CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

**kal**

This one's a long shot, but there are lots of smart guys here so I thought I'd ask...

We want to install a sliding "barn style" sliding door at the foot of the basement stairs. The door will be custom wood (that part is easy) but we're having problems finding reasonably priced hardware to support it.

Here's the style of hardware we like:

Link: http://www.kncrowder.com/slidingdoor/crt101.php

The problem is the price of the hardware: ~$2200 MSRP. Even with a contractor discount it doesn't get into the realm of what seems reasonable. While it does look well made, there doesn't seem to much to it to warrant such a massive price so we figure it's mostly high priced as it's very low volume as these things are "in" right now.

Slightly cheaper at around ~$1250 MSRP:

Link: http://www.barndoorhardware.com/tubular-track-door-hardware/oden.html

Still fairly expensive for what you get however.

Even cheaper still at around ~$450 MSRP:

Link: http://rusticahardware.com/ultramodern-barn-door-hardware/

This one however is starting to look really cheap. There doesn't seem to be any sort of sealed bushings, rubber stopper, or anything that would warrant such a price even at $450. Looks like a metal wheel on a bolt, above a steel flat rod. Something I could make in about 20 minutes.

Anyone seen anything or have any recommendations for something that looks more like the one in the first picture but is less expensive (and not junk)?

Thanks!

Kal

ecrabb · Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 10:11 pm Post subject:

Kal,

I feel your pain. I have the same taste as you, so whenever I start looking at finish materials, casework, hardware, etc. the price goes nuts. I have the knack of picking out the most ridiculous stuff.

I also have a couple of buddies that are designers and architects, and they do lots of furniture design and fabrication, and I help from time to time, so I have some experience.

I know the first two pieces seem really high-priced, and to some extent, they are... But, if you started putting all those pieces together, getting it milled, turned, plasma cut, finished, drilled, tapped, sourcing all the fasteners, you'd be pretty surprised at how the fast the price would climb. I bet if you did all the design work yourself, sourced all the material, and sourced out all the fabrication, you'd probably spend close to half those prices, and of course that doesn't include any value for your time.

Even that last one at $450... I know it was just hyperbole, but I call BS on your "20 minutes"... I think you're grossly underestimating how much time and effort it takes to fabrication work, let alone the research, planning, design, and sourcing. If it was as easy as you claim, nobody would be able to sell these you're finding. If you can whip those up in 20 minutes, you should be doing fab work. Wink

I've done stuff like this, and AFTER I spent several evenings a week for several weeks, researching, sourcing, and planning, then after I got all the pieces and parts, then I would likely spend a good chunk of a weekend in the garage with the chop saw, welder, drill press, etc. putting it all together.

So, IMHO, you have three choices:
- Spend a significant amount of time doing it yourself, probably designing and outsourcing some of the machine work.
- Put something together yourself for a lot cheaper from commercial/industrial parts (which will look it).
- Pony up

OK four choices... I've seen some "skate wheel" options which don't look too bad. Basically, you get channel aluminum (or stainless), inline skate wheels, and then fabricate the door/wheel brackets. Not too bad looking if you find the right wheels, and relatively inexpensive.

SC

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10273

Don't blame these folks, they are just catering to a different crowd (those with lots of money). How about browsing McMaster and DIY your own solution. Think of it like a project for a creative CRT mount. Smile

Seriously, you can buy rough components from a variety of resources for a DIY project and then visit some of the gun forums to get the finish you want on it.

zaphod · Joined: 16 Jun 2006 Posts: 2002 Location: Cloverdale

about 6 years back i was looking at the exact same thing for a sauna door (which probably would not have worked in any case) but my now-wife convinced me that it was too "man-cave" for the frount entrance of our house. sigh.

the conclusion that i came to was fabricating it with a friend on his forge. just too damn expensive for the hardware otherwise.

**kal** · Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2012 2:03 am Post subject:

WTS · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 1276 Location: Calgary

GO with the Chinese knock-off, most of the other ones are probably sourced out of China anyway. It's not like it's going to see lots of heavy use so it shouldn't have a problem lasting for many years to come.

**kal** · Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2012 2:22 pm Post subject:

**kal** · Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2012 8:37 pm Post subject:

So I've gone with my eBay idea and purchased this:

[Cordia] European Modern Stainless Wood Sliding Barn Door Hardware Set

It ships today from New York via UPS. $268USD plus another 25$ for an extra long rail (8' long). Not bad. The seller's sold 114 of them and has a 100% rating. Everyone seems to be happy with the product which is good to see. Seller was very responsive to my questions too.

Much more reasonable than $2200. At 1/10th the cost I'm willing to make some allowances on quality too.

Kal

ecrabb · Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2012 9:46 pm Post subject:

Excellent, Kal! Thanks for the heads-up on the ebay pieces. I even did a google search, but for whatever reason, ebay didn't even occur to me.

The price you paid is really excellent... You couldn't DIY it for anywhere near that price. Given the feedback, and the high cost of the alternatives, it sounds like a steal.

Can't wait to hear how it looks and works.

SC

**kal** · Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2012 10:58 pm Post subject:

paw · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 1176 Location: Arvada, CO

Good find Kal! Let us know how it works out.

Just one thing I noticed. I bet the black on the inside of the roller is just paint. You might have to touch it up after a year or so.

**kal** · Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 12:44 pm Post subject:

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10273

Cannot wait to see how it turns out, Kal. What was the estimated [door] weight limitations?

**kal** · Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 2:48 pm Post subject:

From the eBay order page:

Door Weight Capacity: 150LB

Kal

ecrabb · Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 4:22 pm Post subject:

I'm betting that black insert is a hard rubber material. I think it would be pretty noisy if it were a metal-on-metal roller-on-rod assembly. A rubber surface on the roller would quiet operation considerably and shouldn't really wear appreciably, unless you were opening the door 10 times a day for years on end. Used normally once or twice a day, I think the rubber would dry and crack long before it ever wears out.

Can't wait to see how it looks and works!

SC

**kal** · Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 6:06 pm Post subject:

That makes sense SC. I'll see soon enough as I'll probably be receiving it in the next day or two (it's not a holiday up here - ours was yesterday).

Kal

zaphod · Joined: 16 Jun 2006 Posts: 2002 Location: Cloverdale

little bit of rubber renue (designed to help r2r pinch rollers live longer) might help a rubber roller for the door.

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10273

If the rubber wheels have a familiar landing spot (location where they take the pressure most of the time) there will be a flattening of the wheel and a familiar thumping sound when in motion.

zaphod · Joined: 16 Jun 2006 Posts: 2002 Location: Cloverdale

like the tires of my car (when i lived in Ottawa) during the January cold spells. took a couple of blocks to work out the flat spots on the rubber.

**kal** · Posted: Thu Jul 05, 2012 2:46 pm Post subject: