Hi,
I wanted to share my experience with finding replacement T-molding for my 1976 Airstream International
Sovereign 31'. The t-molding is used to cover the edges of the formica next to the fridge, next to the stove, and around the dining table and other areas.
After exhaustive searches on this forum and the internet in general, here is what I found.
You need two sizes of molding: 11/16" and 13/16" wide. The smaller width was used next to the stove and next to the fridge. The larger size was used everywhere else.
Suppliers - I couldn't find this from any of the usual Airstream sources. The only suppler I could find was Tape Ease (tapeease.com). It turns out they are a distributer for a company called Outwater Plastics (google them - they sell other stuff that may be of interest). Jodi at TapeEase was very nice, and sent me samples. Their prices are competitive, and they charge only a small markup (I always like to help the little guy, if I can).
Well, after a TON of research, and ordering a full sample set from Outwater directly, I decided that #315, chocolate brown, was the best match. It does not have the grain that my original molding had, but matches the other plastic/rubber cabinet filler trim nicely. I was very pleased with the results - no more old, nasty, bumped and scratched edges.
Couple of things that frustrated me, though:
1) Outwater (and consequently Tape Ease) only sells 250' rolls (what do you do if you only need 50' total?) So I had to spend about $160 and get two 250' rolls of molding! Ahhhh!
I sent email to Inland RV (Andy) and asked if he could carry it, also sent email to Vintage Trailer Supply. We'll see.
2) If the cutter used to router out the center line of the formica is perfectly center, the molding will look great and line up perfectly on each side. If it is slightly off (as it was next to my fridge and a bit on the counter surrounding the dinette), you need to trim the excess so it will be flush and smooth. Here is the $200 tip I'm going to offer: Tape Ease and Outwater sell a professional tool to trim this excess - it is very expensive. I thought, since I have so much excess molding, I would experiment - I really don't want to pay that much for a tool I will only use once. After a lot of trial and error, I found the perfect tool: a Motor Guard RR-1 Run Razor Paint Run Eliminator (can be found on Amazon or at auto parts stores) for under $10. It is a small plastic plane that uses a razor blade. There is a set screw that allows the razor height to be adjusted. I adjusted the razor to be flush with the plane sides, and used it to zip right down the t-molding that extends beyond the height of the formica. Worked perfectly. Found best results when you do one slow continuous pass and try not to stop.
So, there you have it. I hope this saves someone the frustration I had!
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