Tambour door won't open

[Rog0525]

The horizontal door above the fridge in my Tradewind won't open, only moves about 1". Anything I might try before drilling out rivets to get at it?

Rog

[uwe]

Try inserting a nylon or plastic blade in the side that usually rolls in. Gently pry at the tambour and see what's keeping it from moving.
It simply rolls up into two snail type spirals. Something from inside might have lodged itself against the tambour, or in the tambour's way.
Good luck

[87MH]

Multiple applications of WD-40 worked for me. I kept spraying it as far back as I could get the nozzle extension and then worked the doors back and forth.

After application 3 or 4 I finally made a lot of headway.

Each application took about 15 minutes, but generous soaking with WD-40 and repeated working back and forth have left all of the tambours operational.

[Tripp]

My 73 Int'l that I just brought home had a stuck door under the sink (a BIG tambour door). Nothing I tried could budge it. Finally, my Dad put upward pressure on the door close the the edge (where it rolls into) and voila!! Seems there was a lip rubbed into the bottom of the tambour from vibration.

Tripp

[Pick]

Tripp, same here with my credenza Tambour door. Now the one in the bathroom, above the toilet had a bottle of shampoo wedged in the roll. But, the PO's must have had trouble with that one too. They removed the top off of the compartment, so you could reach in over the top and remove the obstruction.

[davidz71]

Tripp, the tambour on the righthand side of my entertainment center did the same thing until I raised up on the handle and it slid open with no problem. I had another one under the sink that was giving me trouble and found that there was a cut in the lower edge of the canvas backing. I was able to drill out rivets, remove the lower chanel, cut the rolled area of canvas away and glue the edge to prevent it from unraveling. No more problems.

[smily]

The tambour is made up of a laminated particle board substance.

very often the coating or laminate that looks like wood will "raise" or "lift" from the particel board backing. Indication will be that there are pieces of laminate missing from the edge of the Tambour door.

When the laminate "lifts" the laminate will catch on the edge of the scroll and bind the whole door. Forcing the door to open will break this lifted piece of laminate. If you have areas that appear to have missing laminate then that is a good indication that the problem has existed for some time.

If this is not the problem then I suspect that there is something behind that door that is is in the plastic scroll that is preventing the door from "winding" up in the scroller.

Bathroom storage boxes are notorious for having a bottle of shampoo or shaving cream in the way.

Good luck!,
Smily

[Chas]

I found a huge mud dauber nest in the coil at one of my overhead tambour cabinets. It was big enough and right at the end, luckily it would open enough for me to get my hand up into the wind up area to pull it out.

Dennis, wouldn't a good soaking with WD-40 make the tambour material swell up? If not maybe a good idea but I would rather use something that wouldn't smell so bad, maybe silicone spray?

Chas

[Rog0525]

I used the upward pressure like Tripp's Dad did and it came open.
It still snags when I close it but for now, I'm very glad to know how to open it. Thanks much for the input.

Rog

[Dennis Frist]

I have read in this discussion the use of WD-40 and Silicone spray type of lubricants for these doors. Have there been other lubricants used? I have horizontal doors below my couch and bed that are very difficult to open. Any suggestion?
Thanks
Dennis