What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Bottom Roller hangar door DIY

edclee

Well Known Member
Patron
I have a 50x50 wooden truss type hangar with metal roof and sides but the two ends are open. I want to build hangar doors for the building myself and unless I do some major structural work, I really cant hang the doors from the structure. I am thinking to construct four panel doors that roll on tracks on the floor and guides at the top to keep the doors in place. I am thinking to use polyurethane or acetyl plastic wheels on the bottom of the four panels and have them roll in steel U-channel in the floor. Has anyone here done anything like this?
Ed
 
This type of stacking hangar door system would be pretty easy to DIY. You could probably buy the little trolley wheels and use U-channel for a track.

stackdoors.jpg
 
Bi fold doors

I made bi-fold doors on my hangar which is similar to yours. The first set was all steel frame but the second was aluminum reinforce with some wood where needed. Four sections for a 40’ wide opening. Would be happy to answer any questions you might have
 
I did very similar to what (I think) you're describing - but without the steel track.

I bolted the doors to the steel RSJ's but had a fixed HD poly wheel on the outboard door to take the majority of the weight of it and its' mate. Because that door was fixed to the hangar, the wheel didn't need to swivel, as it just described an arc based on distance from the hangar-frame-attachment points.

The inner two doors were floating above the hangar floor, supported by the outer doors and could be folded (almost) flat against them when fully open. I say "almost" as I didn't quite get the alignment of the corro sheets right such that two ridges made contact. :mad: All 4 doors were secured by 10mm steel pins at the top & bottom. Remember that even a light breeze will exert a lot of force on something the size of a hangar door! ;)

47640377421_21c1e34e9c_c.jpg


If you look closely and maybe squint, you can see the roller on the hangar door. I no longer own this hangar so can't get any better photos, sorry!
47640376751_a964aacabb_c.jpg
 
Hangar Doors

I see what you have done, but wont work for me. My hangar floor is not level, but has a slope, so I will have to have door panels that slide over each other rather than folding like you did. Thanks for the pics though.
Ed
 
http://cool-airinc.com/

The absolute best manual hangar doors I have ever owned. After nearly 10 years, they still opened with one finger push when I sold the hangar. I never greased or adjusted them.
 

Attachments

  • F8B3EB3E-03EB-4A81-8CBA-2674DA07D1B1.jpg
    F8B3EB3E-03EB-4A81-8CBA-2674DA07D1B1.jpg
    209.5 KB · Views: 119
Last edited:
I have a 50x50 wooden truss type hangar with metal roof and sides but the two ends are open. I want to build hangar doors for the building myself and unless I do some major structural work, I really cant hang the doors from the structure. I am thinking to construct four panel doors that roll on tracks on the floor and guides at the top to keep the doors in place. I am thinking to use polyurethane or acetyl plastic wheels on the bottom of the four panels and have them roll in steel U-channel in the floor. Has anyone here done anything like this?
Ed

If you were to use a channel on the ground then I think that dirt and water in the track would be a constant problem. The typical way of making sliding hangar doors around this part of the world is to use sliding gate wheels that are grooved steel. They run on a rounded track that bolts to the floor or to a level concrete strip. Some people make the track from angle iron (outside angle faces up) and find a way of securing the doors when they are closed so there is no risk of them blowing off the track.
Here is a link to the sliding gate parts as an example:
https://www.richmondau.com/product-category/gate-hardware/sliding-gate-hardware/

I made my sliding doors to be suspended from a track that is above and this required an engineered steel truss for the end wall of the hangar. You can save a few $$ by doing it yourself.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top