Hi everyone. Last summer I built a mill shed for my Baker mill. I'm in Québec, we have snow.....the mill shed has open wall (fully open like a car port)on 8X10 posts on a cement floor, 24 X40 ft and 10 ft high. The shed is attached to a garage that is also 24X40 ft.( at all a 24 X80 ft building) This winter I put some tarpole fastened to the main roof beams....but the wind broke all of the tadpoles. Next summer I want to put some barn doors (all 3 sides)that will slide on tracks and I want to make 2X 12 ft doors and 2 X 8 ft doors to cover all the 40 ft of the shed ( I have an opening (beam) 24 ft long so the logs will get to the mill easily). To open the doors, I want to push them over the garage so the mill will be fully open (40 ft long that will slide on the 40 ft garage). I do not want those doors to be too heavy, and will make the frame out of hemlock 2X6 so what would you use to **fill** the center of the wooden frame ? If I put cedar I think that a 12 ft by 9 ft high door will be quiet heavy even if the maker say the wheel can support 400 pounds (per set of 2) I do not want to overload the wheels and tracks......thanks for your experience. Roger.
The tool box on the left panel has a calculator that will figure the weight of lumber per bdft.
If you make the frames out of 2x6 you could infill with something thin like 1/2" or 3/4" boards just enough to keep the snow/wind out. And that should make them light.
If you figure them and they are too heavy, then make smaller doors and make lots of them.
You could/can also put the track on an angle to make it easier to push "one way" and that may or may not help.
Good luck with your research and project.
And let us know how you make out or what you come up with that works for you.
Jim Rogers
I'm in the process of building some insulated doors for my barn. I'm using a process very similar to what is shown in the following video. Maybe not exactly what you're looking for, but a lightweight framework covered with a thin skin might be used to significantly lighten the doors.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID8Ru-TGMRM
Looking at what you said, I come up with 553 lbs. for a 2x6-12' door covered with 1" N. white cedar (all green wood weight). This is with a 12' x 10' door with a cross brace for support. Without a cross brace (relying on the cedar to brace the frame) I come up with 462 lbs. green weight. With this wide of a span, I'm unsure how sturdy that would be off of the hangars. Of course once the wood is dried, it will weigh less.
Hope this helps and keep us posted.
Rich Miller
Thank you all for your wise answers. I think I'll have to do more 8 ft doors instead of 12 ft doors. May be I can use some steel in the middle ( like the one on the roofs) that might be lighter......I'll think it over and see for the costs. The mill shed holds fine with snow over it. When I'm not inside and during winter I put a leg that is in the center of the 24 ft beam , this leg is bolted under the beam with a door hinge, so it is 12 ft each sides.....it holds well. My beam is made of 4 2X12 spruce with plywood between, glued and nailed and every 4 ft it has big bolt going true each 2X12 so they are all united. Thanks for your help
Richards Wilcox sells rollers and track for any kind of door you want to build.
http://www.rwhardware.com/