sliding doors

[adrian]

My next project calls for sliding doors, and I'm trying to figure out the best way to make them. One option is to use plastic hardware such as this:

http://www.leevalley.com/US/hardware/page.aspx?cat=3,43614,43620&p=40162

Is that actually a good way to go, or just the easy way?

The all-wood approach involves cutting a groove at the top and bottom, cutting a tongue on the door and having the door move wood-on-wood. I have encountered two different approaches here.

1. Cut the groove in the bottom of the case shallower than the length of the tongue on the door bottom. The wear surface is the bottom of the groove. This seems like the obvious approach.

2. Cut the groove in the bottom of the case deeper than the length of the tongue on the door bottom. The door rides not on the bottom face of the groove but on the case surface in front of the groove. The tongue only serves to align the door and keep it in lateral position. (This method was suggested by Janofsky in a Fine Woodworking article.)

Does anybody have any thoughts on these different alternatives? Which one is best (not easiest) and why? I will be making the case and door frame out of a hard wood that won't wear easily.

 

[RobinBHM]

I would choose to have the wear point the bottom of the groove so it isnt visible. For smoothest running I would probably go for some ironmongery -Im guessing these are cabinet doors so not too big like wardobe doors.

 

[adrian]

Ironmongery? All the "hardware" I've seen is made out of plastic. When I've examined pieces in shops they seem to have plastic.

I wonder if having the wear surface on top means that it continues to work smoothly as it wears. One could imagine that if the wear surface is initially at the bottom of the groove then if it wears a lot, the wear will deepen the groove and the door will begin to touch on the case top. Two other things I thought of: if the wear surface is in the bottom of the groove you have a gap around the door (whether you consider that bad or good). And there's the question of dust, where it goes, and whether it makes the door slide less well.

In my case the approximate dimension of the doors is 2 feet by 2 feet.

 

[mailee]

I have used these on a few jobs in the past and they work really well. Very smooth running system. HTH. :wink:
http://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/prod ... 0kg/369220

 

[siggy_7]

If it's for a large or likely to be abused door, I would probably use a hardware approach. I used this kit for my wardrobe doors recently, and I'm impressed with it:

http://www.bullerltd.co.uk/section/413/ ... g-door-kit

The runners are easy to align for very long track lengths, the wheels and top runner are plastic (quiet and hard wearing) but the bearings, track and mounts are metal and seem really robust. With a wooden runner, I would be worried about sticking with seasonal moisture change and also the vulnerability of the tongue to breakage.

 

[adrian]

These hardware systems seem like overkill for my project. I'm building a storage chest that won't be opened daily, or probably even weekly. The doors will be approximately 600 mm squares and will weigh about 3.5 kg each.

Regarding durability of the tongue, Janofsky recommends a tongue that is wide and very short at the bottom: 12 mm wide and less than 2mm long. I don't think that's in danger of breaking. At the top end the tongue has to be longer: 10 mm.