How to Make a Shop Drawing for a Sliding Gate

A sliding gate drawing has more going on than a swing gate drawing. The gate is longer than the opening. It may carry a tail. It needs room for wheels or rollers underneath. Get one of those wrong and the gate is wrong before anyone picks up a saw.

This guide covers what goes on the sheet, what to measure, which views you need and how to make the drawing step by step. There is a live CAD60 drawing further down that you can spin and flip through.

What goes on a sliding gate shop drawing?

Everything the welder and the installer need, and nothing they have to guess. For a sliding gate that means:

For the general rules that apply to any gate drawing, see what to include on a gate fabrication drawing.

What do you measure on site for a sliding gate drawing?

Stretch a level line across the opening and measure from it. You need the clear opening width between the inside faces of the posts, and the height. On a slope you also take the height at each post, or four numbers for a gate whose top slopes too.

Then measure what is beside the opening: how much clear run-back there is, what the ground is, and where power is. Take a few readings across the opening, not just at the posts, so a dip in the middle does not catch you out. The sloped driveway guide walks through every case.

What changes on the drawing for a tracked or cantilever gate?

A tracked gate drawing shows where the wheels sit under the bottom rail, the track profile, the guide post with its rollers, the catch post and the end stops. The ground clearance has to fit the wheel diameter plus the track height. About 60 mm suits a 50 mm wheel on a 10 mm track.

A cantilever drawing swaps those for the channel under the bottom rail, the roller carriages, the roller posts and the counterweight tail with its bracing. The tail is usually 40 to 50% of the opening, so it is a big part of the drawing. The infill stops at the bottom rail, because the channel sits under it.

Not sure which one the job needs? The cantilever vs sliding gate guide goes through it.

Which views does a sliding gate drawing need?

At least three orthographic views and a 3D view:

• A front elevation, with the opening, the gate length, the overlaps, the tail and every height dimensioned.
• A plan view from above, showing the posts, the track or rollers and where the gate parks.
• A side elevation, showing the section through the gate and the hardware under it.
• An isometric view so anyone can see what they are building at a glance.

Add detail views for the parts that need a closer look: the wheel bracket or roller carriage, the posts and footings, and the rack and motor. On a raked gate, the angle of every rail goes on the drawing too.

Should you draw it by hand, in CAD or with a configurator?

All three work. They suit different jobs.

My dad has run a fabrication business for nearly 20 years, and getting a good drawing fast was always the sticking point. That is why we built CAD60. It is not general CAD. It draws gates, fences, screens and balustrades from your sizes, and nothing else. If you need to draw something it does not cover, see how to make fabrication drawings without CAD.

How do you make the drawing in CAD60?

1. 1

   Pick the model

   Choose the style (battened, slatted, louvred and more) and the type: tracked, cantilever or telescopic.

2. 2

   Type the opening and heights

   Enter the clear opening, the height and the overlaps. On a tracked gate, pick Level, Single rake or Double rake and type the heights from your level line.

3. 3

   Set the frame and infill

   Pick the tube for each member and the batten or slat spacing. The drawing redraws as you type.

4. 4

   Switch on the hardware you need

   The gate starts on its own. Add the track, the guide and catch posts, the end stops, the gear rack and motor, a Posts View sheet and a Hardware Details sheet as the job needs them.

5. 5

   Fill in the title block and download

   Add the client and job details, then download the drawing pack and the cutting list.

Here is a real sliding gate drawing CAD60 made from a few measurements: a battened gate on raked ground. Spin the 3D model, flip through the sheets, then open it and change a number.

Anyone can configure a gate and see a watermarked preview for free, with the weight, piece count and a sample of the cutting list. The Fabricator plan adds clean PDF packs, STEP files, the full cutting list and cost estimate, and your logo on every sheet. See pricing for the details.

What should you check before the drawing goes to the workshop?

• The gate length is the opening plus both overlaps, plus any tail.
• The ground clearance fits the wheel and track, or the roller carriage.
• The run-back on site is longer than the gate, tail included.
• A raked gate opens toward the low side, or the run-back ground is cut down.
• The gear rack height matches the motor you are fitting.
• The finish colour and the revision number are on the title block.

With the drawing done, pricing the job is mostly arithmetic. The how to quote a sliding gate guide covers the rest.

Common questions