As promised a year ago..I'm finally getting to my passenger side door panel, and have some pics. of the progress. I ran out of vinyl, and overstretched the fabic the first time, so I've gotta make a trip to the fabric store tommorrow. First pic is of the finished drivers side you guys have seen a zillion times, but just as a reference.
and some more. I glued 6 layers of chipboard to get a nice solid form. The main door panel was duplicated from the original with all of the handle holes, and panel clip holes. I used 1/8 oak veneer.
after I recover what you're looking at, I'll cover the top half of the main panel then attach the lower piece from the back with wood screws. After that is done, I'll wrap the side and bottom of the lower piece around both layers. The grey vinyl I'm using was a poor choice to begin with, but was only thing available here locally. It's a top grade marine vinly (22.00 yard),but has comparitively little stretch. Knowing what I know now, I would have opted to wait till I could get to a regular upholstery supply shop and picked a vinyl with maximum stretch....as I did when I recovered the console and dash.
I should note..I used a remnant I had left over to stretch that piece. All vinyls stretch more in one direction that the other...often indicated on the backside of the fabric with a diamond pattern...I did not have the option of which way to run the stretchier axis because the piece I used would only cover one way. I may have to buy 2 yards of material to be able to run the stretch correctly and get a better job out of it.
Rich
Those door panels look real nice and I can see that you are putting a lot of quality work into them. How do you get the fabric to follow the contours especially the low spots?
Keep up the good work.
Jay
I use contact adhesive. Rattle can stuff just doesn't hold over the long haul, especially in heat. I learned the hard way to use what the pros use ....weldwood contact adhesive. I use the stronger one made for Landau tops. Aside from being better, it's also cheaper. any of 3m or other good brands are going to be 12. up for a spray can. The last gallon of the weldwood I bought while I was in Poenix costs about 22.00. Sprays real well with a cheap HF gun if you thin it just a tad with acetone. I keep a little jar of it handy to use with a brush when I need to do a small area.For example, when I did the first layer of chipboard, I only wanted the chipboard to stick to the panel for about 3/4 of an inch above the carpet panel, so rather than spraying I just masked off and brushed that area rather than spraying it.
On this part I had sprayed all of the contact artea, which was a mistake. when I redo it, I'll avoid adhesive where it isn't needed, allowing for easier repositioning without overstretching when needed.
u sure do some nice work, jerry
That looks beautiful!
I think you missed your calling Rich!! Beautiful work, at what address do I send My panels to? :003:
Thanks for letting us see them.
Tim :unitedstates:
Like always, Rich you have some serious skills my friend. I'm with Tim, where do I send my panels. Great work!!!
Rich, I too am impressed with your work. I am also envious of how far along your car is. I know you have the engine and drive train yet to get going, but with that done you should be almost ready to go.
I am also impressed by the members of this forumn and how much of their own work they do. In the previous clubs I belong to (Mustang and Crown victoria clubs) it was rare for anyone to do their own body work, let alone upholstery work. An inspiration to say the least.!
Thanks a ton guys...very encouraging remarks. I've got a few more progress pics to post..but I need to spend a few hours glued to an auction site, so I'll get the pics on later. I was able to get all of the wrinkles out that were giving me fits the other night. I guess sometimes you just need to walk away and come back later. The funny part was, I had already gone to the fabric store and picked up another couple yards of fabric, and started to remove what I had done, then deceided to give it one last shot and REALLY tug on the fabic with canvas pliers. 5 minutes later it was all restapled with no wrinkles.
Rich, if you're bidding on that wonderful epay site don't waste your day away watching it use a Snipe program and sit back and relax.
Zap- :unitedstates:
Beautiful craftsmanship!
No ebay...live,real time auto insurance auctions. The car I've been watching hasn't been released by the insurace company yet. Since this bidding online LIVE is new to me, I wanted to watch for a while anyways. I was also worried that if the car, which is overdue for release by the insurance company,was released during todays auction, that they might slip it in even though it wasn't listed prior to the auction as one of the vehicles to be sold. It wasn't. Next auction at that site is in 2 weeks.
.".weldwood contact adhesive."
Rich
I need to get some of that adhesive. It sounds real good.
Jay
Just a few more things to do and it's done. I varnished the backside of the panel to help keep it from absorbing water when and if. I will also attach a piece of plastic sheeting to the panel when everything else is done. I prefer this to attaching the plastic to the door. As I mentioned above, I was able to get all the wrinkles out of the bottom piece, so I screwed it to the panel from the back, and finished wrapping the fabric. The reason for all the staples in the recessed areas is the vinyl strips I'm using want to go back to the rolled up shape it had for 20 years or so. I tried heat to flatten them in the past, but the heat has an adverse affect on the 'chrome'. So, the stapples just add alittle mechanical help to the contact adhesive holding it to the panel.
I obviously need to color the red vinyl with sems vinyl coating..project for later this evening. I also need to finish up the door pull. I'll post pics on that when I get it done. The door pulls go on after the door panel is attached to the door, as the screws go thru the inside panel of the door.
more...The lower carpeted panel was wrapped around a piece of 1/4" aspen..glued in front, stappled in back. I trimmed all the knap off the carpet on the backside to prevent it from sticking out too far. It also was screwed to the panel from the back.
I should have titled this thread the "NO SEW door panel"
and the third pic just for laughs...I was cutting up some Bell peppers for dinner last night and ran into this one. Never seen a pepper inside a pepper before.
...and here I am wasting my time looking for a double needle sewing machine
Super job!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just about finished. I got the handle painted/covered. Jay was asking about how to keep the fabric in low areas...this is a perfect example. I did have to keep the vinyl warm while sticking it down...needed as much stretch as posible. when your doing something like the handle base, you have to work to fabric first into the low areas, then work out from there. The sems worked great as usual on the strips and handle. I did loosen some of the chrome trip on the strips when I pulled the masking tape off...I'm going to go back and replace them and try to figure a diferent way to mask them off.
Notice in the first picture I had to build up the handle base with bondo to clear all the stuff on the backside that would have fit into a cavity on the oem car they came from.
more...
looks great! freaking amazing
Zap- :unitedstates:
Very nice Rich!
I have been watching your progress.
I'm amazed at how you actually do keep the fabric attached in the lower areas.
JAY A
Rich
These are the pictures of the grill that we were talking about.
The other grill
Excellent work Rich, looks really nice!
Jay...a couple of days late, but thanks for posting. Very similar to mine in condition.
Thanks for the compliment Limey....they're always appreciated.