Replies

1. 
   joinerswork | Oct 27, 2004 04:04pm | #1

   creekwood,

   My inclination would be to fudge the hinge placement so as to split the difference in alignment between the two corners of the misaligned door.  Possibly you can add a magnetic or friction catch, or a door stop to push the corner back out.  Or a combination of the two.

   Good luck,

   Ray

1. 
   creekwood | Oct 27, 2004 06:45pm | #4

   Thanks, Ray, but the problem is it's in a metal framework, not a cabinet, but actually a recreation of a '32 Ford Woody. These are the rear doors, on the back of the car, and the metal frame is being wrapped to appear as solid wood. The frame already has the hinges placed, so there's really no fudging on the hinge placement. My first thought was clamping the door for a while in the configuration that would conform it to the existing shape. If that doesn't work, I'll have to find another way.

   Thanks for your help.

2. 
   jackplane | Oct 27, 2004 04:20pm | #2

   It would be easier to bend the metal door(s) straight than fudge with bending the maple. Clamp some 2x2 angle iron, with cloth under, and bend the door as needed.

   Even if you'd need to respray the door, this way it'll be straight.

1. 
   creekwood | Oct 27, 2004 06:52pm | #5

   Thanks, JACKPLANE, but you can see in my reply to Ray that it's a little different. These doors are maple with a ply panel, and they will be attached into a metal framework. The framework is covered in maple, but the hinges attach to the metal. And to change the metal, I'd have to make a new rear quarterpanel, which will then change the grain pattern I've matched so far. I really don't want to do that, so I'm hoping for another solution.

   Thanks for the help.

3. 
   JohnWW | Oct 27, 2004 05:29pm | #3

   If you are putting the doors in a free standing metal cabinet, the cabinet is probably just a bit twisted from sitting on an uneven floor.  Shimming under one or more corners of the cabinet should bring everything into line.  If you are lucky, the cabinet has adjustable feet that may be hidden in the kick space, but can be reached through plugged holes in the floor of the unit.

   Warping an assembled door is very difficult.

   John W.

    

1. 
   creekwood | Oct 27, 2004 06:54pm | #6

   Thanks, JohnW, but you can see my replys already. It's a different problem, that's for sure. If anyone comes up with something, I'd greatly appreciate it.

   Again, thanks.

1. 
   JohnWW | Oct 27, 2004 07:02pm | #7

   Clamping the doors will appear to work, but the door will straighten out in a few hours, I've seen this tried many times, never saw it work. 

   The only way I know of to permanently reshape a door is to either disassemble it and rebuild it warped, or to add a shaped batten or tension rod to the back of the door.

   John W.

1. 
   creekwood | Oct 27, 2004 07:38pm | #8

   Thanks, John, that tension rod could be an idea. I'll look at that.

1. 
   jackplane | Oct 27, 2004 07:59pm | #9

   If I read you right, the door frame is solid maple and the carcass is steel. One option to straighten the door is to buy #4 piano wire, drill two holes, halfway down in both stiles, and rout a groove on the top rail. Then bend the wire to a squared "U" shape with one leg offset to compensate for the warp, and insert.

   Edited 10/27/2004 1:32 pm ET by JACKPLANE

2. 
   JohnWW | Oct 27, 2004 08:59pm | #10

   The idea of inserting a wire frame into the door is a slick idea, I'm going to file it away for solving what has always been a very difficult fix.

   John W.

3. 
   creekwood | Oct 27, 2004 11:18pm | #11

   Actually, the door frame is maple, and it's straight. The framework of the car is 1" steel, hollow square stock. The car frame, when you look from the side and line both rear posts up by eye, is even at the top, but the bottom is offset. I know 1 picture is worth a thousand words, so forgive me on my explanation. But it's like one side of the car is about 1 inch longer than the other. So, when the two doors meet in the middle, one is tilted slightly, because the metal is not parallell. Hope I haven't confused you. I know I am.

4. 
   robkelly | Oct 28, 2004 01:56am | #12

   Is Bondo on the frame out of the question?

5. 
   creekwood | Oct 28, 2004 03:07am | #13

   Yea, Rob, afraid so. Hard to explain, but the side panels have already been mounted, so I have to make these doors fit. Thanks for the suggestion.

6. 
   301 | Oct 28, 2004 03:18am | #14

   I do some railroad car restorations and have been in the exact situation you are in.  I suggest you plane down the back of your panel so it matches the frame it is being attached to.  Just use trial and error and maybe some shims, you will get it eventually.  Or make another panel and this time glue it up on the car so the glue will set while the panel is in the position you need. 

7. 
   creekwood | Oct 28, 2004 04:00am | #15

   Good idea, but the only thing is, these doors are seen from both sides. The back side makes up the interior of the rear of the car, so anything done to it will be seen.

   Sounds like you have a challenge, also. But ain't it fun!

   Thanks, el papa.

8. 
   301 | Oct 28, 2004 06:21am | #16

   I am trying to replace the window sills in an old business car.  The boneheads at C&O's Huntington shops replaced the original window sills with melamine over plywood so I am going back with original mahogany.  With 30 windows many of the sills are unique, I only have ghost images and a few old photographs to work with. 

   Back to your problem: I hope the woody owner knows about this because the difference in the metal may be indicative of some other problem.  Maybe the cure needs to start at the metal? 

   Was maple an original material for a woody?

9. 
   creekwood | Oct 28, 2004 06:51am | #17

   El papa, yes, the owner knows about the problem. He had a fabricator friend make this. Maple was the original material, along with basswood for the inside rooftop. This will not be a total reproduction, more of a hot rod. Mustang engine, electric doors and windows, air, and a few other things. From what I've learned, the original builders would use whatever they had in the way of maple. Curly and birdseye were not uncommon in these. Not many originals have survived. This one had lost most of the body, but there was enough left to use some of the parts.

10. 
    301 | Oct 28, 2004 07:11am | #18

    You and the fabricator freind should  put your heads together and see if there is a better solution.  I fear that a panel "warped" or "bent" will be obvious on the outside.  Just my opinion.  Have fun with it.

11. 
    DouglasM | Oct 28, 2004 03:22pm | #19

    I actualy thinh this door can be 'bent' to match the frame. In building wooden boats I have used heat to twist doors to fit and keep them in that shape although never tried it with Maple. We have used heat guns to warm the wood, clamp it in shape, (usualy a little exagerated to compensate for shape back), let it cool and when unclamped it holds the vast majority of it's shape.

    Might be worth a try,

    - Douglas"It's time to stop Drinking and Dreaming and start Creating and Completing"

12. 
    creekwood | Oct 28, 2004 11:04pm | #20

    Thanks, douglas. I was wondering along those lines. If I can just get a little from both doors, sort of splitting the difference, it just may do the trick.