Ideas for 24' Sliding Gate

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Whats the norm to use for sliding gates?  2" Square Tube 1/8" thick ?Would 2x3" rec tube be overkill?I'm going to make a sliding gate pretty soon and just starting to get ideas on how to build it.   our cement driveway in back is 20' but if I plan to make the gate motorized down the road I believe it has to extend a tad farther right? past the box?  The Gate will be 24' x 6' high with 3 rollers or maybe 4. We'll see how strong she is.   I havent decided on the design in center.   I really don't like people looking into our backyard so I'm thinking of covering it in cedar or I'll have to design something that looks nice but gives limited visibility.
Reply:i'd go with the 2"x1/8 wall..its what you see at most public storage entry gates...just my opinion ...zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Hi rubenAlthough our core buisness is balustrading we do a few motorized gates a year.With gates under 4m by 900mm high steel is the go as they have enough weight  not to jump off the track too easily but with a gate the size your talking off Id recomend aluminium.A couple of reasons weight and ease of installation for a start and it is IMHO a better finish that gal when powder coated.With a timber infill you'll have quite enough weight.Firstly the guide post: the performance of a slider relies heavily on the structural integrity of the guide post and guide rollers. A 100mm RHS with a 4m wall would be your minimum. Nylon guides work the best especially the ones that will slide up and down with your gate.You mentioned 3 or 4 wheels . Well we only use 2. but use good ones .Couple of reasons there, firstly you don't want small diameter ones as the jump too easily on rocks etc. Secondly if you have a 20' opening you will have about 42' of track and it wont be in a dead straight and even plane so with multiple wheels the gate tends to ride on only two at a time anyway...build it to be able to.A 6" diameter is your starting point.These wheels need to have a concave perimeter to ride on your track.The track , in Oz a steel flat bar  is available with the hump pre rolled into it.If you have dramas sourcing that a flat bar with a 16mm (5/8 in Yanktalk) round bar stitch welded to it works well.The bottom rail..6-8" x 2" as your wheels are let into the bottom rail and have a flange to fix them with.Top rail depends on your in fill but 4" min. if timber.If your using cedar you will need a mid rail as the cedar wont span 6'.To perimeter fix it Id recommend 1+1/2x 1x 1/8 RHS welded on edge. Then screw timber with 10guage countersunk self dilling class 3 or 4's. The RHS in 3mm gives a good bite for the screws and hides the rest of the screw. These screws are also available in stainless but be warned use only 304 or 316 as there are 400 series screws out there and they are useless and rust,Hope that helps ,good luck and I look forward to seeing the pictures.Brett
Reply:Hey Brett, I've got a sliding gate that's about 5 metres wide and about 3 metres high. It's a frame made from 20mm SHS and it's sheeted in Colourbond. The sheeting isn't too old and the frame isn't original, but the gate has been there for ages. It doesn' have a track and wheels on the ground - too rough - but hangs from a channel sitting on it's back attached to posts. The wheels, which are concave, run on one of the upturned angle legs. It must have been there for at least 50 years and the wheels at the top aren't great - the pins would be pretty worn. Do you know where in Sydney I might be able to get some replacement wheels?Reading back my description I realise there is a good chance you won't be able to visualise the problem. I might have to see what I can do about a photo.
Reply:Try Jack at Mega Stone Aluminium on 029708 2528 or Warren at TriLine Industries on 029792 3222
Reply:Hope Im not breaking any forum rules in above post, they are 2 suppliers I know who stock that sort of thing .
Reply:Thanks Brett.That wouldn't be breaking any rules, especially given there only about 4 aussies on this site. I'd say it's really only a problem mentioning a supplier ny name if you're going to say unkind things about them.I'm Inner West. I presume those guys are right out west?Scott
Reply:RHS & SHS are Rectangular Hollow Section and Square Hollow Section?? Or in yank talk Box Tube??
Reply:Yep.Now we just have to get you talking in millimeters.
Reply:HEy Sandy,  in my neck of the woods we call it sqware paapIF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:Oh Brett youve been caught by the REDNECK COPS.   oh next episode of REDNECK COPS, see a redneck Texan Cop try to arrest this aussie for posting a pair of steel suppliers phone numbers on a welding forum.  See if this texans gun has more bang than that aussies bite.   Well first the texan Pulls out his big shiney chrome .44 magnum revolver.  He quietly aims it at the aussie, standing there starring ith that IM Crocadile DUndee look.    When all out of no where this BIG HUGE CROC Comes out of the bayou and snatches the texan by the peg leg and drags him under the water.  Well You know this brett character hes a danged aussie.  So he calls his buddy Scott over.  They stand there and say CRIKEY, what we gonna do, the danged bloc  hes gonna drown down there.   Brett says,  golly mate we should call steve Irwin!    MEanwhile ole redneck chris is fighing for his life while these two aussies walk away.  Some aboriginals come to the rednecks aid and rescue him form the mighty croc, but the redneck says wtf where ya clothes??  YOu need to be wearin clothes.  They dont speak english, so He figures they be some illegal mexicans so he chooses its best to try to arrest them.  Well the aboriginals choose the redneck was better off in the mouth of that gator...I mean croc, so they put him back in there.  Well finally ole Brett and Scott come back, telling Steve that this guy is really a survivor...a real texas cowboy.   Well Steve says, CRIKEY I dont bleieve it...this guys alive!   I better get this texan out of this crocs mouth before the croc gets food poisoning!   So Steve does one of his daring attemps to save the crocs life.  But just when steve thinks hes got it figured out, danged taken grabs his leg and pulls him under with hhim.  So that wife/chic shes worthless.  Shes too busy trying to narrate the story while these two best mates, brett and scott are drinkin some coke and bourbon.   So that lil bindi sue she says, aint no redneck gonna mess with my daddy and his best mate, the croc.  So she jumps in the mess.  Well this causes Brett to spit out his coke and bourbon and than Scott finds it repulsive to waste coke and bourbon so they start in a big ole bar room style brawl.  Well Ole bindi sue she goes up to the croc and says, say croc, heres what we gonna do.  You  give up daddy and this moron and Ill take the two drunks away.  Ole croc says,  hmm  soudns like a deal.   So Croc spits Steve and the redenck out.  Scott and Brett have more coke and lots more bourbon, and terri just happened to have a nice pot of crawdads and red beans and rice and a little jambalaya.  So they all went down to the other side of the bayou, and had a nice lil picnic   Dont y'all just love happy endings...or ones where youve run out of interesting plot lmao...or you never had one in the first placeY'all come back ye' hear!   Last edited by TxRedneck; 05-01-2006 at 04:33 AM.IF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:Originally Posted by scott brunsdonThanks Brett.That wouldn't be breaking any rules, especially given there only about 4 aussies on this site. I'd say it's really only a problem mentioning a supplier ny name if you're going to say unkind things about them.I'm Inner West. I presume those guys are right out west?Scott
Reply:"Oh Brett youve been caught by the REDNECK COPS. "Yeah well, not the first or last time I've been or gunna be in strife!   Loved the read had a great laugh but a few important points:-Real Aussies drink beer -They don't say Crikey ....Strewth, Geez and Bloody **** are more common (for the lesser extreme adjectives....Bloody Steve Irwine!)-Your not going to long in a crocs mouth (I know in US you've got things called 'Gators over here they are called Geckos) (TIC)Reminds me of the old joke :A Texan farmer goes to Australia for a vacation. There he meets an Aussie farmer and gets talking. The Aussie shows off his big wheat field and the Texan says, "Oh! We have wheat fields that are at least twice as large".Then they walk around the ranch a little, and the Aussie shows off his herd of cattle. The Texan immediately says, " We have longhorns that are at least twice as large as your cows".The conversation has, meanwhile, almost died when the Texan sees a herd of kangaroos hopping through the field. He asked, "And what are those"?The Aussie replies with an incredulous look, "Don't you have any grasshoppers in Texas"? On a more serious note thankyou for making a newbie welcome ,is there a protocol re referring to suppliers?
Reply:Yep, Steve Irwin is the only guy I know who says: 'Crikey'. And old mate Steve wouldn't last too long if a big, wild croc really took a disliking to him.Most forums have pretty similar rules. I frequent a couple of property ones here.If people have had a good experience with a supplier, giving them a plug shouldn't be a problem.Shameless self promotion/advertising is often frowned upon, unless the person doing it has been a valued contributor to the forum i.e. they've earned the right to engage in some self promotion.If people have had a bad experience, naming the service provider can get the poster into strife in this litigious world.
Reply:Could be in some areas of Texas wind loading/side loading could be something to give some thought to if you are gonna build a solid panel gate.2¢ worth.
Reply:Originally Posted by SandyCould be in some areas of Texas wind loading/side loading could be something to give some thought to if you are gonna build a solid panel gate.2¢ worth.
Reply:rubenzhere is what I think you are looking for. 2x2 tube 14 guage works fine. You can go 1/8 if you like but this gate is plenty sturdy. I would recommend if you can afford it to buy galvanized square tube and then cold galvanize the welds. Its not worth hauling to the powder coat shop IMO.You only need two wheels and you can find those at kingmetals.com
Reply:****, are those 2x6's lol  Bet that sucker is heavy.
Reply:Hey Ruben, wouldn't having some louvered panels acheive what you want? They could be timber, or aluminium. You'd get the airflow, and if they are angled down to the outside, then people walking along couldn't see in.
Reply:Yup, I hadnt thought of that. Thanks for the suggestion.
Reply:Nice gate TPnTXMmm maybe we over engineer our gates???Still its hard to move from what you know works.Though the wind loading in Sydney sounds less servere than Texas,Ruben if you want privacy and air flow have you considered expanded metal?
Reply:So what's expanded metal?
Reply:Originally Posted by scott brunsdonSo what's expanded metal?
Reply:So it's good for privacy?
Reply:Originally Posted by scott brunsdonSo it's good for privacy?Here is a good shot of some expanded metal. This is the non raised kind. Rasied means evey other x position is pushed out and can be used as flooring with good traction.
Reply:my wife hates when I make sliding gates because I have to take over the patio and it makes a real mess.