52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

This will show how I do some door panels. This one is again a no sew, it is all done with glue and staples. I will take you through the entire build. First I will show you the materials I used. I started this panel back on April 1st for a friend, took this pic the other day. This door panel will be made to match a pleat design in his seats. It should be noted that the pics show it took a little over a month to finish the job, it was actually 8 days work, with life getting in the way the rest

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

ill be watching

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

Hey Greg, just getting started will take a few days. Will post a link for the other guys later..Jim

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

I normally use 1/8" lauan to make my panels. Ed could get only 3/16" so this makes it a little harder to bend the way I want, but still doable. (forget to mention that the panels were made out of one sheet of 4'X8' lauan sheet)

Pic 1. I have already cut the lauan to fit the door, and drew up how the panel should look. I had placed the arm rest shere Ed wanted, drew the outline, then I put dots where I wanted to drill holes for mounting of arm rest.

Pic 2. Taped arm in place on panel.

Pic 3. Drilled back thru holes to mark arm rest.

Pic 4. I then followed instructions for arm rest. Drilled holes out to 3/8" so I could install inserts.

Pic 5. View from back side.

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

Pic 1 View from back side of panel with screws installed to hold arm rest.

Pic 2 Arm rest attached to door.

Pic 3 Started cutting 2" wide stripes to make up pleats, total of 28. I know they look short, but they're not.

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

The next 3 pics are showing the arch I made to match the arch of the arm rest.

First pic is bad, but the next two shows what I did.

After looking at the dates on the pics, I should tell you that I have other things going on, and I work on the panel when I have time (plus I'm and old fart).

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

Pic 1 Another bad pic, I took some printer paper and traced out the design of the arch. I then placed all the 2" pleats in place and traced the shape for each and also numbered.

Pic 2 Better pic showing the same thing.

Pic 3 Now I've taken the paper and laid on left over from the 4'x8' sheet to make up the upper panel.

Pic 4 Here is the upper panel to show how it will lay on the bottom panel.

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

Pic 1 I've removed the upper panel and getting ready to glue pleats in place.

Pic 2 Laid pleats to double check.

Pic 3 Here I've sprayed glue on panel and on the pleats. I only do about 4 or 5 at a time.

Pic 4 This is the glue to use if you don't have a spray gun to use other glue.

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

Pic 1 Here all the pleats have been glued to the panel.

Pic 2 Here is the back side of the panel where I've staped each pleat to the panel, just to make sure nothing comes apart.

Pic 3 I just laid the upper and lower panel to give you the ideal of how it will look.

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

Have to go thru the pics and write what I want to say for each, so I've be back later...Jim

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

I take it you bought the armrest...care to share where they can be had...still gonna be awhile before I need stuff like this for my AD ...but all good info...

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

I think Ed got them from the company that bought out Rod doors. Maybe Chevy's of the 40's...Jim

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

Pic 1. This is the passenger panel, ran short on lauan, but had some old stuff in the basement to use. Just a different type of wood, light is birch, dark is walnut. Again about a week has gone bye.

Pic 2. I've cut material to fit all the panels. Take you time and measure twice or more before cutting, if you only have a small amount of material. On the pleated part, make sure to have extra length to go into the pleat, plus normal length.

Pic 3 Top section cut

Pic 4 Bottom section and for arm rest.

All of this was cut from 1 yd of material for each panel, 36" X 54"

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

Subscribed

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

Pic 1 I start out doing about 4 pleats at a time. Spray the panel, then the material, use a brush to get in the pleat. Let everything set for about 5 minutes to tach up. Start smoothing the material on the flat surface, then feed material into low spots. I'm sorry I got ahead of myself and forgot pics of how to do this, but I show it on the drivers panel later.

Pic 2 Here is the first 4 pleats, that have been pressed into the low spot with bondo spreader or screen door roller. Continue doing about 4 or 5 pleats till finished.

Pic 3 Then glue to back side and staple down.

Pic 4 Remove extra material.

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

Pic 1 This is the bottom section, I've stapled material at bottom of pleats. Again I forgot pics showing glueing bottom lauan section then glueing the material to it. It's the same for the top section, which I did take pics. When your doing this work you forget that you need to take pics, just get caught up in the glueing etc.

Pic 2 How the bottom section came out.

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

Thanks b-mac

Well it's late, will post more tomorrow...Jim

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

Those turned out great, very nice work.

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

Thanks...Jim

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

Ok, back to finish up this panel. This is the same way the bottom panel went together.

Pic 1 Stapled material at top of pleats, and sprayed glue on main panel.

Pic 2 Sprayed glue on top panel.

Pic 3 Glued two panels together, then stapled to hold together.

Pic 4 Glued material and panel together, and smooth out.

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

Pic 1 I've worked the material down in the panel and cut off excess material.

Pic 2 I cut and fold over material, so it's not to bulky.

Pic 3 Again fold over material, and staple.

Pic 4 Cut off excess material.

Pic 5 Here's the finished panel, need to cover the arm rest.

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

Pic 1 Showing glue on arm rest and material.

Pic 2 Folded over and glued down rest of way around. This is the hardest part of this job. Can't staple down, only glue holding everything. Hard to work out wrinkles, I'm not happy with the arm rest, but no left over material to try again.

Pic 3 Complete door panel.

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

OK, this time I'm putting material on the drivers door panel. I did remember to take a few shots of how I do things.

Pic 1 This is the tucking of material into the pleat, that I didn't show in post #15.

Pic 2 Then you turn over material and roll it down tight in the pleat. Continue until you reach the edge.

Pic 3 Glue down material on back side, and staple

Pic 4 Cut off excess material.

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

Pic 1 This is the excess material at top of the panel.

Pic 2 Cut off most of the excess, but leave about 1".

Pic 3 Top section of material layed over the excess and stapled in place.

Pic 4 This is how it will look, when turned over.

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

Pic 1 Turn material back over, spray glue on top section of panel.

Pic 2 Spray glue on main panel, let set for about 5 minutes.

Pic 3 Make sure to butt the top section against the pleats, and glue panels together and staple.

Pic 4 Here I've sprayed half the top section and half the material. Makes it easier to smooth out the material and no wrinkles.

Pic 5 This shows entire top section smoothed out. Now you can roll over the edge, staped, and remove excess material, as shown on passenger panel.

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

Pic 1 I've already stapled material at bottom of pleats, glue two pieces of lauan together and stapled.

Pic 2 Now spray glue on bottom section and material.

Forget to show smoothing material over wood.

Pic 3 This show bottom section, material folded over, stapled and excess material removed.

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

Forgot to mention, to sand the arm rest, to remove shine from fiberglass, so glue will stick to arm rest.

Pic 1 Arm and material sprayed with glue, now roll material up onto the arm rest.

Pic 2 Here's back side, glue on arm rest and material, ready to come together as before.

Pic 3 This show the excess material that needs to be pulled. I'm working out the wrinkles. It's hard to get them all out with this material, because of how thick it is. A different vinyl would maybe easier.

Pic 4 Not a good pic, but you get the ideal of how it looks, after pulling and pulling material. Sometimes you can't get out all the wrinkles, just do the best you can. If you don't think you want to try, you could always paint them.

Pic 5 Finished driver panel.

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

Hope this may help someone that want's a easy panel to build for their ride. Any questions, I will try to answer.

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

For those that find this thread, I should also mention that I did another style of door panels, back about 4 yrs ago. It has alot more detail on that panel. Here is the link http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=662380 ...Jim

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

Jim, that is great work. Thank you for sharing.

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

Robert, Thank you. I don't do interior work very much, so I thought it might help someone. Thanks again for checking in out...Jim

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

That's a really great write up! Thank you. A couple of questions, how are you going to attach the panel to the door? And, if you have the door release lever and a window crank, i.e. a TF truck, do you cut those hole before or after the material is laid down?

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

First thank you. The owner of the truck wanted to use screws with black caps to hold the panel in place. Not how I wanted to do it, but he's the boss. Said he wanted to take it off himself if needed.

I would cut the holes first to fit everything and make sure they work. You could always make the hole larger for clearance, but a small cut in material would allow the crank to come thru...Jim

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

Beautiful work Jim. I double checked and I don't think you mentioned the spacing for the slats.

Roger

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

Thanks Roger. Most of the time I use 1/4" for spacing, this allows material on both sides of the slat and looks good. Thanks for checking out the thread...Jim

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

do you think the 3-m glue you used would work for a headliner repair on a 78 chev truck. Can,t buy the proper landeau contact cement here in Canada

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

Beautiful work Jim!

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

Yes it should work, just make sure you put it on both parts, let is set up at least 5 minutes, lightly place it were you want, then start smoothing it out, once it's goes together under pressure, its impossible to get apart...Jim

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

Thanks Robert, just trying to keep up with you...Jim

Re: 52 pickup door panel (interior)
 

thanks, I like doing my own upholstery too and got some good ideas from your article