G'day All! Thanks for watching. If this was helpful, please consider subscribing for more Aussie woodwork & DIY content or say *"Thanks"* using the Heart above. Here is the product I used: Bunnings Cowdroy 2400mm Quick-Fix Door Track Set - www.bunnings.com.au/cowdroy-2400mm-quick-fix-door-track-set_p3981776 In the USA I've been able to find this similar Primeline Bypass Closet Track Kit - amzn.to/3H2QXrz (Please Note: I've not tested this kit but it looks OK - This is an Affiliate Link) Cheers, James
Awesome build. Love the improvised gap filler, carpark cutting and paint tin weights! I have limited resources; time, money, space, vehicle size - so this was actually really useful and inspiring.
Thanks Sarah! You can do a lot with little. A drill, circular saw and glue will go a long way. It's taken me years to build up tool collection, never let that missing 'perfect' tool stop you from giving it a go 😊
Good job! I searched for DIY sliding doors and found your video. One thing that looks off is the handles are not aligned. I realize it’s done on purpose so they don’t hit, but it looks bad. Maybe changing out the handles for something a bit more flush is the way to go.
You got me all parnoid now 😅 In which direction? Oh at 18:30? Yeah they look a little off there but it must be the camera angle, they are the same height. They can't clash as the doors can't slide past each other and I made those inbuilt stops to keep the back of the door from hitting the handles. However, inset hardware would not be a bad idea, I just wanted to reuse the original handles off the old door 😊
Well done. I think I will copy your method. I don't think I'll do the diagonal members of the frame though, because the cuts are complex and I think the MDF skin is more than enough to keep the frame from racking.
You are probably right, the diagonals are likely overkill once the skins are on. Also, If I did it again, I think I'd use 3mm MDF, not 6 for the same reason :) Good luck!
These look amazing. I don't think this is something I could do myself though... least of all because of the tools. Honestly the glue and wood dust tip alone was worth watching this video for!! Amazing work!
Thanks Dollee, yes the way I've done it is definitely an intermediate build, not the best for beginners. You could really simplify this with solid 16mm MDF. Just cut the doors to size, paint and hang. They will be heavier so you need a hand hanging them, but will look the same 🙂
The bottom slide stays can be separated or opened a little to widen the gap at the floor which will maybe stop the doors from touching, you only need move and reposition the front one out a fraction. But great job on the doors from a retired wardrobe installer.
For a novice hack making things up as I go that is humbling coming from a professional, thank you kindly Michael. I had to cut a lot of the swearing and small errors out as this one was getting long making look a little more competant than I really am 😅 I might try that trick cheers, I've already got a slight angle on the front door but could increase it a bit more. I'll wait until I gut it and replace the insides though as the back door is actually the problem. It has a small bow in the middle as I didn't support it enough under the paint tins I used to weigh it down during glue up and it pushes against that top shelf forcing it out a little. Once that old inside is replaced it should be better.
@@FixitFingers You did great, better than some installers, and all hand made, that in itself is a masterful feat. Yes, when you remove the internals, you can plumb the doors and give the front one a little nudge out. you might also look at a coat or two of stain on the back, and paint what is visible, tops, sides and fronts! that might help if it's touching. Good work. P.S remembered that you have painted already so ignore the last bit. :)
Wonderful! I like when you show enthusiasm when everything fitted in! It gives me hope to start my own project. I‘ll buy the doors, though, and stick mirrors on them. Let’s see how THAT goes... 🥴
Mate, a job you can be well proud of. As I was watching the video of you falling over, I spat beer all over my monitor. Never laughed so hard. Good to see I'm not the only klutz in the workshop. Only difference is that you left yours in while I edit mine out. Top job as usual, James.
We had a heap of rain that week and the wagon dripped water all over the floor and soaked in under the mat making for the slip and slide action 😂 It was VERY lucky not to do an injury or worse, punch a hole through the project but as usual near misses make for excellent comic relief! ... though seeing a pen flying off the lathe into a DeWalt dart board would be classic...
Thank you for vid. I'm so lucky to have found this video as I'm about to install similar sliding doors. I had a drawing on my sketchup with MDF 18mm thick but now i'm gonna try the same thing with 6mm in front and 3 on the back like you suggested.
Good luck! Yes if I do our other bedroom that's what I'd try. Another good hint is cut your MDF first in a prefect rectangle, then bend the frame to fit. A joiner mate of mine gave me that info after watching me do it backwards ;)
James, I cringed in sympathy when you took a dive on that rubber mat. Being slightly (lots) older and no longer in possession of my own God given hips, I would be more than likely down for the count and less than pleased with my predicament.😮 Love your enthusiasm and initiatives.
Those death trap mats are gone from the working floor of the shop now after that little slip! (I'd like to keep my hips a bit longer 😅). I have wifey to thank for this, my most successful video, it was her idea.
... and much heavier than I was expecting. If I did it again I'd put 3mm MDF on the back to knock off another few kgs. The old doors were not solid, but even bigger and heavier again. I've got an idea or two to up-cycle those soon. I had just fixed my neighbours chain and flat tyre on his bike... I'm a cheap mechanic at one beer per tyre 😂🍺
One trick a joiner mate told me after I did this is build your frame to suit the MDF, not the other way around like I did. That way you cut the MDF first and know it is perectly square, then you can force the frame (which wont be) into square. Also, 6mm MDF was probably overkill, 3mm on teh back at least will cut down the weight!
I have those “non slip matts” we emptied the pool in the garden and my mrs went flying and smashed her head open! They are the exact opposite of non slip because the float
Fixit Fingers I would get rid mate, we spent hours at the hospital because of those things, they lose all friction with a tiny bit of water, all it takes is one day your rushing out the car and bam, they literally take your feet from under you, I’m not a health and safety freak at all but those things are deadly 😂 all the best mate 👍🏻
I could watch your videos for hours because it’s really engrossing & fluent. Those sliders make the whole process worthwhile mate & your bog is the bees knees lol, great thinking on how to find a solution to the wee problems one encounters. I noticed your sketch picture of your wife & you, we also had one done from an artist in Beechworth & would be funny if it we’re the same fella lol. Well done mate 🍻🍻🍻🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺👍👍👍
Cheers Dirk! That sketch was by the bloke who did the cartoons for the Newcastle Herald, but he may get around 😁 It nearly was hours, i had so much footage on this over the 3 weeks it took me i had a hard time cutting it down under 20 minutes 🤣😅 Pretty sure the bog was a WWMM tip, works well!
Cheers Alessandro. It's held up well over the past couple of years. Even with the slight rubbing of the doors there are no scratches, the paint has held. I still haven't got around to doing the inside though... one day 😅
@@FixitFingers yes. Familiar with that. I got a rule despite how busy I am, fully finished or no charge. And I do that for personal jobs. Thanks for letting me know about how it’s holding up. Really appreciated. I made a full oak door including the rails in my kitchen but never tackled a wardrobe, hence I reached out. PS: well, being in uk I should say bloody chipboard yet I seem to still find concrete.
U did good great skill awesome👏🏻 my hanging doors r old with slight inch gape between each which makes them swing in place, bang into each other, how can i lock them in at the bottom still allowing each to still slide ?
Hey Margaret. Did you see this little plastic guides I used at the bottom of mine? You should be able to find those at the hardware store. However you'd need to route a channel for them in the bottom of the doors which might be tricky. A second option I can think of is small stirrup brackets ('U' shaped) that are the same thickness as your doors screwed in to the floor as guides. They won't look as pretty as you can see them, but much easier to install. I hope that helps!
@@FixitFingers Thanks for your response. I got the thickness right at least. Now I just need to see what my local ‘small’ BGS has in stock. Thanks again for the video and the response🙂
Good luck! I'm still really happy with these, but I think I'd go 4.5 or 3mm MDF instead of 6mm if I did more of them to keep the weight and thickness down
Morning Robin! Cheers mate. One additional tip a proper tradie mate gave me after watching this is to cut your MDF sheets *first*, then measure and attach the frame to that. That way you know the sheet is perfectly square, and the slightly dodgy bendy long Bunnings pine frame will conform to that reference. Can't wait to see your take on this job 👍
Have a go! My doors were an unusual size, but if you are lucky you can just buy them off the shelf, paint, and hang using the big box hardware. You could also cut the weight using 3mm MDF too if you'd like to scratch build but don't want to handle 25kgs of door! 😊
Very nice, just what I was looking for! Getting these made by a company costs a fortune, so I'll try it myself. I didn't see you installing a guide on the floor - are the doors just hanging freely? Won't they "wobble" in and out when sliding them?
G'day mate, no there are guides in the floor, check out around 16:17 where they are installed. That's what the trench in the bottom of the door is for 😊
In my case yes, they are. Keep in mind, they will be shorter (to allow for the new track), wider (to provide an overlap when closed) and thinner (to slide past each other) than the old doors. You might also want to check your wardrobe frame is actaully square... I didn't and if you look closely right at the end when I close the door you can notice a slight gap! The new door is square, the frame is not 😅 No one but me has noticed but something to look out for. Good luck!
Hi, your work is amazing! I was wondering if you thought I could just re-use the swinging doors as sliding doors as opposed to creating new doors for the space? I just dont have the gear or budget to make my own doors, and the ready-made ones are the wrong size... Looking forward to hearing back from you when you get a chance.
G'day Andrew. Could be done, 3 things to consider though. Firstly, your current doors are almost exactly the same size as the opening. Sliding doors normally need an overlap to hide the gaps. You could pack out the sides of the frame a few inches to hide that gap though. 2nd, as the rail takes up space, the sliding doors will be shorter than your current doors. If you have hollow doors be aware you'll need to trim them down and perhaps add in a new brace. Lastly, consider if you have room for the old doors to slide past each other. Swinging doors fill the whole frame, sliders will usually need to be thinner. It may be able to be done if you are clever, but there is a reason I made new ones instead of trying to reuse the old ones 😉 Good luck! Tag me in socials if you give it a crack, I'd be keen to see the results - James
@@FixitFingers Thankyou - you've just verbalised the concerns that were starting to form in my head! I'll keep investigating as I didn't know if there woluld be even greater reasons why not workable :)
I have been thinking about using some old rustic shed doors and making them sliding doors for the built ins in my bedroom. Does the Cowdroy track allow for thicke doors? Would you just mount the rollers further out to account for thickness? I am not worried about the frame, cause I will make that myself so can be whatever width it needs. Also so glad to see another Aussie DIY/woodworking channel, I love Pask and glad I found this one as well.
G'day Zac, sorry for the slow reply, UA-cam flagged this comment and I only found it in my "manual review" tab today. Did you give this a crack? As long as the doors are not too heavy should be fine. My track takes 50kg (2x 25kg doors) but you could probably beef up the mounting if you are making your own frame.
The way I made these is an intermediate woodworking project Xahra. You can do it much easier however. If you are lucky, you can find pre-made doors the right size and hand them yourself. Otherwise, though much heavier, you can use solid MDF. That saves most of the hard work, you just need to ensure your hardware can take the weight. Good luck!
Why didn't you just use the existing doors and convert them to sliders instead of hinged? weren't they the perfect size and fit already just needing ot be offset to pass each other?
G'day Zen! This is a popular question the short answer is the new doors will be completely different dimensions, Wider, Thinner and Shorter. Long Answer: It's possible in some situations, but here are the reasons why that's a little tricky... Firstly, your current doors are almost exactly the same size as the opening. Sliding doors normally need to overlap so will be wider than the old ones. You could pack out the sides of the frame a few inches to hide that gap though if you'd be happy with a narrower opening. 2nd, as the rail takes up space, the sliding doors will be shorter than your current doors. If you have hollow doors be aware you'll need to trim them down and perhaps add in a new brace. Lastly, consider if you have room for the old doors to slide past each other. Swinging doors fill the whole frame, sliders will usually need to be thinner. It may be able to be done if you are clever, but there is a reason I made new ones instead of trying to reuse the old ones 😉
I see your point, My frames are wide enough to accomodate the thick door but i see there would be a thick offset and a line gap when both closed. height issuei wonder if the door could be recessed to allow the original height... and yeah mine are surely hollow but paint is perfect so it would be nice to get it to work even with a bit of extra timber trim to make for a better overlap and hopefully not cut into the hollow part which will make for a fail no doubt. I appreciate your reply! @@FixitFingers Also i wonder did you price saw custom ordered mirror doors for example, what was the price difference for those of us that don;t have a fully capablr workshop?
@@TheZenMicro oh it is possible you could reuse the old doors, it just may end up being more work than making new ones! 😅 No, I didn't look at mirror doors, but I'm going to guess they would be very expensive and you'd have to use a bottom track to take the weight as they'd be very heavy. I think I'd get someone in to do those but have a look on the tubes, there are clever people who may have come up with a cheaper DIY mirror option 😊
It's not a project I'd recommend for the absolute beginner but with a little experience achievable. A much easier way to make the doors would be just to use solid 18mm MDF. They'll be heavier, but heaps quicker to make.
i have another question :) i bought well recomended trails the distance between ceiling and floor is 2.3m , only concern i have is the safety do u think it is too tall i will make light door not full mdf and wont keep the width more than 70cm but do you think 230x70 cm is dangerous even if i make light doors? otherwise i have to make a frame to shorten the ceiling - floor distance but it is too much work then 😅
No that should be fine and almost exactly the same as my doors. I used 6mm MDF, which is probably overkill. 4.5 or even 3mm will cut the weight further if you like. The only thing I was worried about with 3mm was hitting the door by accident and making a hole :P
Hey Paul, the brand here is called "Cowdroy" and I got mine from our big hardware chain, Bunnings. It is a top-mounted dual rail that I got in a complete kit. I am sure you can find something similar at Homebase or similar big box store over your way. 👌
@@FixitFingers There was much to like about the vid., the stare, the slip-sliding, the sharp Japanese saw (I want one), the splicing of the door (that is so me), your robe!
@@julietphillips1991 hahahaha this is already my best performing project video, will soon be my best overall video as it is catching the paint sprayer review. I hinted at the internals of the wardrobe needing to be taken care of... well, the wifey is super keen for that to be done this Spring, so a followup will be coming soon-ish hopefully :D Thanks for watching! Oh, and as an avid watcher, I'd like to invite you to be a judge for #woodjigs21 ! Drop me an email or FB/Insta message if you are keen :D
@@FixitFingers I am an "avid watcher", (I believe a certain "check square Aussie might have referred to me as a "serial commenter!"...hmmm). James, the thing is I am not a "jig" person, I seldom, if ever, make them and so I don't think I know enough about them to judge them.
G'day Richard, this kit is by a company called _Cowdroy_ and is available at bunnings here in Australia. It is pretty generic, I am sure there are lots of good versions of it around the world at your local big box shop. It's a 2 door, top rail bypass system, meaning one door slides in front of the other and only has wheels at the top, the bottom just has those plastic guides. While this is towards the budget end of things, I've had zero issues since installation.
Honestly no, I wanted to reuse the hardware off the old doors. The stop I included in the bottom of the door groove makes it impossible for them to hit as long as the back door is closed before opening the front door. The only time they could touch is if the back door is open and you then open the front.
@@FixitFingers I see, I didn't notice that he handles were from the existing doors. My thoughts were around having them stick out into the limited space within the room and the risk of getting clothing caught or banging elbows etc. But if that isn't a consideration then re-use is perfect.
That turned out great! How much more would it have cost to have used plywood instead of MDF? It would have been lighter and stronger I think, but maybe cost prohibitive? I hope your wife watches your videos 😁
More than double the cost to use plywood over MDF. If I did it again (which I may in the main bedroom) I'd use 3mm MDF on the back and that would be perfect with a slightly thinner and lighter door. Premade doors would have more than doubled the total cost, and a professional overhaul at least double that again. Wifey SAYS she watches my videos... so we'll just see now wont we 😂
G'day SG, good question! Basically they are the wrong size in every dimension to be reused as sliding doors. Firstly, the old doors are almost exactly the same size as the opening, whereas the new sliding doors need to be wider to create an overlap to hide the gap between them. Secondly as the rail at the top takes up space, the sliding doors also need to shorter and as these are hollow trimming them down is tricky. Lastly, the old doors are too thick to slide past each other. Swinging doors fill the whole frame, sliders will usually need to be thinner by half. Reusing the old ones may be able to be done if you are clever, but making new ones was much easier in the long run. Cheers!
You do it in a day you're a better man than I Jimmy! hahaha PS - haven't forgotten about the Vac donation, just a lot on. Will hopefully visit the courier place next week. Showed wifey Scott's Channel, she loved it!
Did you have the metal rail for both top and bottom? Because I want to make similar doors for my wardrobe as you have. As I have a small room and it leaves no room to have doors on mine. And also I have uneven cement flooring. PS, I was building a carcass to put my wardrobe in by the way. You were right about Plywood being more expensive than MDF.
Hey Jodie. No this style of door slider only has the rail at the top. At the bottom is just the plastic guide to keep them in place. Works well with these 'lighter' hollow doors. If you had super heavy mirror doors for example you'd probably need wheels and track at the bottom to help take the weight.
Hi Hilal, I considered that option, the answer is weight. You sure could just use two single pieces of MDF and that would be much simpler, however that would be around 50kg per door! 😯 I couldn't lift that, and the track I used can only handle 25kg per door. I'd need to use a more expensive bottom track, and the material cost would be more too. Good question! 👌
@@FixitFingers ok now i get it, thank you much for the time to answer ☺️only problem i dont have saw the cut as u have. Do you think jigsaw would be enough? i wanted the professionals do it but they ask 1400 euro and i am not fancy paying that much. i prefer my ugly door than expensive one. only concern i have is the safety 🤷
A circular saw is better at cutting straight lines but if you take it slow and use a good square to help cut a jigsaw can do the job. I was the same with the price, the professional job was going to be very expensive so I decided to do it myself! Just make sure the track you buy is rated to the weight you need. My doors are about 23kg each but they are very big. If you use thinner MDF skins they will be lighter. I was worried about it falling down so I added extra screws to the track. 😊 Mine are not perfect, but they only cost a total of about AUD$300 (about 200 Euro) and a couple of days work. They have been in for nearly 2 years now with zero problems so this method does work well. Best of luck! Let me know how you go :D
@@FixitFingers tbh i have with full of fears im not even sure that i can make the right height. the mdf is 240max and the ceiling i have is 233. but because im gonna screw the rails on the ceiling m not sure how i can measure the right height of the door to make sure it is not too long to fit in the rail or slighlty short. i can ask the hardware store to cut all the pieces straight for me( not angled ) but as i said dunno how to measure the height of the door from ceing's rail to the floor 😩 probably even i make a mistake it will be cheaper than 1400 euro 😅
This is an intermediate level project, not super complicated but will be tricky if you've not made many things from wood before. You should be able to get the height of the track you use off the packet, take that plus 10mm extra off the height you need for clearance. The trickier one is the overlap. You probably want your doors to overlap about 100mm so each door needs to be half the closet width plus about 100mm (not critical, mine is less so I could use fewer sheets of MDF :P) Long doors can be cut down, small doors can have extra MDF glued on so don't worry if you make a small mistake, it will mostly cost you time but Im sure you'll get there in the end. It will be a challenge but hopefully enjoyable! You could also look for a floor-mounted track that will take more weight, then you could just use solid 18mm MDF which might be easier but I've not tried that type of track yet.
G'day Sue, the short answer is they would be the wrong dimensions. They are too thick so they couldn't be mounted to slide behind each other. Too tall so you can't install the sliding rail (and hollow so you can't cut them down), and not wide enough to provide the overlap when they are closed. It is always of course be possible to alter them, but it would be a heap of work and take longer than making the new ones. Great question! 👍
Absolutely ridiculous overkill. Butt gluing the internal frame work and securely glue the skins on is just as strong , alot faster, cheaper, and quicker.
Thanks Alex, super basic and DIY was the goal so sounds like I've hit the mark. If you've got the desire and want to spend more than the $300 this entire project cost, laminates and mirrors will indeed classy it up....or you could just spend the $1800 in a professional job I was quoted and have it done properly and super quickly and not bother with the whole DIY thing at all. 😉
G'day All! Thanks for watching. If this was helpful, please consider subscribing for more Aussie woodwork & DIY content or say *"Thanks"* using the Heart above. Here is the product I used:
Bunnings Cowdroy 2400mm Quick-Fix Door Track Set - www.bunnings.com.au/cowdroy-2400mm-quick-fix-door-track-set_p3981776
In the USA I've been able to find this similar Primeline Bypass Closet Track Kit - amzn.to/3H2QXrz (Please Note: I've not tested this kit but it looks OK - This is an Affiliate Link)
Cheers, James
Awesome build. Love the improvised gap filler, carpark cutting and paint tin weights! I have limited resources; time, money, space, vehicle size - so this was actually really useful and inspiring.
Thanks Sarah! You can do a lot with little. A drill, circular saw and glue will go a long way. It's taken me years to build up tool collection, never let that missing 'perfect' tool stop you from giving it a go 😊
It’s exactly what I was looking for .. thanks for sharing your wonderful experience
My pleasure Hadi, best of luck if you give it a crack yourself ;)
I know all about saving money and working with what you have. Good for you.
Cheers Giselia, what are we coming up on with this, about 4 years? Hasn't missed a beat so for about $300 I'd say it was a big win :D
Good job! I searched for DIY sliding doors and found your video. One thing that looks off is the handles are not aligned. I realize it’s done on purpose so they don’t hit, but it looks bad. Maybe changing out the handles for something a bit more flush is the way to go.
You got me all parnoid now 😅 In which direction? Oh at 18:30? Yeah they look a little off there but it must be the camera angle, they are the same height. They can't clash as the doors can't slide past each other and I made those inbuilt stops to keep the back of the door from hitting the handles. However, inset hardware would not be a bad idea, I just wanted to reuse the original handles off the old door 😊
Well done. I think I will copy your method. I don't think I'll do the diagonal members of the frame though, because the cuts are complex and I think the MDF skin is more than enough to keep the frame from racking.
You are probably right, the diagonals are likely overkill once the skins are on. Also, If I did it again, I think I'd use 3mm MDF, not 6 for the same reason :) Good luck!
These look amazing. I don't think this is something I could do myself though... least of all because of the tools. Honestly the glue and wood dust tip alone was worth watching this video for!! Amazing work!
Thanks Dollee, yes the way I've done it is definitely an intermediate build, not the best for beginners. You could really simplify this with solid 16mm MDF. Just cut the doors to size, paint and hang. They will be heavier so you need a hand hanging them, but will look the same 🙂
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@@FixitFingers oooh that's a great tip! Thank you!!!
The bottom slide stays can be separated or opened a little to widen the gap at the floor which will maybe stop the doors from touching, you only need move and reposition the front one out a fraction. But great job on the doors from a retired wardrobe installer.
For a novice hack making things up as I go that is humbling coming from a professional, thank you kindly Michael. I had to cut a lot of the swearing and small errors out as this one was getting long making look a little more competant than I really am 😅 I might try that trick cheers, I've already got a slight angle on the front door but could increase it a bit more. I'll wait until I gut it and replace the insides though as the back door is actually the problem. It has a small bow in the middle as I didn't support it enough under the paint tins I used to weigh it down during glue up and it pushes against that top shelf forcing it out a little. Once that old inside is replaced it should be better.
@@FixitFingers You did great, better than some installers, and all hand made, that in itself is a masterful feat. Yes, when you remove the internals, you can plumb the doors and give the front one a little nudge out. you might also look at a coat or two of stain on the back, and paint what is visible, tops, sides and fronts! that might help if it's touching. Good work. P.S remembered that you have painted already so ignore the last bit. :)
Great job and very informative. looks great for a DIY!
Thank you! It is holding up well too. It's a few years on and works just as well as the the day I made it. Super happy with the outcome 😊
Just what I needed to watch. Thanks, mate.
Good to hear Rob, best of luck with your install. Tag me in any pics you put up, I'd love to see your work 😊
Wonderful! I like when you show enthusiasm when everything fitted in! It gives me hope to start my own project. I‘ll buy the doors, though, and stick mirrors on them. Let’s see how THAT goes... 🥴
Haha the best thing about DIY is everything is the first time and when it actually works you surprise yourself 😂 best of luck!
Mate, a job you can be well proud of. As I was watching the video of you falling over, I spat beer all over my monitor. Never laughed so hard. Good to see I'm not the only klutz in the workshop. Only difference is that you left yours in while I edit mine out. Top job as usual, James.
We had a heap of rain that week and the wagon dripped water all over the floor and soaked in under the mat making for the slip and slide action 😂 It was VERY lucky not to do an injury or worse, punch a hole through the project but as usual near misses make for excellent comic relief! ... though seeing a pen flying off the lathe into a DeWalt dart board would be classic...
@@FixitFingers Good idea, I'll see what I can do. As long as you're ok mate.
Welcome to the slomo replay club mate, that was an awesome stack!
I was thinking of the OMB 'swooosh' moments as i delicately tumbled to the floor 😅
Thank you for vid. I'm so lucky to have found this video as I'm about to install similar sliding doors. I had a drawing on my sketchup with MDF 18mm thick but now i'm gonna try the same thing with 6mm in front and 3 on the back like you suggested.
Good luck! Yes if I do our other bedroom that's what I'd try. Another good hint is cut your MDF first in a prefect rectangle, then bend the frame to fit. A joiner mate of mine gave me that info after watching me do it backwards ;)
James, I cringed in sympathy when you took a dive on that rubber mat.
Being slightly (lots) older and no longer in possession of my own God given hips, I would be more than likely down for the count and less than pleased with my predicament.😮 Love your enthusiasm and initiatives.
Those death trap mats are gone from the working floor of the shop now after that little slip! (I'd like to keep my hips a bit longer 😅). I have wifey to thank for this, my most successful video, it was her idea.
Ahh I see where that beer came from... 😉
They are some seriously large doors.
Great reno build mate, and solved a big problem of space.👍🏽
... and much heavier than I was expecting. If I did it again I'd put 3mm MDF on the back to knock off another few kgs. The old doors were not solid, but even bigger and heavier again. I've got an idea or two to up-cycle those soon. I had just fixed my neighbours chain and flat tyre on his bike... I'm a cheap mechanic at one beer per tyre 😂🍺
@@FixitFingers
Looking forward to the upcycle, mate. 👍🏽
Cheap but not easy, aye! 😉😆🤣
Awesome build. Really liked it. Something like this would suit my sons room.
One trick a joiner mate told me after I did this is build your frame to suit the MDF, not the other way around like I did. That way you cut the MDF first and know it is perectly square, then you can force the frame (which wont be) into square. Also, 6mm MDF was probably overkill, 3mm on teh back at least will cut down the weight!
I have those “non slip matts” we emptied the pool in the garden and my mrs went flying and smashed her head open! They are the exact opposite of non slip because the float
I still have mine down, but am thinking of just pulling them out. Every time I drive when it rains my wet car drips water in and makes it a hazard!
Fixit Fingers I would get rid mate, we spent hours at the hospital because of those things, they lose all friction with a tiny bit of water, all it takes is one day your rushing out the car and bam, they literally take your feet from under you, I’m not a health and safety freak at all but those things are deadly 😂 all the best mate 👍🏻
Yep, I think you are right. Any they aren't under 100kg of timber will go I think. 👌
I could watch your videos for hours because it’s really engrossing & fluent. Those sliders make the whole process worthwhile mate & your bog is the bees knees lol, great thinking on how to find a solution to the wee problems one encounters.
I noticed your sketch picture of your wife & you, we also had one done from an artist in Beechworth & would be funny if it we’re the same fella lol.
Well done mate 🍻🍻🍻🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺👍👍👍
Cheers Dirk! That sketch was by the bloke who did the cartoons for the Newcastle Herald, but he may get around 😁 It nearly was hours, i had so much footage on this over the 3 weeks it took me i had a hard time cutting it down under 20 minutes 🤣😅 Pretty sure the bog was a WWMM tip, works well!
I am stuck finding hardware because I need a 12' wide track and they don't come that long. Doh!
Probably tricky to transport ;) Two 6' sets? They are generally aluminium and easy to trim to size.
Great job James! They look great! Bunnings coming in for the win again 😃
Cheers Ains! Bunnings Sliding Door Hardware Build Month :D
Thanks for this. I was just pondering about doing something like this. Neat. PS. Yes. Always blood concrete. 😂
Cheers Alessandro. It's held up well over the past couple of years. Even with the slight rubbing of the doors there are no scratches, the paint has held. I still haven't got around to doing the inside though... one day 😅
@@FixitFingers yes. Familiar with that. I got a rule despite how busy I am, fully finished or no charge. And I do that for personal jobs.
Thanks for letting me know about how it’s holding up. Really appreciated. I made a full oak door including the rails in my kitchen but never tackled a wardrobe, hence I reached out. PS: well, being in uk I should say bloody chipboard yet I seem to still find concrete.
U did good great skill awesome👏🏻 my hanging doors r old with slight inch gape between each which makes them swing in place, bang into each other, how can i lock them in at the bottom still allowing each to still slide ?
Hey Margaret. Did you see this little plastic guides I used at the bottom of mine? You should be able to find those at the hardware store. However you'd need to route a channel for them in the bottom of the doors which might be tricky. A second option I can think of is small stirrup brackets ('U' shaped) that are the same thickness as your doors screwed in to the floor as guides. They won't look as pretty as you can see them, but much easier to install. I hope that helps!
Something like this, but smaller, the same width as your doors :) amzn.to/2X71cJA
Neat workmanship, very impressive. One thing, the sliding door is hanging type, but any guide installed at the bottom?
Yep, I show how I cut the tracks for these early in the video and how to install the lower guide at about 16:15 😁
@@FixitFingers thank you
No worries, good luck if you give it a go 😁
Good video🙂. Could you please advise dimensions of pine frame (looks like about 70 x 19 or 16)?
G'day Bruce. For the pine frame I used off the shelf 19x42mm from the big box store bought in 3m lengths.
@@FixitFingers Thanks for your response. I got the thickness right at least. Now I just need to see what my local ‘small’ BGS has in stock. Thanks again for the video and the response🙂
Good luck! I'm still really happy with these, but I think I'd go 4.5 or 3mm MDF instead of 6mm if I did more of them to keep the weight and thickness down
@@FixitFingers My thoughts exactly re the MDF thickness. We are a retired couple, so little chance of damage due to no kids running into them😂
Im about to get started on similar project, some good tips in here mate!
Morning Robin! Cheers mate. One additional tip a proper tradie mate gave me after watching this is to cut your MDF sheets *first*, then measure and attach the frame to that. That way you know the sheet is perfectly square, and the slightly dodgy bendy long Bunnings pine frame will conform to that reference. Can't wait to see your take on this job 👍
@@FixitFingers That's a good point, hadn't thought of that! Which roller system did you use? Is it the Cowdroy from Bunnings?
Careful there! We wouldn't want to lose a pharmacist in these times.
Hahaha Im an analytical chemist, not a pharmacist. They make the drugs, I can tell you what they are after the fact 🤣
@@FixitFingers Oh lol, I misremembered.
If you make me laugh everytime you make a video then I'm in and subscribed.
Stop making me 😃 😀 I might leave
Well comedy is not the goal usually but then I am very clumsy 😅 Welcome aboard Alex 😁
My toxic personality says I can do this too without any of the equipments 😆😂
Not a huge amount of tools needed! A circular saw and a drill would almost get the job done... the rest just make it faster and a easier ;)
Badly need this AAAAA
Have a go! My doors were an unusual size, but if you are lucky you can just buy them off the shelf, paint, and hang using the big box hardware. You could also cut the weight using 3mm MDF too if you'd like to scratch build but don't want to handle 25kgs of door! 😊
Very nice, just what I was looking for! Getting these made by a company costs a fortune, so I'll try it myself. I didn't see you installing a guide on the floor - are the doors just hanging freely? Won't they "wobble" in and out when sliding them?
G'day mate, no there are guides in the floor, check out around 16:17 where they are installed. That's what the trench in the bottom of the door is for 😊
@@FixitFingers Ah, makes sense! I thought it looked like they were only at the ends when doors were closed. Thanks for the answer! Cheers
Lovely job Mate 👍
Thanks Sparky, happy wifey, happy brad nailer? Im hoping that's how this works 😂
@@FixitFingers That sounds very fair to me Mate 👍 😁
hi, about to attempt this. are both doors the same size
In my case yes, they are. Keep in mind, they will be shorter (to allow for the new track), wider (to provide an overlap when closed) and thinner (to slide past each other) than the old doors. You might also want to check your wardrobe frame is actaully square... I didn't and if you look closely right at the end when I close the door you can notice a slight gap! The new door is square, the frame is not 😅 No one but me has noticed but something to look out for. Good luck!
Hi, your work is amazing! I was wondering if you thought I could just re-use the swinging doors as sliding doors as opposed to creating new doors for the space? I just dont have the gear or budget to make my own doors, and the ready-made ones are the wrong size... Looking forward to hearing back from you when you get a chance.
G'day Andrew. Could be done, 3 things to consider though. Firstly, your current doors are almost exactly the same size as the opening. Sliding doors normally need an overlap to hide the gaps. You could pack out the sides of the frame a few inches to hide that gap though. 2nd, as the rail takes up space, the sliding doors will be shorter than your current doors. If you have hollow doors be aware you'll need to trim them down and perhaps add in a new brace. Lastly, consider if you have room for the old doors to slide past each other. Swinging doors fill the whole frame, sliders will usually need to be thinner. It may be able to be done if you are clever, but there is a reason I made new ones instead of trying to reuse the old ones 😉 Good luck! Tag me in socials if you give it a crack, I'd be keen to see the results - James
@@FixitFingers Thankyou - you've just verbalised the concerns that were starting to form in my head! I'll keep investigating as I didn't know if there woluld be even greater reasons why not workable :)
@@AndrewDInSydney good luck! 👍
I have been thinking about using some old rustic shed doors and making them sliding doors for the built ins in my bedroom. Does the Cowdroy track allow for thicke doors? Would you just mount the rollers further out to account for thickness? I am not worried about the frame, cause I will make that myself so can be whatever width it needs. Also so glad to see another Aussie DIY/woodworking channel, I love Pask and glad I found this one as well.
G'day Zac, sorry for the slow reply, UA-cam flagged this comment and I only found it in my "manual review" tab today. Did you give this a crack? As long as the doors are not too heavy should be fine. My track takes 50kg (2x 25kg doors) but you could probably beef up the mounting if you are making your own frame.
I want to do the same for my wardrobe, but I don't have all these tools 😢
The way I made these is an intermediate woodworking project Xahra. You can do it much easier however. If you are lucky, you can find pre-made doors the right size and hand them yourself. Otherwise, though much heavier, you can use solid MDF. That saves most of the hard work, you just need to ensure your hardware can take the weight. Good luck!
When you slipped at 6:11, you were lucky you didnt get that tube of glue inserted up your backside. :)
I was lucky not to do a serious injury! Those 'non-slip' mats have now been banished. The water run-off from the car made them too hazardous.
Why didn't you just use the existing doors and convert them to sliders instead of hinged? weren't they the perfect size and fit already just needing ot be offset to pass each other?
G'day Zen! This is a popular question the short answer is the new doors will be completely different dimensions, Wider, Thinner and Shorter. Long Answer: It's possible in some situations, but here are the reasons why that's a little tricky... Firstly, your current doors are almost exactly the same size as the opening. Sliding doors normally need to overlap so will be wider than the old ones. You could pack out the sides of the frame a few inches to hide that gap though if you'd be happy with a narrower opening. 2nd, as the rail takes up space, the sliding doors will be shorter than your current doors. If you have hollow doors be aware you'll need to trim them down and perhaps add in a new brace. Lastly, consider if you have room for the old doors to slide past each other. Swinging doors fill the whole frame, sliders will usually need to be thinner. It may be able to be done if you are clever, but there is a reason I made new ones instead of trying to reuse the old ones 😉
I see your point, My frames are wide enough to accomodate the thick door but i see there would be a thick offset and a line gap when both closed. height issuei wonder if the door could be recessed to allow the original height... and yeah mine are surely hollow but paint is perfect so it would be nice to get it to work even with a bit of extra timber trim to make for a better overlap and hopefully not cut into the hollow part which will make for a fail no doubt. I appreciate your reply!
@@FixitFingers Also i wonder did you price saw custom ordered mirror doors for example, what was the price difference for those of us that don;t have a fully capablr workshop?
@@TheZenMicro oh it is possible you could reuse the old doors, it just may end up being more work than making new ones! 😅 No, I didn't look at mirror doors, but I'm going to guess they would be very expensive and you'd have to use a bottom track to take the weight as they'd be very heavy. I think I'd get someone in to do those but have a look on the tubes, there are clever people who may have come up with a cheaper DIY mirror option 😊
Thank you
You're welcome Andrea, hope it was helpfil.
I wish i could do this
It's not a project I'd recommend for the absolute beginner but with a little experience achievable. A much easier way to make the doors would be just to use solid 18mm MDF. They'll be heavier, but heaps quicker to make.
i have another question :)
i bought well recomended trails
the distance between ceiling and floor is 2.3m , only concern i have is the safety
do u think it is too tall
i will make light door not full mdf and wont keep the width more than 70cm
but do you think 230x70 cm is dangerous even if i make light doors?
otherwise i have to make a frame to shorten the ceiling - floor distance but it is too much work then 😅
No that should be fine and almost exactly the same as my doors. I used 6mm MDF, which is probably overkill. 4.5 or even 3mm will cut the weight further if you like. The only thing I was worried about with 3mm was hitting the door by accident and making a hole :P
Nice job mate. That nonslip mat is giving you some good training to become a butt-clamp master 😂
Bwahahahahaha, I was practising without realising it. The magic of UA-cam... you just learn via osmosis. 🤣
Hi, just a quick one. What is the name for the sliding mechanism and where did you get them, cheers from the uk, stay safe.
Hey Paul, the brand here is called "Cowdroy" and I got mine from our big hardware chain, Bunnings. It is a top-mounted dual rail that I got in a complete kit. I am sure you can find something similar at Homebase or similar big box store over your way. 👌
hey! greets from indo🥰
Hi Ziraa, thanks for watching, I hope you found it useful 👍
💯💯💯
Cheers mate!
You did a fine job...like a pro, maybe better than a pro! Did you get the cordless brad nailer?
Did you like the stare?! 🤣 I married the right woman... she did get it for me. There is also a video review on it 😄
@@FixitFingers There was much to like about the vid., the stare, the slip-sliding, the sharp Japanese saw (I want one), the splicing of the door (that is so me), your robe!
@@julietphillips1991 hahahaha this is already my best performing project video, will soon be my best overall video as it is catching the paint sprayer review. I hinted at the internals of the wardrobe needing to be taken care of... well, the wifey is super keen for that to be done this Spring, so a followup will be coming soon-ish hopefully :D Thanks for watching! Oh, and as an avid watcher, I'd like to invite you to be a judge for #woodjigs21 ! Drop me an email or FB/Insta message if you are keen :D
@@FixitFingers I am an "avid watcher", (I believe a certain "check square Aussie might have referred to me as a "serial commenter!"...hmmm). James, the thing is I am not a "jig" person, I seldom, if ever, make them and so I don't think I know enough about them to judge them.
@@julietphillips1991 ha no worries! Hopefully the series of entries inspires you then. Thanks Juliet ❤
Can I ask where and what the sliding kit is called
G'day Richard, this kit is by a company called _Cowdroy_ and is available at bunnings here in Australia. It is pretty generic, I am sure there are lots of good versions of it around the world at your local big box shop. It's a 2 door, top rail bypass system, meaning one door slides in front of the other and only has wheels at the top, the bottom just has those plastic guides. While this is towards the budget end of things, I've had zero issues since installation.
Nice solution, well done. Did you consider recessed handles to make it so you won't get 'caught' by the protruding ones?
Honestly no, I wanted to reuse the hardware off the old doors. The stop I included in the bottom of the door groove makes it impossible for them to hit as long as the back door is closed before opening the front door. The only time they could touch is if the back door is open and you then open the front.
@@FixitFingers I see, I didn't notice that he handles were from the existing doors. My thoughts were around having them stick out into the limited space within the room and the risk of getting clothing caught or banging elbows etc. But if that isn't a consideration then re-use is perfect.
Yeah they don't come out too far and this is definitely a tight arse project :D Reuse for the win!
That turned out great! How much more would it have cost to have used plywood instead of MDF? It would have been lighter and stronger I think, but maybe cost prohibitive? I hope your wife watches your videos 😁
More than double the cost to use plywood over MDF. If I did it again (which I may in the main bedroom) I'd use 3mm MDF on the back and that would be perfect with a slightly thinner and lighter door. Premade doors would have more than doubled the total cost, and a professional overhaul at least double that again. Wifey SAYS she watches my videos... so we'll just see now wont we 😂
@@FixitFingers haha that's a good test to see if she watches or not 🤣🤣
Why you didn’t use the existing doors
G'day SG, good question! Basically they are the wrong size in every dimension to be reused as sliding doors. Firstly, the old doors are almost exactly the same size as the opening, whereas the new sliding doors need to be wider to create an overlap to hide the gap between them. Secondly as the rail at the top takes up space, the sliding doors also need to shorter and as these are hollow trimming them down is tricky. Lastly, the old doors are too thick to slide past each other. Swinging doors fill the whole frame, sliders will usually need to be thinner by half. Reusing the old ones may be able to be done if you are clever, but making new ones was much easier in the long run. Cheers!
ty
You're welcome Chance. 👍
I like this
Loving the effect
I could do with this. where can i get it?
Most big box stores will stock a variety of slider hardware options. You will need to measure up and grab one that suits your wardrobe. Good luck 👍
A two year old bot comment?! Thanks YT.
job for tomorrow
You do it in a day you're a better man than I Jimmy! hahaha PS - haven't forgotten about the Vac donation, just a lot on. Will hopefully visit the courier place next week. Showed wifey Scott's Channel, she loved it!
No dramas mate. I recall watching this back in 2020 and watching it again you’ve reminded me to 3D print the dust port for my kreg jig.
Still haven’t gotten round to this for Scott’s room.
Hahaha it's only been 4 years, give it time
Did you have the metal rail for both top and bottom? Because I want to make similar doors for my wardrobe as you have. As I have a small room and it leaves no room to have doors on mine. And also I have uneven cement flooring. PS, I was building a carcass to put my wardrobe in by the way. You were right about Plywood being more expensive than MDF.
Hey Jodie. No this style of door slider only has the rail at the top. At the bottom is just the plastic guide to keep them in place. Works well with these 'lighter' hollow doors. If you had super heavy mirror doors for example you'd probably need wheels and track at the bottom to help take the weight.
@@FixitFingers Sweet.
is there anyone can answer why he made a door and not used a bit thick mdf as a door?
Hi Hilal, I considered that option, the answer is weight. You sure could just use two single pieces of MDF and that would be much simpler, however that would be around 50kg per door! 😯 I couldn't lift that, and the track I used can only handle 25kg per door. I'd need to use a more expensive bottom track, and the material cost would be more too. Good question! 👌
@@FixitFingers ok now i get it, thank you much for the time to answer ☺️only problem i dont have saw the cut as u have. Do you think jigsaw would be enough?
i wanted the professionals do it but they ask 1400 euro and i am not fancy paying that much. i prefer my ugly door than expensive one. only concern i have is the safety 🤷
A circular saw is better at cutting straight lines but if you take it slow and use a good square to help cut a jigsaw can do the job. I was the same with the price, the professional job was going to be very expensive so I decided to do it myself! Just make sure the track you buy is rated to the weight you need. My doors are about 23kg each but they are very big. If you use thinner MDF skins they will be lighter. I was worried about it falling down so I added extra screws to the track. 😊 Mine are not perfect, but they only cost a total of about AUD$300 (about 200 Euro) and a couple of days work. They have been in for nearly 2 years now with zero problems so this method does work well. Best of luck! Let me know how you go :D
@@FixitFingers tbh i have with full of fears
im not even sure that i can make the right height. the mdf is 240max and the ceiling i have is 233. but because im gonna screw the rails on the ceiling m not sure how i can measure the right height of the door to make sure it is not too long to fit in the rail or slighlty short. i can ask the hardware store to cut all the pieces straight for me( not angled ) but as i said dunno how to measure the height of the door from ceing's rail to the floor 😩
probably even i make a mistake it will be cheaper than 1400 euro 😅
This is an intermediate level project, not super complicated but will be tricky if you've not made many things from wood before. You should be able to get the height of the track you use off the packet, take that plus 10mm extra off the height you need for clearance. The trickier one is the overlap. You probably want your doors to overlap about 100mm so each door needs to be half the closet width plus about 100mm (not critical, mine is less so I could use fewer sheets of MDF :P) Long doors can be cut down, small doors can have extra MDF glued on so don't worry if you make a small mistake, it will mostly cost you time but Im sure you'll get there in the end. It will be a challenge but hopefully enjoyable! You could also look for a floor-mounted track that will take more weight, then you could just use solid 18mm MDF which might be easier but I've not tried that type of track yet.
👍👍
감사! :D
@@FixitFingers You're welcome. Take care.
👍👍👍👍👍
Cheers Col 🍻
hi why you could not use the same doors
G'day Sue, the short answer is they would be the wrong dimensions. They are too thick so they couldn't be mounted to slide behind each other. Too tall so you can't install the sliding rail (and hollow so you can't cut them down), and not wide enough to provide the overlap when they are closed. It is always of course be possible to alter them, but it would be a heap of work and take longer than making the new ones. Great question! 👍
@@FixitFingers Thanks for that !
No worries!
Absolutely ridiculous overkill.
Butt gluing the internal frame work and securely glue the skins on is just as strong , alot faster, cheaper, and quicker.
You know what they say Geoff, there is no kill like overkill 😂
Gave the video a like, sorry no subscriber here.
No worries John, I appreciate you coming to check it out. Glad you enjoyed it. 👍
This is super basic DIY wardrobe. Painted doors really sucks and look cheap. I wourd go for a gloss laminated doors with mirrors.
Thanks Alex, super basic and DIY was the goal so sounds like I've hit the mark. If you've got the desire and want to spend more than the $300 this entire project cost, laminates and mirrors will indeed classy it up....or you could just spend the $1800 in a professional job I was quoted and have it done properly and super quickly and not bother with the whole DIY thing at all. 😉
I like this
Loving the effect
I could do with this. where can i get it?
Dejavu. Your local hardware store should stock similar products. Choose one suitable for your robe and good luck! 👍
❤
Glad you enjoyed it! 😊
I like this
Loving the effect
I could do with this. where can i get it?
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