Shaving a cabinet door.

[Mollysdad]

I have a 2017 FC. One of the overhead cabinet doors rubs at the bottom.
It looks like I could shave off the door a tiny bit to make it uniform.
It appears to be laminated wood, but before I regret it, I wonder if the door edge is a strip of veneer or really the wood?
Has anyone trimmed a door and seen what it's made of?
It's the curved door.
This is not my image but a sample.
Ideally, I'd trim the end blank, but I can't see how to remove it, so I'd trim the door edge. Everything else aligns perfectly so it's not just cocked.

[DryFly]

I don't have one of the newer AS, but that door is not solid wood. The edge is probably a tape. You can get matching, or close to matching, at places like Rocklers or on line.

That said, I think shaving the door on such a new trailer would be the last thing I'd do. My guess is the hinges on the door were set slightly out of proper alignment or the screws have loosened allowing the door to sag or get slightly tweaked. Try adjusting the hinges first. Will the panel to the left move if you apply minor force?

[A W Warn]

I think you will regret trimming the door.
Cabinets are all modules that have been installed after the trailer body was built, so they can be adjusted. The panel supporting the radio/disc player looks like it has moved away from the wall/ceiling. I would try adjusting hinges and/or the panel to the side of the door.

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by A W Warn

I think you will regret trimming the door.
I would try adjusting hinges and/or the panel to the side of the door.

The problem with adjusting the hinges is the door matches perfectly everywhere else. The gap is uniform and the bottoms line up.
Like I said, I'd love to adjust the end piece, but I don't see how it removes or attaches. Is there access if I remove the speaker?

[Bob Blarney]

I'll assume that you have examined the hinge adjustments and that all else is properly alugned.

If you're set on trimming, then first thing is to decide if the trimmed edge will need a touch-up or not. If so then locate matching stick-on material or some stain to disguise the trimmed edge.

After that, I would use a very sharp block plane to carefully shave the edge, always cutting from the outer finished edge to the hidden edge, while skewing the plane. A sharp handplane will always give better results than any other tool for this type of work. (In fact, at the Jedi Knight Academy, squires were required to qualify with a handplane before picking up a lightsaber.)

[Bob Blarney]

My trusty Lie-Nielsen 102 blockplane: an elegant weapon from a more civilized age.

[kidjedi]

I would be wary of using a blockplane on particle board.


It looks like the panel that houses the stereo head unit is rotated slightly counter clockwise (judging from the gap at the skin). Can you adjust that panel, rather than trim the door?

[A W Warn]

Originally Posted by Mollysdad

The problem with adjusting the hinges is the door matches perfectly everywhere else. The gap is uniform and the bottoms line up.
Like I said, I'd love to adjust the end piece, but I don't see how it removes or attaches. Is there access if I remove the speaker?

I went out and looked at my Safari. Mine is similar, though not the same. My hinges are different, but the side panels look the same. When I look at gap between the side panel and the cabinet box there is a metal L bracket exposed for the full height of the cabinet box. That bracket has to be mechanically fastened (screwed) to both the side of the cabinet box and the face panel (where your radio is mounted). I suspect the mounting holes in that L bracket are slotted. That might have allowed the panel to get out of adjustment.

You might try wrapping a wood block in cloth then using a dead blow hammer to see if you can gently tap the side panel back toward the wall. If it moves, you might see an appropriate place for a shim.

ps:
The only possible access I see is the speaker holes. Though on mine there are screw that go through inner sides of the cabinet box into those corner units. Those screws, 3 on each side, may release the panel in my trailer's cabinet.

[no roots]

I would look at adjusting hinges. You should not have that problem unless there was some movement.

[coveredwagon]

I have 2005. The panel to the left of the cabinet door was loose a little bit. I pulled it off and it was attached to the cabinet frame by four long staples that were not visible from the outside. I straighten the staples out and gentley hammered the panel back on. You could do the same, just move it over an 1/8 of an inch.

[BillfromWI]

I've taken the radio panel off but I can't recommend doing it. Regardless, instructions are here:
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f38/...it-179423.html

I'm pretty sure the cabinet doors are made of good-to-excellent grade multiply plywood. On mine the edges are not veneered so the plys are visible. Planning the plywood and laminate faces would be difficult at best. Sanding might work better. A belt sander would do the job.

However, I too recommend moving the hinges: Take the door off, sharpen 1/4" dowels with a pencil sharpener, glue the points in, trim them flush with a chisel, and drill new holes.

Good luck!

[Sneakinup]

If it is a curved door, it is most likely layered plywood, not particleboard. Still, with a laminate veneer, it would be very difficult to shave or trim without damaging the laminate... but it can be done. The edging is simply a vinyl or PVC edge banding and a very similar grain to that one can be found locally in an iron on pre-glued product.

If this misalignment scenario was not always apparent, then something has shifted or gone out of adjustment from the shake rattle and roll of going down the road. If the radio panel shows no signs of fasteners, it might be stapled in place, and as someone else suggested, gently tapping it away from the door with a block of wood would be my first try if all the other edges are still aligned.

That's my .02 cents as someone in the cabinet business... at no charge!

[Castiniron]

You are getting a lot of conflicting reply’s regarding the DOOR material. It IS NOT “particle board”- portions of the CABINET may have that but the curved doors on the overhead cabinets are actually laminated high quality plywood in order to achieve the curve. The edges are in-fact that plywood reveal. Other doors in your FC have the edges laminated to match the face. I have the same year Flying Cloud as you do. Others replying here may have different models, years or do not realize you’re talking about the curved door. You could do what your suggesting, but I would be very careful as a plywood edge does not shave or plain like solid wood would, it will chip on you. The better solution would be a belt sander. If you are not comfortable doing that mark it and take it to a carpenter or wood shop. Good luck.

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by Castiniron

Others replying here may have different models, years or do not realize you’re talking about the curved door.

No kidding.
I thought I made it clear that the photo was an example from the internet, not mine, and the rest of the door fits perfectly! I can adjust the hinge and screw something else up.
It's either the door is out of square (and always has been, it doesn't bother me that much, it still closes) or the end piece over the speaker is out of whack, but I don't see any fasteners.
It's probably always been like this, but as I get more into fixing stuff I let it get to me.
Remember, my original question was about the composition of the door.
But still, thanks for all the responses, I know someone else has tackled this too. I have a small plane and I have various sanders! I just don't want to shave the door and discover it's foam 1/16" in!!!

[majorairhead]

Contact Airstream and ask them for a recommendation. If it's ply, which I suspect it is, I'd possibly resort to sanding. Not sure I'd get on it with a hand plane due to risk of chipping and/or splitting a piece off.

I know the curved doors on our new Serenity are ply and could be sanded, but the outer formica ply would risk chipping along the edge with a plane.

[pcskier]

There is not a scrap of particle board in an Airstream.


That door is plywood, you can see the layers on the edge as you mentioned. If you really want to address this, sanding that edge would likely work fine, understanding that the top layer of the door IS a formica overlay that will have to sand down as well.

[A W Warn]

Originally Posted by pcskier

There is not a scrap of particle board in an Airstream.
<< snip>>

I wish that was true. I hope it is true of the newer models. But, I've repair enough pulled out screws in the cabinet door hinges in my 2000 Safari to know its cabinets are made of a combination of plywood and particle board.

[coveredwagon]

Seriously, if you lift the cabinet door up you could adjust the speaker panel with a little piece of wood to protect the edge of the panel and a hammer. Hit the piece of wood lightly as it rests against the panel with the hammer and you will move the speaker panel over slightly.

[Dick tracy]

it is a multi ply, plywood core with a white cabinet liner on the inside to match the white melamine and a decorative laminate on the exterior.
just scribe it straight from the bottom up to zero at the top. buy some spray lacquer in a rattle can from Miller paint and seal up the edge when complete.
enjoy.
mine are a bit off as well, 2017 FC 23FB.

[Howard L.]

Originally Posted by Mollysdad

No kidding.
I thought I made it clear that the photo was an example from the internet, not mine, and the rest of the door fits perfectly! I can adjust the hinge and screw something else up.
It's either the door is out of square (and always has been, it doesn't bother me that much, it still closes) or the end piece over the speaker is out of whack, but I don't see any fasteners.
It's probably always been like this, but as I get more into fixing stuff I let it get to me.
Remember, my original question was about the composition of the door.
But still, thanks for all the responses, I know someone else has tackled this too. I have a small plane and I have various sanders! I just don't want to shave the door and discover it's foam 1/16" in!!!

Mollysdad, follow post 11 advice. The door is solid plywood and what you see on the edge is the wood ply. However, You are asking for trouble if you go after that edge. A master cabinet maker with proper tools, maybe. But for us, a replacement cabinet door is probably not in the budget. Do the hinges. You may need to adjust all 4 on both doors to keep other things lined up. The easiest adjustment is the 3 screws that hold the hinge to the door. The half round end cap is probably the problem, but it is screwed on from behind. If you pry it off, you will strip the screws from the piece and there is no way to access from behind to put it back on.