DIY Sliding Cabinet Door Tracks?

[Gore]

Does anyone have any plans/videos/pics of how to make some simple sliding door tracks for a cabinet? I'm going to be building some doors to enclose those wonderful dust catching, fake plant holding, niches that were ever so popular in the late 80's-90's. I plan to use a 3 door system, and would like to be able to slide them all to one side at the same time...so the track would need 3 full-length rails. I would also like to avoid using wheels or any other visible hardware (but that's of course unless it's necessary or just looks great).

My thought is that I will either need to route some tracks to fit some ply...or perhaps utilize some aluminum angle stock...whatever works...I'm open to ideas.

Thanks

 

[Marctrees]

Uhhh, you could just dado a strip of wood?

Otherwise, AL channel w different # of tracks is readily available online.

Google is your friend. Marc

 

[txvwnut]

^^^^^^Ditto^^^^^^

Easiest and cheapest option.

 

[AldeanFan]

I made these with a router and put doors on all the cabinets in my garage.


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[kbs2244]

Rout the grooves and flood the with silicone after you finish them.
Maybe a strip of Teflon tape in the bottom depending on the weight.

 

[falconero]

Rout the grooves and flood the with silicone after you finish them.

Maybe a strip of Teflon tape in the bottom depending on the weight.

why the silicone?? unless you have some really heavy doors, is it really necessary ? curious

I'm putting 24' of sliders up now and they seem to be doing fine so far.


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[senlow]

Rout the grooves and flood the with silicone after you finish them.
Maybe a strip of Teflon tape in the bottom depending on the weight.

Keep silicone away from anything that you want to finish (paint, stain etc.). If you really need a lubricant, wax works well.

 

[Gizmosity]

Just something to think about if you're the slightest bit OCD....I'm more than a little.

In my shop? I'd do this without hesitation. I'm my house? If I could see it while I was sitting in my chair relaxing? Those three doors all at different depths would drive me insane. I'd do two grooves with three panels so that two where on the same plane. I could live with that. You couldn't open all three at the same time.

I have one in my house. We found a mirror that covers the whole niche perfectly. I'm going to mount it on a top mounted continuous hinge so it can be lifted up. Nice hidey-hole for stuff.


I also have to have all my outlets screws vertical, so, you know......take this with a grain of salt.

 

[brittf]

"I also have to have all my outlets screws vertical,..."

And I thought wanting all my three-way light switches in the down position when off was a problem.

 

[Skyking1992]

I bought some plastic track, I think from U line. It had two tracks and I used on the front of pallet racking that I have in the shop. Three rows about forty feet long. Looks nice and finished.

 

[Skyking1992]

I just looked at U lines web site - I don't think that's who I got the track from. I'll do some looking and see if I can come up with the company. I found it originally here on the garage journal.

 

[rsanter]

Like as said you can make your own, but I use wax on the wood to help the pieces slide.
Wax will not attract the dirt a grease or other lube does

Bob

 

[rk_tek]

The easiest is a dado. If in plywood, it's best to use a track insert of aluminum or plastic as the plus can chip/break easily depending on how closely spaced they are. Make the top channel deep enough that the door can be lifted up and out of the bottom track. You don't want it permanently captured in the cabinet. An old neighbor redid the garage behind his house with ipe and glass doors about 200lbs apiece and built tracks out of delrin. His 7yr old could slide them easily.

 

[Skyking1992]

Found it! Here's a link to some plastic track.

http://www.outwatercatalogs.com/lg_display.cfm/page/66/catalog/Master_Catalog_Vol_42

 

[tarbellb]

Found it! Here's a link to some plastic track.

http://www.outwatercatalogs.com/lg_display.cfm/page/66/catalog/Master_Catalog_Vol_42

Ive used Outwater before, lots of cool stuff in there.

They have several different versions of track in the 1/4"-1/2" door thickness range.

I have done several jobs with the standard aluminum 1/4" track and acrylic panels for doors.

Works great, except they will rattle with enough vibration. Felt strips work.

The wheeled version looks cool though.

Good luck.

 

[ilovevocs]

Bees wax works well for reducing sliding friction for wood on wood interfaces.


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[Gore]

Supposing I go the with the routing dado option...is there a standard gap/dado size that is recommended to prevent friction...or perhaps how much extra room/depth for removing/installing the doors.

I'm now thinking I may choose to utilize some standard sized 1x with an opaque plexi insert that I will backlight. So assume I'm using 1x...and on a 30" tall door (just a guess).

 

[Mandres]

I used some screen door rollers kind of like these on my cabinet doors. They ride on a piece of aluminum extrusion fit into a milled slot on the bottom frame.