Stainless Steel Tracks (or Channels and Angles) for sliding mirrors...

[Batpig]

Good Morning to All,

Just wondering whether any of you know of a brand (or even a supplier here in Brisbania...) for a Double-Track made of Stainless Steel, which is the right size for sliding mirrors? In other words, a dual-track where each groove was something like 5 or 6mm wide. In the absence of a dedicated track section, even some small Stainless Channels and Angles - side by side - might do the same job if they were thin enough... A little wider might not be the end of the world, but the availability of thicker mirrors starts to become a factor as width increases.

I might be asking for the impossible, because it's hard to imagine them pushing the stuff through a die in the fashion of extruded aluminium, and it would be too small to hot-roll like steel. I might therefore have to settle for anodised aluminium, so any pointers in this direction would also be appreciated. Nonetheless, I would really like to get the shiny "Bling" effect that Stainless would give over Aluminium. The application is a Sliding-Mirror Shaving-Cabinet for the Bathroom, and shiny Stainless tracks on a white Shaving-Cabinet would really fit in with the shiny new taps on the Vanity Basin...

Thanks in Advance,
Batpig.

[RedRaven]

I think any company that does built-in robes might be the best people to ask... I have floor to ceiling sliding mirrors in my master bedroom and they run on rubber wheels that run in a v-grooved aluminium plate in the floor.

Or are you suspending the mirrors?

[Jacksin]

I'm guessing here but, the tracks you describe for a shaving cabinet I have only seen made out of moulded plastic.

Perhaps a call to a (shaving) cabinet maker/retailer or even a prominent glazing company.

[Batpig]

Rick, rollers at the bottom a'la what you've got on your robe doors would be overkill, as would hanging-slides. The Shaving Cabinets in question will be up at head height, and the two overlapping mirrors will each be only about 450mm high x 350mm wide. They would just slide along in the bottom track, and the top track would be deeper so that you lift the mirror up to get the bottom to come out of the bottom track.

Jacksin, you're right on the money when you mention the plastic versions - you obviously know exactly the sort of thing that I'm looking for. Even some very small geometrics - say a channel and an angle side by side - in either Stainless or Aluminium, would do the job. They couldn't be folded out of sheet either, because they'd have to have enough thickness to allow countersinking to accommodate fixings. Am doing the ring around this morning. Not having much luck at all so far...

Thanks anyhow,
Batpig.

[malb]

Ali should be easy to find, even anodised in a range of colours. Just chase an ali supplier as it is a fairly standard extrusion.

Would not like your chances in Stainless as it is not conducive to extruding, is normally rolled, and a single or double channel in that sort of section would definetly not hot roll well. Hot rolling also leaves a scale surface finish (dull matt grey) and in the section you would be seeking, would be virtually impossible to polish.

[Batpig]

Ali should be easy to find, even anodised in a range of colours. Just chase an ali supplier as it is a fairly standard extrusion.

You'd think so Malb, wouldn't you... But you know what - I rang both Smart and Capral this morning and neither of them have anything that would suit. Even their smallest channels and angles were too big to do the job sitting side by side. Rang pretty much everyone else, too. All the Stainless guys, plus Hafele, Cowdroy, and a couple of Cabinet Hardware Wholesalers... Nuthin, I tell ya! Nuthin!

Thanks all the same,
Batpig.

[China]

kewco Prducts in SA have been using aluminium track simillar to your needs for 30 years, you could call them and see if they can assist.(08) 8298 2555

[release r]

g,day new to this site and haven,t found an intro area. This site comes comes up alot on other searches i do,as for a suitable cabinet track try
http://www.cowdroy.com.au/rbtrk.pdf

It is available in bright chrome finish
cheers
maca

[Batpig]

Thanks for the PDF link Maca, but it's a little bit of overkill...
See the Ball Bearing track in this one: http://www.cowdroy.com.au/bb&plastrk.pdf
Well, it's not cheap - but it's cheaper than the one that you're talking about. Expensive, but HiQual. At first I was dead-set against it because of the price, but you know what - it's starting to grow on me, as they say...

I'd still be interested in the price of an aluminium version of the plastic tracks in the bottom half of the PDF, though.

China, thanks for the pointer. I sent an e-mail off to Kewco this morning. They might be into overkill as well, but we'll see...

Thanks very much to all so far,
Batpig.

[release r]

ok, the most economical way would be to use plastic track with a ali angle or pressed s/s in front of and under . ask for a bright dipped angle usually available from a shower screen maker .Next best way would be to buy ali extrusion and have anodised bright silver (may be able to find code for you)

cheers maca

[Batpig]

Couple of crafty lateral suggestions there Maca (showing your Scottish heritage by the sounds of it...), but I don't like the idea of plastic tracks. I think I'd sooner shell out some extra "folding" for the Cowdroy "Ball-Bearing" extrusion, and perhaps have it silver-anodised instead. Also, got an e-mail back from Kewco today. Looks like they might indeed do a simple good-old fashioned aluminium double-track for sliding glass, but I need a bit more detail on it. Have therefore sent them another e-mail. Will wait and see what they send back...

Thanks Muchly,
Batpig.