, NOBODY'S caught on yet. thx for the AWESOME ideas keep'em comin'Dewey.Peace. Godbless

bmoneyNOTburden

[fzbw9br]

got any pictures? I can't follow your post of your door.

[dewey302]

If you are referring to the door I made in the O.P., I purposely did not include any photos of its construction since I would not recommend building a door the way I did...too much warping due to moisture and sun. The rollers work great...the wooden door construction - not so great. Win some...lose some.

[Pa1963]

Using the narrower wheels might allow you to turn the channel so that the open part faces up, then you could use the groove for the wheels to ride in.

[jaymaker]

I was thinking a groove for them to ride in would be great too! To me, it seems if you bumped maybe one of the doors from inside--especially the one without bottom metal piece--it could pop off top track and fall.

[dewey302]

Please note the photos in step three showing the "U" shaped bracket which hold the wheel and the door in place. This bracket straddles the the rail (wheel on top, door on bottom, rail between so that it is impossible for the wheel to be pushed, shoved, whacked or in any other why accidentally moved off the rail. In the photos of the finished door you are only seeing that part of the bracket which is on the outside, but the bracket is exactly the same on the inside. If the wheel moves outward the back side of the bracket contacts the rail, if the wheel moves inward the front side of the bracket contacts the rail. The wheel can not come off the rail EXCEPT by gliding off the left or right end of the rail, and that is prevented by bolt which stops the wheel if it gets too close to the end of the rail.

[rokkripprapp]

Why do you need the rail at all? Wouldn't this work with just the angle iron?

[dewey302]

I found that angle iron alone flexed too much...wasn't quite strong enough.

[sgbotsford]

If you don't have access to the rail, you can lengthen the hangers, and bolt what you do have to a timber to stiffen it.

[jaymaker]

Ahh, I see now what I missed. Thank you for the explanation! I do like the design very much.

[sgbotsford]

You don't want a groove. It fills up with crud. You never dust something like that.

[mid_life_crisis]

I have one question. Are those actually roller blade wheels? Skateboard wheels don't generally have rounded edges.