These x-brace barn door plans have just one more step than our z-brace barn door plans, but are still one of the easier sets of plans in our series of DIY sliding barn door plans. The complicated cuts are in making the x-brace itself, and that is only mildly complicated due to figuring out the proper angle. The rest of the boards are all straight cuts, so you should be able to complete this entire door in just a few hours.
Note that these x-brace barn door plans are drawn to accommodate a 36″ x 80″ door and also cover 3″ trim on each side of the door. Therefore to keep the boards even in width, we are ripping 1/4″ off of all 8 planks. If you are building for a 32″ door with 3″ trim, you can just use 7 planks at standard width.
If you have comments or question, please feel free to connect with us via the comments section below. We love the feedback! Also, don’t forget to check out our other free DIY project plans; and if you build anything from any of our plans we would love to see the result. Send us some images via our Submit Your Build page.
Materials
- 11 – 1×6 @ 8′
Tools
- Miter saw, circular saw, or table saw
- Nail gun
- Sander and sand paper
- Tape Measure
- Square
- Quick clamps
- Wood glue
- Wood filler
Step 1: Layout the planks
The first step in these x-brace barn door plans is to cut and layout all of your 1×6 planks that will make up the basis of your barn door. Since we are building a 42″ door and we want all of the planks the same width, we need to rip 1/4″ off of each of the eight boards. If you don’t want to rip 1/4″ off of each board you could opt to rip 1″ off of each of the two outside boards, or just leave them all at stock width and have your door be 44″ wide.
There is no need to attach these together at this point, just lay them out and ensure the ends are all aligned.
Step 2: Add the upper and lower rails
With the planks laid out it’s time to add your upper and lower rails. Cut two pieces from a 1×6 to 42″ in length, leaving them at the stock 5 1/2″ width. Use wood glue and 1 1/4″ finish nails to attach one rail to each of the upper and lower ends of your planks. Use four nails in each end of each plank, nailed in a square pattern, to ensure the planks are firmly attached to the rail.
Step 3: Add the long brace of the X
The next step in constructing your barn door is to add the long brace. Cut the long brace from a single 1x6x8. The angles of the cuts on each end should be around 63.45°, but to find it a little more precisely for your door I recommend laying your board in position and then scribing lines on each end where it intersects with the rails. Once you have the lines scribed, set your miter saw blade to match the line and make the cuts.
Use wood glue and two finish nails per plank to secure the long brace in place.
Step 4: Finish the X
The final step of these x-brace barn door plans is to finish the X by adding the two short braces. This is going to be the same process as adding the long brace, except you need to cut out the section in the middle where the long brace passes through. Use wood glue and finish nails to attach the short braces to each plank they pass over.
Step 5: Sand and finish
Now that your construction is finished, it’s time to sand and finish. Use wood filler to fill any nail holes, then sand using 120 grit followed by 180 grit sandpaper. After you have finished sanding the entire door it’s on to applying the paint or stain of your choice.
We hope you find these plans useful. Let us know if you have any questions, and don’t forget to submit your build if you create a barn door from these plans or any of our plans.
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