My neighbor had been looking to close off his car cover to hide his tractor and equipment from view of his home. He contacted several companies in the area but had no luck in finding anyone interested in a small project. At some point during our conversation it appears I had agreed to do this for him. The details are still fuzzy. The barn door Handles came to me while building his doors.
When we built our home across the street he was very inviting and has been there for us when we were converting our land from farming to our lawn.
With a project literally in front of me I discussed what he wanted to do and after giving him some ideas on what could be done (I think this is where he hired me. Again fuzzy) I convinced him that barn doors would be easier for him in his advanced years to open and close easily. He is in great shape and still works like a young man at 77.
The carport did not have a wall on the end. He purchased the steel and siding and we set to closing in the wall. He wanted a ten foot opening and we used the current header which created a 10 x 10 foot opening. I welded 2 doors from 1 1/2″ square steel tubing and used the same siding to match his carport.
My neighbor supplied all the material to close off the front of his cover. I explained what I was going to make for him and he helped where ever he could. The doors are very light for there size but also very strong once assembled. We purchased the track and hardware from Tractor Supply. He painted the track to blend better with the Cover.
We clamped a long piece of steel to the bottom of both walls to ensure that the walls are straight and plum with each other. We anchored the bottom of both walls with rebar stakes.
He purchased some cheap handles but I had already imagined the handles I would make for him.
He is the kind of guy that helps others but doesn’t do anything for himself. So I wanted to surprise him with these custom handles.
The handles appear small in the final picture but are actually around 18″ tall and are the same size as the 1 1/2″ square tubing giving them a substantial feel.
I used the left over steel from the doors to make “L” shaped brackets and welded nuts to the inside so they could be bolted from the inside of the door.
The letters are made from white oak. I dyed the wood with TransTint dye straight from the bottle. This is the same dye used in the Garden bench. A light sanding and second dye coat and finished with an automotive clear coat which really makes the color pop.
He was so shocked that someone would do this for him. To me it was just a way to say thank you for being a great neighbor.
