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Post Info TOPIC: door panels
Seeker1056


DOURO, ONT

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door panels
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so I am wanting to make custom door panels for my mercury truck

I need a substrate to put the material onto

 

Where can one get thin plastic sheet or stiff cardboard that can be heated or soaked and pressed into the shallow compound contours of the door

 

I am looking for any suggestions from those who have been down this road

Also how do you attach the finished door panels besides using screws? Velcro, glue, clips?????

 

thanks in advance



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1947 Ford convertible, 73 Javelin drag car, 1953 Mercury pickup, 1963 F100 Unibody 4x4
hemi43


ONTARIO

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Most door panels are made from Baltic birch plywood and are usually 1/8 thk and come in 5ft X5ft panels. these are flexible enough to curve slightly to the contour of your door. Panels are held to the door with door panel clips like these.
www.521restorations.com/images/door_panel_clip_gold.jpg

I like gluing these clips in location so that they don't move later on. You're now ready to cover the wood panel with foam. Use foam called "landau" foam, which comes in different thicknesses (1/8, 1/4, 5/16) It's called landau foam because this is the stuff they used to use to pad the roof on cars with vinyl roofs. This foam can be laminated to give different patterns which will show through once the final cover it put on.
It ain't rocket science, and if you want, I have a couple excellent books that take you step by step on how it's done. All these products are available locally.

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Seeker1056


DOURO, ONT

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Hey Hemi

I have had no luck finding a step by step book - having bought several disappointing books already - showing people doing the work but no details one what they used , why, or where to get supplies

where do you live? could I borrow the books you have?

I am quite conversant on most of the work itself - but the materials and where to get them locally are the stumbling block

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1947 Ford convertible, 73 Javelin drag car, 1953 Mercury pickup, 1963 F100 Unibody 4x4
hemi43


ONTARIO

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PM sent

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FarmerSid


NAPANEE, ONT

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Check this build out. You may get a few ideas. I got this one bookmarked...

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MANCAVER


info@mancavestuff.ca

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I haven't been down this road yet but i've started. I bought some sheet ABS off ebay and I've been watching some videos on heating and forming it. I also bought some ABS welding road. I have a liester welder and I want to do a custom door panel insert.



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Seeker1056


DOURO, ONT

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farmer sid - what build?

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1947 Ford convertible, 73 Javelin drag car, 1953 Mercury pickup, 1963 F100 Unibody 4x4
hemi43


ONTARIO

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MANCAVER wrote:

I haven't been down this road yet but i've started. I bought some sheet ABS off ebay and I've been watching some videos on heating and forming it. I also bought some ABS welding road. I have a liester welder and I want to do a custom door panel insert.

 ABS panels would be good for a door panel only if they are vacuum formed into a somewhat 3 dimensional shape. An ABS panel the same thickness as a Baltic birch panel will never be as flat, which IMO is important given the type of vehicle most of us have (1970 or older). Another issue with ABS panels is the possibility of the foam to delaminate from it after a few years. 



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MANCAVER


info@mancavestuff.ca

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In my case I'm hoping to form a 3D shape but there are other ways than vacuforming. I won't be glueing any foam to this part either. I was thinking of making it out of aluminum but thought I would try ABS first.



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MANCAVER


info@mancavestuff.ca

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Yikes! Stay away from burning cars, they are full of ABS. There is no smoke created in the plastic welding process ( at least the process I use).

 

I got the sheets of ebay. I will look up the source and post it when I find it.



-- Edited by MANCAVER on Saturday 21st of September 2013 10:06:12 AM

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MANCAVER


info@mancavestuff.ca

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got the ABS sheets here:

 

http://hentaproducts.com/home.php?cat=283



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wolfman1


ST GEORGE, ONT

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Home Depot sells a Door Skin panel, they are made for covering a slab style house door
They are 36" x 80" and perfect to get 2 door panels out of for most cars

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Fordy Acres Car Farm


DORCHESTER, ONT

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What material is the "door skin panel" from Home Depot?

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hemi43


ONTARIO

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Fordy Acres Car Farm wrote:

What material is the "door skin panel" from Home Depot?

 Probably mahogany  !! Why reinvent the wheel?? just use Baltic birch which has been proven thousands of times to be a perfect backing for door panels.



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hemi43


ONTARIO

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MANCAVER wrote:

got the ABS sheets here:

 

http://hentaproducts.com/home.php?cat=283

 The largest ABS sheet they carry is 24X24



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MANCAVER


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hemi43 wrote:
MANCAVER wrote:

got the ABS sheets here:

 

http://hentaproducts.com/home.php?cat=283

 The largest ABS sheet they carry is 24X24

 That's all I needed for my project I'm sure you can buy it elsewhere in bigger sheets. Ebay was just easier for me.

 

I agree that the material you mentioned is probably the best for flat panels. My project is a custom shaped indent in an existing panel to allow more elbow room.



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FarmerSid


NAPANEE, ONT

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Seeker1056 wrote:

farmer sid - what build?

  Sorry!! LOL! Brain fart.......

 

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=459839&page=12



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wolfman1


ST GEORGE, ONT

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Fordy Acres Car Farm wrote:

What material is the "door skin panel" from Home Depot?

1/8  Masonite, with a wood veneer



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Homer


BLOOMINGDALE, ONT

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My door panels are from Rod Doors and held on by velcro,which they also sell.
Homer

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Seeker1056


DOURO, ONT

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ok, so in my searches - I am now looking for heavy cardboard, and 1/4 and 1/2 inch foam?

anyone have a local supplier? or online?

Rod Doors had panels for my truck but has been out of business for a couple years which is why I am building my own panels now

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1947 Ford convertible, 73 Javelin drag car, 1953 Mercury pickup, 1963 F100 Unibody 4x4
hemi43


ONTARIO

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Seeker1056 wrote:

ok, so in my searches - I am now looking for heavy cardboard, and 1/4 and 1/2 inch foam?

anyone have a local supplier? or online?

Rod Doors had panels for my truck but has been out of business for a couple years which is why I am building my own panels now

The black coated cardboard is only beneficial if you're going to sew through it. If you just plan on using adhesive, then stick with the Baltic birch. 1/2 thick foam is only used for accents, and is available, but may not give you the look you want on a door panel. If you plan on picking up my books, don't purchase anything yet. 



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Seeker1056


DOURO, ONT

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yes - I was going to sew through it for carpeted door bottoms

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1947 Ford convertible, 73 Javelin drag car, 1953 Mercury pickup, 1963 F100 Unibody 4x4
Seeker1056


DOURO, ONT

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ok - so went with the birch plywood - panels are all made

tried to glue the naugahyde material down with 3M auto spray adhesive - didn't work - even doing the two coats let almost dry and spray again deal - aka youtube videos

the panel has an embossed/raised pattern and the material wont stay stuck - anything glued flat and you would tear the plywood apart to get the material to lift - so what am I doing wrong that it wont stay stuck around the patterns

I even tried a heat gun to stretch the material but that only made the lifting worse

HELP



-- Edited by Seeker1056 on Sunday 13th of October 2013 02:18:50 PM

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1947 Ford convertible, 73 Javelin drag car, 1953 Mercury pickup, 1963 F100 Unibody 4x4
slim


DUNDAS, ONT

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Have you tryed taking a sander to embossed area ?



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