Sliding barn door track alternative

[coalsmok]

No not the current fashion ones for inside a house, which is what comes up when I search it.
I have been working on an small building this summer and want to put a sliding door on the entrance.  I stopped today to price track and hangars for it and had a small case of sticker shock. 
Is there a homemade alternative to the metal track and hangars available at farm supply stores? This is not a large door by any means.  The opening is only 4'x6' and I wanted two small doors to keep them from sticking out of the eaves when open.

[Ruffgear]

I've used garage door track. Weld a roller on to a strap of steel (2per door). The tricky part is cutting the roller stem off to correct length so that door rides where you want. Hope that makes sense

[Southside]

Could you either thread the end of the stem to make it adjustable or weld on a bolt?

[Ruffgear]

Yep, I think you could. Put a nut on the strap and bolt or ready rod on roller. Good idea.
 The last one I did I cut just a hair short, firred track out a bit with washers to fix. I've only used these for interior application though.

[coalsmok]

That's something to look at. Didn't think of it yesterday but remembered this morning that you can get rollers for super strut. This is the material you see conduit mounted to in industrial buildings. We use it here at work and the strut and it's parts usually are not that pricey. Doing more research today. Never priced rollers for it.

[Crusarius]

I used a piece of 1/4" x 2" flat stock with spacers bolted direct to the wall then a piece of the same material bent over in a u with a garage door spring pulley bolted into the U. Then that bracket just hangs off the track with the door bolted to it.

Gives you nice smooth roll and has ball bearings.

The fun thing with this setup, if you are good you can make a curved track so your doors could move out of the way.

[florida]

coatsmok
Where did you price the track? We got 32' of track at Tractor Supply for $120.00.  I was amazed at how cheap it was.

[tawilson]

That’s something to look at. Didn’t think of it yesterday but remembered this morning that you can get rollers for super strut. This is the material you see conduit mounted to in industrial buildings. We use it here at work and the strut and it’s parts usually are not that pricey. Doing more research today. Never priced rollers for it.

I used Unistrut and rollers to make sliding doors for my shop. Works great. I had the strut leftover from a job so that was free.
Edit, if you do a search use "trolleys" for the rollers. 

[gspren]

  If you have a place that sells pole building supplies the stuff isn't really expensive. If you lived closer to me I think I have some old stuff that would still be OK and I'd give it to you.

[thecfarm]

I work in a hardware store. We use to get out rollers from National Hardware. As was suggested trolleys. I saw the same type that we have.

[mike_belben]

Anchor a turned up angle iron into a ridge style track (like a bandsaw mill gantry) and anchor that to your sill.  Chop up a rollerskate or skateboard and turn a VEE into the wheels.  Make your door of plywood sandwiching 2x material so that the plywood hangs down below the frame on both sides.  Drill the plywood skirt thru and thru for a double capture on the skate wheel which is at the bottom of the door.  Common bolts for wheel axle.  At the top just build a wood or metal frame that holds the door captive in a pocket.  No need to suspend it overhead, the lower skate wheels carry the load.  Ive been in a few hangars like this so it works. 

[moodnacreek]

Some times a good hardware store or lumber yard is cheaper than T.S. for the same stuff  I  consider the single box rail reasonably priced. The wheel kits, one per door, at  $30 or less is not to bad compared to making your own.

[low_48]

You can get trolleys that fit inside Unistrut, plus hangers for the Unistrut.

[coalsmok]

I priced it at Tractor Supply. Honestly the price wasn't horrible but keep in mind that I only have about $700 in the entire 12x24 story and a half building so far.  Guess you could say I'm being cheap with this. Track isn't much it's the trolleys that cost.

Wondering if I used white oak for a track and wheels how it would last. It shouldn't see much weather as I built a 4' overhang on this end. Door weight isn't going to be much. I want to split it into two 2'doors built out of white pine.