Need help on cooker door

I may be missing something but doesn't that get solved by leaving a small strip between your door cutouts that you don't cut out so the doors have 4 sides to rest against? Then you have 4 slide out grates.

How are you going to have two separate doors without something in the middle to close them on? Unless one of them overlaps the other, but then one door couldn't open unless the other opens first, which defeats the purpose.

I don't really think you will have a sag problem but if you want to make sure I would take a length of 1" or 1-1/2" angle a few inches longer that the opening (maybe 70" or so) weld both open edges of the angle to the inside just above the door opening to give you a VERY secure top opening.

Edit: when I've done double doors to access one opening I just modify the trim/seal pieces. I usually use 1-1/2 flat bar to frame the doors, one door has 4 pieces of the flat bar all the way around like normal but on the other I put the center piece of flat bar on the inside for the other door to rest/seal on and the other three trim/seal pieces go on like normal. Only down side is you always have to open one door first and you can't close the "top" door if you heed to open the other.

Got to go with DW on this adding a Strongback on the inside top edge will stiffen it, like puttin a splint on a busted leg.

I was thinking exactly what DW said. You could even make it user friendly, by drilling some holes in the angle, to insert hooks for hanging meat.

Matt

450 said:

Thanks DW. Was thinking about that. Just wanted some opinions on it. Making sure I was on right track. This is my first double door build, want it done right, and I'm sure my customer does too.

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With single wide grates I'm assuming the reason for double doors is primarily ease of opening without counterweights? FWIW I've been experimenting with gas assist springs and I'm pretty well convinced they will work on a big offset or RF door; I'm doing a couple 250 gallon and a couple 500 gallon tank builds this winter and will be trying them on at least one. My thought is to fabricate a gusste attached to the door to get the lift point 8"-10" above the actual door with thr other end attached to the tank. Just a thought.

You could do a cabinet style front with a flat piece of 3/16" flat bar hinged for the seal between the two doors.

But if he is stuck on counter weights you throw this thought out the window.