Date: Tue, 28 Dec 2010 11:00:32 -0800
Reply-To: Stacy Schneider <vwcrewman@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stacy Schneider <vwcrewman@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Replacement door panels
In-Reply-To: <288E827502594448AF108154A9D93A4E@troyb5bff49d63>
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The upholsterers actually have a treated cardboard they use . it has
a waxy side that is designed to go up against the door . Even with that said
,you still need to put a vinyl vapor barrier on the door before you seal it
up . It keeps the moisture of of the door panels and prevents drafts .
Contrary to popular belief the scrapers on the door top do not keep water
out . They are designed to stop large objects which plug the door drains.
Stacy
On Tue, Dec 28, 2010 at 10:31 AM, Troy <colorworks@gci.net> wrote:
> <<I need to replace three door panels - one passenger and driver door,
> and one sliding door panel. The panels are water damaged and
> deteriorated. I need to acquire replacements and think I will just make
> my own instead of trying to buy and have shipped so bulky an item. Has
> anyone done this? I haven't found the right fiberboard yet so am looking
> for a source. It appears the panel is a tempered fiber/hard board and is
> between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick - more towards the 1/8 inch rather than
> the other way. If anyone knows where to get this, or has a suggestion
> on how to approach the replacing of the panels, please let me know. If I
> make them, I still have to get them upholstered.
>
> Thanks,
>
> John>>
>
> John:
>
> Depending on the degree of durability you want, there are a number of
> choices. As you mentioned, 1/8 inch is what you want for thickness as
> quarter inch is going to be too rigid. Both Lowe's and Home Depot have a
> variety of decorative panels that are 1/8" to 3/32" thickness, and will
> handle the job fine. The one drawback there is they are fiberboard, and I
> suspect a person could put their foot through one pretty easily. Most of
> them are vinyl coated. Under $20 for a 4x8 sheet.
>
> The 2nd alternative is Baltic Birch, which is available in 1/8", and is
> considerably stronger than any fiberboard material, and if you want, you can
> actually stain and varnish it and leave it as is. If you go this route you
> will need to get different fasteners to secure them. Email me if you need a
> source.
>
> 1/8 inch acrylic panels are also available in a variety of colors. (will
> never warp again!) Check with your local glass company and they can probably
> order you 4 x 8" sheets. A guy on the Samba is also selling precut panels in
> black if you don't want to tackle the cutting yourself. Bus Depot also sells
> precut panels as does Sewfine.
>
> If you know how to operate a router, you can sandwich the old panel with a
> new panel and use a flush trimming bit. You will want to rough cut the new
> panel to within a quarter inch or so with a jig saw. I used the old mounting
> holes to screw the old panel and new panel together for routing purposes.
> It's pretty quick to do, assuming your panels are not too badly warped. My
> sliding door panel was so badly warped, that I could not get the holes to
> line up and ended up making several panels until I got the mounting holes in
> the correct position. If your panels are warped, you will more than likely
> run into problems, so a kraft paper template is real helpful here before you
> make the final holes. If you have a good template to use, it's pretty
> straightforward to make these.
>
> Hope this helps.
>
> Troy
>
--
1989 Swedish Tristar with Aluminum gates and Atiwe 16" Wheels.
Oldest son is an Eagle scout.
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