Custom sliding door - thickness

[Dave Rosner]

Just setup a new workshop in my barn and have a 7x7 opening that needs a door. I've loaded up my new table saw with wax but it's just a matter of time before the elements gets to it.

I'm planning to build a single sliding door from 6/4 poplar using lose tennons and mortises. I have 3/4 inch t&g pine on the barn siding that I'll use for the panels and plan to put some divided light windows at the top.

Am I going too thin and should go with 8/4 stock instead of the 6/4? Getting the 8/4 in 8 foot lengths might be tough.

After some planning I should be shy of 1 3/8 thick for this door. Eventually I'll heat the shop so want to make sure this lasts.

Any guidance?

[Jim Becker]

Exterior doors are typically in the 1.75" thickness or greater so yes, I think you are going too thin and should start with 8/4. Heck, the interior door I just made is 1.5" thick. (convenient thickness to support the nominal1/2" panels in my door) I started with 8/4 poplar for that.

[Wayne Lomman]

Dave, I agree with Jim - get as close to 2" thick as possible. As an aside, could someone please explain what 8/4, 6/4 etc actually means? Its not a notation I have ever seen or heard in Australia. Cheers

[Dave Rosner]

8/4ths "eight forths" - simply means 2 inches. So 6/4 would be 1.5 inches, 4/4 would be 1 inch, etc. It is the dimension used with rough sawn lumber....

[Jim Becker]

What Dave said...so the starting point for 8/4 in "the land down-under" would be approximately 50mm.

[David Helm]

I did my sliding door 2 1/2 inches thick but did not use solid lumber. 3/4 inch plywood base with cedar tongue and grove panels and galvanized angle iron wrap to protect plywood edges. Door is heavy, solid and has worked very well for 4 years now.

[Dave Rosner]

nice - what did you use for the hardware btw? I've been looking for a good source and its mostly pottery barn decorative internal stuff i'm finding...

[Jim Becker]

For exterior sliding door hardware, a good place to start is a farm supply...

[David Helm]

Got my hardware, tracks etc. at a local hardware store.

[Wayne Lomman]

Thanks for the translation. Timber sizes have always been simply dimensions. As for hardware, farm supply is the place to go. They don't bother with lightweight stuff. Cheers