Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

After much thought and a suggestion from my wife, I have decided to construct pull up, slide in doors on my lower cabinets.
I did some research and found these slides:
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page ... rm=Rockler
They are pretty expensive and judging from the reviews, tricky to install. It seems to me that it would be cheaper and just as easy to make hardwood slides with short pieces of dowels inserted into the top edge of the door. I pretty much have it figured out but would like to see if anyone else has done this and what their experience was.

You're probably right. I've found that unless there is going to be weight on slides, like drawers, then wooden sliders are just fine. The are simply guides for the movement of the wood. Without the weight, it really doesn't matter if they are wood. A little wax will even make them as easy as metal ones.

The doors on my barrister book cases have a nylon peg in each top corner. Those pegs just slide in grooves routed into the inner sides of the book case.

A second, removable peg in each side of the case supports the door when it's open.

The case is deep enough that when it's empty, the doors rotate in diagonally and can be removed/replaced. I just didn't want to empty the shelf for one photo.



Click on the photo for a larger view.

It was easier to take a picture than to try to explain.

<Chas>

GP, That is pretty much what I was thinking. Thanks for the pic!
When you get a chance, would you mind showing a pic of the front with the door closed? I am curious how much of a gap is above the top of the door.

Just finished cutting the dividers. Now I just have a few issues of clearance to work out before I cut the dadoes and make the doors..

I made the cabinet doors for my tear lift up and are held closed by a magnetic catch (some old outdated ones probably from the 50's or 60's that I found at the hardware store I work at -- were priced at 49 cents). I think I will just glue a magnet similar to the ones on my sons old Brio wooden train set to hold the door open. I built light weight doors so I think they should plenty strong to hold the doors open.

ps.. Bees Wax would make the wood slides work really well and shouldn't mess up the finish or soften the wood.

Bill, I didn't get a chance to take a picture of the top of the door, but there's less than 1/4" clearance. The tops of the doors are rounded to provide a closer fit.

Barrister bookcase doors seem like a good alternative to sliding doors. Swinging doors are problematic because you have to keep the swing area clear, and sliders can be only half open at a time.

<Chas>

GuitarPhotog wrote:Bill, I didn't get a chance to take a picture of the top of the door, but there's less than 1/4" clearance. The tops of the doors are rounded to provide a closer fit.

Barrister bookcase doors seem like a good alternative to sliding doors. Swinging doors are problematic because you have to keep the swing area clear, and sliders can be only half open at a time.

<Chas>

No problem. Thanks for looking at it for me. I am hoping to get as close to 1/8" clearance around all sides as I can, to match the drawers. I think a rounded cabinet door on the top, along with a champher? on the back edge of the top trim will get me there.

I am also angling the doors out at the bottom to maximize my space and that presents another challenge for my intermediate woodworking skills. Nothing like jumping in over your head to learn quickly!