Holding barn door with screws in between glued pine planks?

[Fab02]

Hello,

I am building a barn door from pine boards assembled and screwed / glued together (similar to https://www.familyhandyman.com/doors/rustic-barn-door/) .

Instead of the regular barn door hardware, I am using a rail + rollers inside which are designed for pocket doors but works for heavy (125 lbs max) doors too ("100PD Commercial Grade Pocket / Sliding Door Hardware" from Amazon).

I need to screw 2 metal plates to the top edge of the door (these will connect to the rollers).

My issue is that the top of my door is made of 2 pieces of wood and if I want to attach the plates, the screws will be going through the crack between the 2 wood planks - will that be strong enough? Any ideas to make for a strong build?

Note: my door is about 85 lbs.

Thanks for the help.

Top of the door:

 

Metal plate which should be screwed in the center of the top edge of the door:

[Byrdie]

It could work but that gap is not going to provide a strong connective surface.  You might try cutting a mortise into the area below the spot where the plate will be attached and then filling it (gluing in) a solid plug that the screws will go into.  The mortise would have to be slightly deeper than the length of the screws so that the entire length of the screw is into solid wood.

[riqmar]

The simplest fix I know is to drill a hole [directly under each screw] for a 3/4 inch dowel from either the face or back or back of the door  about 7/8" from top edge to centerpoint.  Glue in a 1 1/4 length of dowel which will then serve to provide side grain [not end grain and also not a split or seam] with which the screw can engage.  If you do this and then use a 1 1/2" screw, I believe all will be secure.........

[G Ragatz]

@Fab02,

I think you'd probably be okay just screwing the brackets to the edge, as-is.  I don't think that the glue joint will be a problem - it should be as strong as the wood itself.  But if you're concerned about screwing into end grain, then I think Byrdie's suggestion makes sense.

@riqmar - I might be missing something, but it seems that if the OP just installs dowels, he'd still be screwing into end grain, unless he has a way to cut his own dowels so they would be side grain.

ETA: @riqmar - just re-read your post.  Missed what you said about the direction to insert the dowels.  Makes sense now.  OP would just need to either disguise, or make a "feature" of the ends of the dowels.

Edited April 1, 2019 by G Ragatz
Didn't read riqmar's post carefully enough

[Brendon_t]

Ooh man.. have fun with that hardware. 

I have it on some pocket doors... They are... Interesting

[Fab02]

Thanks for all the suggestions - I am still debating what I will do.

I am kind of tempted to give it a try as-is like @G Ragatz mentions... maybe I could use 3 plates / rollers for more piece of mind too.

I could also maybe cut a rectangle out of the current glued boards and replace by a solid piece:

 

Thanks again

[drzaius]

I think the easiest, strongest & fastest way is to use cross dowels & machine screws to secure those hangers. Drill the holes from the back of the door & they won't be seen.

[Brendon_t]

Those rollers are already pretty temperamental. I don't think I would want to mess with getting 3 aligned on the track perfectly. 

[drzaius]

1 hour ago, Brendon_t said:

Those rollers are already pretty temperamental. I don't think I would want to mess with getting 3 aligned on the track perfectly. 

I do agree with this. I have a couple of pocket doors with Johnson hardware & think that the 125 lb rating is very optimistic. Mine are just hollow core doors & it seems like test the limits of the hardware. And then there is the issue of trying to align 3 of them  

There is other very robust sliding door hardware available.