Which rollers for roof of roll off roff obsy

[Mikyg]

Hi all ive started a build of my old mans observatory.  its going to be 16 feet long and 8 feet wide.  does anyone know which rollers are best to use for the roof? Im having thin tile effect roofing panels which are made of thin steel i think. Theres plenty of rollers out there but im just worried about the weight.  i was thinking of putting 12 rollers down each side but i dont want to get rollers which aren't strong enough. Some of the rollers ive found have a rating of 600 kg per set of four but would that be enough with 12 on each side? Thanks for any help guys

[Gina]

Sounds plenty to me   Is the roof really going to be that heavy?

[Zakalwe]

Use steel wheels on steel rail. 12 per side is way too many. You just need two per side, unless your roof is massive.

These are the wheels to use (they can be recessed into the frame) :

And this is the track:

Steel on steel will give a very low friction solution...literally one finger to move. And they are self-centring.

Rubber wheel, wheels that run inside tracks, multiple sets of wheels will give issues with centring, wheel flattening and friction.

[Scott]

I would say thats a bit of overkill, unless you're planning to park your car on the roof

[Scott]

Use steel wheels on steel rail. 12 per side is way too many. You just need two per side, unless your roof is massive.

These are the wheels to use (they can be recessed into the frame) :

And this is the track:

Steel on steel will give a very low friction solution...literally one finger to move. And they are self-centring.

Rubber wheel, wheels that run inside tracks, multiple sets of wheels will give issues with centring, wheel flattening and friction.

You haven't a link for these have you? both wheels and track please

[Zakalwe]

You haven't a link for these have you? both wheels and track please

There's loads of suppliers (even Amazon)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Ddiy&field-keywords=sliding+gate+wheels&rh=n%3A79903031%2Ck%3Asliding+gate+wheels

Just Google for sliding gate wheels and track. Use the bolt-down track, not the tall one that's designed to be concreted into a driveway. Anyone local to Lancaster can collect a 3m length of track free from me if they want...its been lying at the back of my obsy since I put mine up! 

FH Brundle seems to carry the biggest range:

http://www.fhbrundle.co.uk/groups/13SWR300__300_kgs_Weight

[Mikyg]

Lol im not really sure, but if each roller has a capacity of 150kg and i have 12 on each side i think that works out at just over 3 and half ton for both sides but i didn't know if the shift in weight will make a difference. I cant see the roof with the timber, ply and roofing sheets weighing that much but just wanted some second opinions on it.

Thanks :-)

[Mikyg]

Use steel wheels on steel rail. 12 per side is way too many. You just need two per side, unless your roof is massive.

These are the wheels to use (they can be recessed into the frame) :

And this is the track:

Steel on steel will give a very low friction solution...literally one finger to move. And they are self-centring.

Rubber wheel, wheels that run inside tracks, multiple sets of wheels will give issues with centring, wheel flattening and friction.

The roof will be 16ft long and 8 ft wide. Never thought of the cantering problem thanks for the advice.

[Mikyg]

Zakalwe your a star, defo going the steel track route. Will take a lot of problems with the rollers out of the way. Was going be routing a channel all the way down the center of the timber for the rollers but can now go this way.

[Zakalwe]

Lol im not really sure, but if each roller has a capacity of 150kg and i have 12 on each side i think that works out at just over 3 and half ton for both sides but i didn't know if the shift in weight will make a difference. I cant see the roof with the timber, ply and roofing sheets weighing that much but just wanted some second opinions on it.

Thanks :-)

Absolute overkill.

The more wheels you put on, the harder it makes the roof to move as the wheels will always be slightly out in relation to one another.

I'd use a maximum of three per side, but it depends on how you are making your roof.

[Zakalwe]

Zakalwe your a star, defo going the steel track route. Will take a lot of problems with the rollers out of the way. Was going be routing a channel all the way down the center of the timber for the rollers but can now go this way.

A channel will fill up with muck over time. Plus, it's more likely to get standing water which will freeze.

[Mikyg]

Heres the obsy ideas in this post. http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/236280-todays-the-day-we-started-the-obsy/

[Zakalwe]

That's a great looking build. A 16" obsy will give room for two piers and a warm room #envious!

I like the idea of the plastic shingles...I am probably going to use those when I come to needing to re-flt my obsy.

[Gina]

I'm wondering whether to change over to those gate wheels and track myself   Much as I like making as much as I can myself, I don't think my plastic printed "V" wheels and aluminium track (angle) give as little friction as I expected, even though the wheels have ball bearings.  My track is 5m long so I would need to join those 3m lengths. 

Thinks...  I guess the wheels don't need to be so near the ends of the roof (2.4m long).  3m is 2m less than the total end to end run of the roof.  Could the wheels be 1m in from the ends?  Think that would be a bit much and allow too much sideways stress due to twisting moment.  Could probably manage with 3 tracks and cut one in half to extend the 3m to 4.5m - wheels 250mm in from ends - that might work.

Are those gate wheels fitted with ball bearings?  What is the width of the carriage?

[Mikyg]

I'm wondering whether to change over to those gate wheels and track myself   Much as I like making as much as I can myself, I don't think my plastic printed "V" wheels and aluminium track (angle) give as little friction as I expected, even though the wheels have ball bearings.  My track is 5m long so I would need to join those 3m lengths. 

Thinks...  I guess the wheels don't need to be so near the ends of the roof (2.4m long).  3m is 2m less than the total end to end run of the roof.  Could the wheels be 1m in from the ends?  Think that would be a bit much and allow too much sideways stress due to twisting moment.  Could probably manage with 3 tracks and cut one in half to extend the 3m to 4.5m - wheels 250mm in from ends - that might work.

Are those gate wheels fitted with ball bearings?  What is the width of the carriage?

I was thinking about that myself but my dads got a mig welder and gas welder so might just weld it underneath so its all one piece.

[Mikyg]

That's a great looking build. A 16" obsy will give room for two piers and a warm room #envious!

I like the idea of the plastic shingles...I am probably going to use those when I come to needing to re-flt my obsy.

Heres a pic of the top.

[Zakalwe]

Thinks...  I guess the wheels don't need to be so near the ends of the roof (2.4m long).  3m is 2m less than the total end to end run of the roof.  Could the wheels be 1m in from the ends? 

You wouldn't mount the wheels 1m in from the ends on a 2.4m roof. That'd only leave 0.4m between the wheels.  Mount them about .5m in from the end.

This is how they are mounted on my IKI obsy:

Untitled

Mounting them like this means that the gap between the roof and walls is minimised.

  Could probably manage with 3 tracks and cut one in half to extend the 3m to 4.5m - wheels 250mm in from ends - that might work.

I used 1.5 lengths on each side of mine. I just butted the ends of the rail together, though you can get proper jointing plates.

Are those gate wheels fitted with ball bearings?  What is the width of the carriage?

I think so, yes. Certainly the ones (120mm) in my roof are.

Dimensions? This page has a schematic:

http://www.gatemotors.co.uk/page-210-60-1

[Zakalwe]

Heres a pic of the top.

Blimey...that's a massive warm room! Are you going to hold parties in there?

[Gina]

Well... t'would be nice but 4 wheels and 3 lengths of track and 2 joiners come to £144.28 - can't afford that for a month or two   Back to the 3D printer then

[Zakalwe]

Well... t'would be nice but 4 wheels and 3 lengths of track and 2 joiners come to £144.28 - can't afford that for a month or two   Back to the 3D printer then

Have a hunt around. I am sure that I once found a far cheaper supplier of these tracks and wheels, but I am blowed if I can find them again.

[Gina]

You wouldn't mount the wheels 1m in from the ends on a 2.4m roof. That'd only leave 0.4m between the wheels.  Mount them about .5m in from the end.

This is how they are mounted on my IKI obsy:

Untitled

Mounting them like this means that the gap between the roof and walls is minimised.

I used 1.5 lengths on each side of mine. I just butted the ends of the rail together, though you can get proper jointing plates.

I think so, yes. Certainly the ones (120mm) in my roof are.

Dimensions? This page has a schematic:

http://www.gatemotors.co.uk/page-210-60-1

They're about twice the price of F.H. Brundle which look fine to me.  Any reason you went for the dearer supplier?

My wheels and track are V shaped and I think round section would probably be better.  I can easily print round section grooved wheels but would want round section track.  That gate track is much heavier duty than I need for my roof - 3 men can lift it.  Must try and make some sort of hoist to measure the weight sometime.

[Zakalwe]

They're about twice the price of F.H. Brundle which look fine to me.  Any reason you went for the dearer supplier?

I didn't. These were fitted to my Ian King observatory

The roof glides on these rollers which is why I would recommend steel wheels on steel tracks to anyone.

My wheels and track are V shaped and I think round section would probably be better.  I can easily print round section grooved wheels but would want round section track.  That gate track is much heavier duty than I need for my roof - 3 men can lift it.  Must try and make some sort of hoist to measure the weight sometime.

I honestly cannot imagine that printed plastic wheels would be suitable for a rolling roof. I'm happy to be corrected, but I cannot see how printed plastic would stand up to the point loads (and there are point loads on a V or round track...that's why they move so smoothly).

[Gina]

Have a hunt around. I am sure that I once found a far cheaper supplier of these tracks and wheels, but I am blowed if I can find them again.

I've just looked on ebay and Amazon and F.H. Brundle are cheaper.  I'll try a Google...

[Gina]

I didn't. These were fitted to my Ian King observatory

The roof glides on these rollers which is why I would recommend steel wheels on steel tracks to anyone.

I honestly cannot imagine that printed plastic wheels would be suitable for a rolling roof. I'm happy to be corrected, but I cannot see how printed plastic would stand up to the point loads (and there are point loads on a V or round track...that's why they move so smoothly).

They have though   I have 3 taking the load on the south side, which is the heaviest with the half wall as well as half the actual roof weight.  ABS plastic is amazingly strong   The wheels are 100mm OD and 22mm wide they run on 3/4" aluminium angle with the 90 degree angle upwards.  The middle wheel doesn't seem to be taking any load though so I might remove it.

[Zakalwe]

They have though   I have 3 taking the load on the south side, which is the heaviest with the half wall as well as half the actual roof weight.  ABS plastic is amazingly strong   The wheels are 100mm OD and 22mm wide they run on 3/4" aluminium angle with the 90 degree angle upwards.  The middle wheel doesn't seem to be taking any load though so I might remove it.

I stand corrected then!