DIY plywood sliding baby/ pet gate

thingiverse

I designed this to solve my sliding pet gate needs, which arose from a hallway that spans 53 inches. Most pet gates aren't wide enough to fit this space, so I came up with a solution that involves mounting the hook portion on one wall and using several hooks to keep the plywood close to the wall when it's sliding. This design also allows for easy assembly of the gate in its locked position. The file "gate1" is 0.75 inches wide inside, while the receiving end, "gate2", is 0.5 inches wide inside. To make this project easier and more durable, I recommend using wall anchors unless you're screwing these into studs. I'm using 0.5-inch plywood or thinner because moving a 6-foot piece of plywood can get heavy at higher thicknesses. Therefore, I advise using 0.5-inch or less plywood to keep the gate manageable. Additionally, I might incorporate simple wheels on the sliding portion or felt on the bottom of the plywood to make it easier to slide in and out of place.