Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 03-16-2015, 03:12 PM   #1
2 Rivet Member
 
1967 24' Tradewind
Flagstaff , Arizona
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 27
Ash paneling and cabinetry

Does anyone know a supplier who sells ash products to replace cabinetry doors and draws and paneling in my 1967 Trade Wind?
jbobarino3 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-16-2015, 06:43 PM   #2
Rivet Master
 
dbj216's Avatar

 
1986 34' Limited
1975 27' Overlander
1969 21' Globetrotter
Conifer , Colorado
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 8,278
Images: 1
Hey jbobarino3! Nope, I don't know where to by "furniture" grade woods. But I bet a lot of folks do. Hang tight, someone will help you soon.

I wanted to welcome you to Air Forums! I see you have a 67 Trade Wind and I have a 66 I've been messing with. I'm not a cabinet maker, but maybe enough mechanical I can get through an axle change and waste water tank install. I've enjoyed working on my old Trade Wind. I think I'm about $2000 from having it "travel ready". It's been a long journey. These Air Forum members have helped me a lot!

You'll have to post pictures of your Trade Wind and your ash cabinet fronts when done.

David
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	1410 Street View.jpg
Views:	121
Size:	274.9 KB
ID:	234335  
dbj216 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-16-2015, 06:50 PM   #3
2 Rivet Member
 
1970 27' Overlander
1970 21' Globetrotter
Hamilton , Montana
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 67
Plywood

Look under hardwood suppliers in your area or call a cabinetmaker and ask them. The ply is probably 1/8 inch which might be special order. Try to get plywood without particleboard in the laminations as is breaks easier at the corners and will swell if it gets wet.
gdod25 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-16-2015, 08:25 PM   #4
3 Rivet Member
 
2006 25' Safari FB SE
Merkel , Texas
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 153
I think if you go to a cabinet maker he would have solid ash lumber that he uses to make raised panel cabinet doors. And your local lumber suppliers probably have unfinished solid ash for trims. It requires the use of a planer to properly size it and apply a smooth surface. This supplier would probably be the one who provides material to the home builders in your area. In my area that is not the big box stores.
afneill is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-16-2015, 08:41 PM   #5
Dazed and Confused
 
Isuzusweet's Avatar
 
Currently Looking...
1983 31' Airstream310
Hillsburgh , Ontario
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 3,805
This is what I just found on the net.

Ash Plywood 1/4" Domestic

As for 1/8" VC Ash plywood, that maybe harder but not impossible to find. The link below will tell you a lot about different grades of plywood and veneers. These guys maybe able to tell you where to get what you want.

http://www.hardwoodweb.com/pdf/catal...oodveneers.pdf

As for local supplier, just go to any cabinet shop and they would be able to tell you what suppliers would be able to get you what you need, and maybe for a small fee, order what you want.

You want Veneer core, not MDF or Particle core.

Cheers
Tony
__________________
Per Mare, Per Terram and may all your campaigns be successful.

“It’s a recession when your neighbor loses his job; it’s a depression when you lose your own.” "Harry S Truman"
Isuzusweet is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-06-2015, 10:45 PM   #6
3 Rivet Member
 
1968 24' Tradewind
1967 17' Caravel
Northborough , Massachusetts
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 136
I used 1/4" red oak and mixed it with the ash... looks great.

I picked up a bunch of red oak paneling and used it for my restoration and it worked out great... the original is half way between 1/8th and 1/4... 3/16ths.
Its a bit tight to get the 1/4 into the channels but it does work if you widen them just ever so slightly with a screwdriver or putty knife. Here is the final result...
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	2015-07-09 18.27.33.jpg
Views:	129
Size:	241.4 KB
ID:	247421   Click image for larger version

Name:	2015-07-09 18.27.07.jpg
Views:	119
Size:	260.3 KB
ID:	247422  

Click image for larger version

Name:	2015-07-09 18.27.15.jpg
Views:	114
Size:	277.1 KB
ID:	247423  
cwbiii is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-06-2015, 10:59 PM   #7
3 Rivet Member
 
1968 24' Tradewind
1967 17' Caravel
Northborough , Massachusetts
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 136
Some still ash, but most oak.

I have a few panels that are still ash, but most are oak. All of the partitions are oak, all of the doors are oak. I bought the 1/2" oak veneered plywood I used for the doors at Lowe's. The frames of all of my cabinets are still ASH and unless I point that out it is very difficult to notice otherwise.

Someone sells ash, but it is going to be very expensive, and the oak is commonly available and a whole lot less expensive.

Chuck
cwbiii is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-07-2015, 07:55 PM   #8
Rivet Master
 
dbj216's Avatar

 
1986 34' Limited
1975 27' Overlander
1969 21' Globetrotter
Conifer , Colorado
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 8,278
Images: 1
Wow, that cabinetry looks wonderful Chuck. It takes quite a bit of skill to fabricate good looking cabinets. Some folks make a career out of it.

My 66 Trade Wind is out camping and fishing this weekend. We shall see how it is holding up after the renovation.

David
dbj216 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-08-2015, 06:19 PM   #9
3 Rivet Member
 
1968 24' Tradewind
1967 17' Caravel
Northborough , Massachusetts
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 136
Maiden voyage this Weekend...

It's leaving the yard for the first time in about 9 years... It been a 10 year project with about a 6 year hiatus in the middle due to life's circumstances.
The first 2 years saw the shell off and a complete rebuild/alteration of the frame to make it more user friendly... and then putting the shell all back togeather and painted inside... cut the partitions and did some straw positioning. Then life changed and we could not get back to it for a while... it spent its time as a glorified shed. In the meantime the cabinets got pretty shoddy since they were in my chicken coop and the rodents had a field day in them.
So when I restarted the cabinets were pretty bad and needed to be rebuilt.
The second 2 year stint has been all of the cabinetry, systems, wiring, finishes and lastly spray foaming the underbelly... don't think I will do that again, just too damn messy. Though it does make for a very solid floor... no bounce whatsoever.
I'v got to finish getting the belly pan all riveted up and recheck the various systems and It's off to its first rally... not quite complete but very close it will take me a couple more week ends to tidy up the loose ends.

You can see all of my tools still resident in the pictures... and those are about a month old it a little better looking than that since it has all of the door handles and some additional finishing touches.

Here's the Bathroom door in progress which I don't think I'll be able to finish and install before the maiden voyage...

Chuck
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	2015-09-08 20.15.39.jpg
Views:	98
Size:	190.4 KB
ID:	247671  
cwbiii is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-08-2015, 06:38 PM   #10
Patriotic
 
Chuck's Avatar

 
1973 23' Safari
North of Boston , Massachusetts
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 4,546
Images: 260
can't wait to see it in person!

how'd that spray foam go? how thick does it go on?
I wouldn't think it would be worth the trouble in mine...all of the frame spaces, except for one, are consumed by "tank".
__________________
Air:291
Wbcci: 3752
'73 Safari 23'
'00 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 QC
Chuck is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2015, 10:05 PM   #11
3 Rivet Member
 
1968 24' Tradewind
1967 17' Caravel
Northborough , Massachusetts
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 136
Spray foam...

It is supposed to be put on in 1" layers, it took me a little while to get the hang of it... generally I have between 2" and 4". I don't know whom got spray foamed more, me or the trailer
See you Friday??? or Saturday at the Business rally.

The other Chuck
cwbiii is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2015, 10:11 PM   #12
3 Rivet Member
 
1968 24' Tradewind
1967 17' Caravel
Northborough , Massachusetts
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 136
Catch a big one!!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by dbj216 View Post
Wow, that cabinetry looks wonderful Chuck. It takes quite a bit of skill to fabricate good looking cabinets. Some folks make a career out of it.

My 66 Trade Wind is out camping and fishing this weekend. We shall see how it is holding up after the renovation.

David
I hope everything goes well... for both of us. But regardless everything is an adventure and we are just camping... so I'm gonna do some chillin and grillin and just go with the flow.

Chuck
cwbiii is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-10-2015, 05:09 AM   #13
Patriotic
 
Chuck's Avatar

 
1973 23' Safari
North of Boston , Massachusetts
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 4,546
Images: 260
Quote:
Originally Posted by cwbiii View Post
See you Friday??? or Saturday at the Business rally.

The other Chuck
I won't be there. I'll be hear doing "you know what".

I'm like the "Red Sox" of camping. "Maybe next year".
__________________
Air:291
Wbcci: 3752
'73 Safari 23'
'00 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 QC
Chuck is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-10-2015, 05:45 AM   #14
3 Rivet Member
 
1973 23' Safari
1970 27' Overlander
Boerne , Texas
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 222
CWBILL - I am curious about the paneling when you said you have to use a screwdriver to open up the channels. Are you referring to the two channels on the ceiling? I would like to run a strip of nice paneling in the ceiling panel but just did not know if I could find paneling thin enough. Also, it seems like it would be difficult to install. Any hints would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Greg
Greg1410 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-10-2015, 10:33 PM   #15
3 Rivet Member
 
1968 24' Tradewind
1967 17' Caravel
Northborough , Massachusetts
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 136
Aluminum channel

There is an extruded aluminum channel that holds the divider panels in place... it is designed to accept 3/16" paneling.. With a wide screwdriver or narrow putty knife it is possible to "tweak" that channel enough that it will accept 1/4"
paneling. It's a fair amount of work though it goes quickly and you test it to make sure the 1/4"paneling slides into it easily enough to allow the necessary adjustments of fitting new paneling in.

Chuck
cwbiii is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-11-2015, 10:30 AM   #16
NO HUMBLE OPINION
 
ALUMINUMINUM's Avatar

 
1968 20' Globetrotter
ANN ARBOR , THE GREAT LAKES
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 665
Ash paneling

It's out there, but it may take some searching to find roto-cut panels with similar growth rings to the sixties Airstream. I wholly understand your quest for ash. It's certainly a commendable effort. To me, it's a mystery why Airstream specified ash in the late sixties. Perhaps it was the cheapest sourced wood or that some relative/friend had an forest of beetle-kill. The factory fogged a veil of lacquer on the wood, much of which has evaporated thru time.


It seems most folks cannot distinguish ash from oak, we're easily fooled, it usually takes a woodworker's eye. Fine furniture collectors disregard oak. Sixties Airstream ash plywood is remarkably beautiful. I find ash a most noble wood. My hockey stick, shovel, hoe, rake, adze handle, baseball bat, wheelbarrow handles... a long list where ash has proven superior.


I searched online, and didn't find a way to select the appearance of the grain in ash plywoods offered. None of the illustrations I found looked like sixties Airstream ash. One might find an oak plywood locally that better matches the sixties ash. Sometimes there's an interior for sale in the classifieds.


I re-sawed every piece of the original ash interior into a new configuration, and true to Hillbilly protocol, fitted the cabin and bath with whatever was laying around the shop, matching grain and color with a “good enough for who it's for” theme. So far, my cabin and bath is a blend of...
Ash
Oak
Cherry
Mahogany
Maple
Spruce
Pine
Redwood
Fir
Birch
Cedar


Most folks just rub their hands on it and say, “oooohhh! This is Real Wood!” They don't wonder any further.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	INTERIOR WOODS.jpg
Views:	108
Size:	906.3 KB
ID:	247872  
ALUMINUMINUM is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-12-2015, 07:27 AM   #17
Rivet Master
 
TouringDan's Avatar

 
1966 24' Tradewind
1995 34' Excella
Lynchburg , Virginia
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 4,225
Aluminuminum

Your cabin mix of woods looks terrific. My compliments. Your trailer looks fabulous.

Dan
TouringDan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-12-2015, 08:09 AM   #18
Rivet Master
 
mimiandrews's Avatar
 
1966 22' Safari
Hilltop Lakes , Texas
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,764
Question for expert woodworkers

Airstream's old literature says that the wood paneling in the 1966 trailers is ash. On the other hand, I've seen posts here that say it's really elm.

Here are some close-ups of a scrap of plywood from our trailer. Can anyone look at the grain in this wood and tell me what it really is?

Thanks in advance.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	DSCF0053.jpg
Views:	83
Size:	367.2 KB
ID:	247918   Click image for larger version

Name:	DSCF0054.jpg
Views:	94
Size:	372.1 KB
ID:	247919  

mimiandrews is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-13-2015, 02:30 PM   #19
3 Rivet Member
 
1968 24' Tradewind
1967 17' Caravel
Northborough , Massachusetts
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 136
Couldn't see the picture...

There was something there, but it was not visible...
I talked with someone this weekend whom I consider pretty much of an expert. He said that much of what is considered ash is really elm cut a specific way to show off the grain. I showed him mine and he said that it was elm. Can you find ash or elm somewhere? Probably if you look hard enough. If you do, will it match the paneling that Airstream used in the 60's, probably not.
Oak is pretty much universally available where ash and elm will take more effort and money to acquire. If you have a small panel that needs replacing then I'd suggest hunting down a scrap from trailer that is being parted out... at least this way it will match pretty well. If you need a major amount of paneling like I did then consider rebuilding everything with oak paneling over the original frames and you will not be unhappy with the results or the cost. That's not to say it was cheap, it was not but it was less expensive than figuring out what that wood was, finding a source for replacements, and then paying through the nose for it.
Remember that wood can be very regional... even the same species of wood will have different characteristics based upon where it comes from, how it was cut or shaved to make paneling, what it was treated with to bring out its color and character in the finished piece. The paneling in question has about a 32nd of an inch of the wood in question laminated to it. Forget trying to sand it as you will punch right through this layer to reveal the lesser wood used below... I know as I tried to re-use a bit here and there and had to abandon any attempts to refinish it... it was what it was and that is how it had to be re-used if possible. The frames on the other hand were solid and were completely refinish-able as long as they were not discolored or rotted.
I had a minimal amount of that and was able to use some portions of cabinets/trim that I did not re-use to fix the ones I did use.
I could have rebuilt everything in a wood of my choice using the originals as templates... oak, maple, ash, black walnut, hickory, mahogany, along with a host of exotic woods like wenge and paduk that would have made for some dramatic results, but most people don't even know the difference much less appreciate it. If you have unlimited time and budget then anything is possible... if not then make do with what is readily available.

Just my not so humble opinion...

Chuck
cwbiii is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-13-2015, 03:11 PM   #20
3 Rivet Member
 
Currently Looking...
McLeod , Texas
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 118
Hardwood panel varies a pretty good bit in thickness these days. Quite a bit of it is made over seas using metric measurement system, while that made here in the US is inch measurement. The US made is quite a bit better. Have used thousands of sheets of each in the last 30 years in my cabinet business.

Tom
Wooden Rivet is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
All appliances and cabinetry Support Admin Airstream Classifieds 0 09-23-2013 04:44 PM
Laminate and Paneling for 2013 Airstream clicker187 Interior Restoration Forum 1 01-27-2013 05:55 PM
Ash or Oak? ttbikes Cabinets, Counter Tops & Furnishings 10 12-16-2012 08:23 PM
faux walnut cabinet and paneling repair material located bhutch74ly Cabinets, Counter Tops & Furnishings 3 03-06-2012 07:31 AM
Old Walnut paneling different color than new walnut paneling geodazed Upholstery, Blinds, Walls & Interior Finishes 11 06-06-2011 07:53 PM


Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Airstream, Inc. or any of its affiliates. Airstream is a registered trademark of Airstream Inc. All rights reserved. Airstream trademark used under license to Social Knowledge LLC.



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 10:11 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.