How to Remove Stateroom Door on TT?

I searched for a thread on this and didn't find one. Our stateroom door rollers on our Taiwanese trawler sound like it is grinding coffee every time we open the door. We sleep with the door closed in the winter to conserve heat and in the summer to help with the eternal Alaska daylight. If one of gets up the other has little chance of remaining asleep due to the noise. They seem to be brass mechanisms on ball bearings?? I'm hoping to replace with something quieter. I thought the trim panel was the "keeper" and that didn't work. the brass rail that the door slides on is screwed in farther back into the door housing so I can't get it off. It's like they built the boat after they recessed the door. I am reluctant to do any further "demolition" until I can find out how to get it out without damage. Any help?

Thanks.

Picture of hinge please....to be sure.

If a tiny bullet shaped ones...open the door 90 degrees and lift up off pins.

Greetings,
Mr. ps. OP mentioned "door rollers" so it may be a pocket door.

Sounds similar to the salon rolling doors many of us have, and have trouble with. I took mine apart. Steel wheels, steel ball bearings, steel axle w/riveted ends, brass/bronze casting, steel screws. I repaired the bronze castings; brazed where broken. I made new wheels out of Teflon stock (McMaster-Carr), stainless sleeve and stainless axle riveted in. So far, so good.

As for removing the bar/track, mine were easy. Not in a pocket. You might consider cutting the bar and take care with alignment when replacing it.

psneeld said:

Picture of hinge please....to be sure.

If a tiny bullet shaped ones...open the door 90 degrees and lift up off pins.

Click to expand...

Ooopps....caught by early AM ...sorry!

Of course hinges may make it quieter....

Here are some photos of my door arrangement. The structure at the top of the door is part of the whole hatch framing that the sliding top slides on to close off the cabin.

Have you tried removing the metal rail that it is riding on? There may be 2 metal rails and if you can remove the one in the doorway the door may slide out and then sort of hinge out of the top opening. I would try to remove the rail that is visible and see if it runs all the way back under the door.

Mine had a very small metal stop mounted at the end of the track with an equally small screw. Was very difficult to see but stopped the door coming off the track like magic.

John

I removed the screws and it seems like there is more screws further back in. I can't see anyway to get it out that would not result in major damage that would very complicated to repair. I guess I just have to live with it. I really do think they built the boat on top of it. Thanks, to all for your tips and keep them coming if you think of anything else.

Ok, now is the time to break out the sawsall...

Photos are OK but almost to close in to show much about the overall arrangement.

How about a few more shots showing more of the door, the frames, the rails and any other details

When you slide the door all the way closed, does the end of the door come out of the pocket? I would guess that removing the bottom rail is the answer. Being able to look back into the pocket to see how the rail is attached will be necessary. Can't tell from the picture, but can you access the bottom of the pocket from either side?

Ted

If the door does come all the way out of the pocket when it is closed you could cut the metal rail off when the door is all the way open. Then close door and hopefully you can remove it then. Then replace the metal rail with a new one. However this may be a bit risky if you still can’t get the door off. If you can get the door off you might consider replacing the metal rail and wheels with a UHMW plastic rail and do away with the wheels. The wood should slide easily on the UHMW. You would have to make the rail a bit taller to account for the lack of the wheels or put a thin strip of plastic in the dado where the wheels are now. Then you would have plastic on plastic for sliding the door. It should slide very nicely then.