Fibre board adhesive.

The old car uses some form of wood based fibre board for the door cards and the instrument cover. Both covered in 'leather' so look OK when new. The instrument covers would warp within a few years from new - but have been re-manufactured in fibreglass which solves the problem totally.

The door cards being a much more complex shape would be pretty costly to re-manufacture and given the padded 'leather' is also moulded to the shape, very difficult to make like the original. They don't warp as such, but the wrapped over front and back loses its shape and then catches on the door frame and can rip off the card if forced.

The usual trick is to make sheet steel reinforcing brackets and glue them inside the card, to restore the original side profile. But over time the glue simply lifts a layer of the fibre board.

What would be ideal was a glue which soaked into the fibre as much as possible. And if it would stick the steel and leather too, so much the better. Not a problem clamping things up until the glue dries.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)
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Make the contact area for the brackets as large as possible to reduce the load on the fibre board?

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

Is there a need to do it in one go rather than (a) strengthen the fibre and then what that's sorted (perhaps after more than one application) (b) apply glue? I don't know what stains/dissolves the "leather" so no hard recommendations for (a) but if you can test on hidden bits perhaps wood hardener (cave acetone if not water based).

Reply to
Robin

use fibreglass and polyester resin to both soak in and spread the load using glass reniforcment on the rear

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

Already done. The problem is although it may look flat, lots of small curves etc. To make a really large steel reinforcement would need panel beating skills beyond my pay grade.

The edge has the 'leather' wrapped round it so over the steel plate and is only about 1/2" deep. The plate's main part which is glued to the 'flat board about 2" or so - but that's where it has come adrift. Again. ;-)

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Not a bad idea, use the fibregalss and resin as a gap fille for a not quite perfect larger bracket. Embedding that in between layers of fibreglass.

Not sure how well the resin will soak into the fibreboard though. It's quite viscous, maybe wood hardner would be better?

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

And maybe make the bracket with fingers to spread the load through the fibreglass. Might be easier to get a closer match to the door panel profile as well.

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

Glass fibre was my first thought and attempt many years ago. It sounds ideal as it can reinforce the side, holding it in shape, all in one go. But it doesn't last anything like as long as steel glued in place with Evostik contact glue - or rather the original version of that.

As you guessed it doesn't penetrate the board enough.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

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