Head door

[Sparks5501]

I am missing a head door. There are no parts available for Donzi cruisers any more. I tried making one myself out of starboard, but it doesn't fit the frame very well. For someone who can't saw a straight line, I did pretty well, but the curved corners were a mess.

Does anyone know of a company or outfit that could make a door for me?

 

[Comodave]

Maybe boatoutfitters.com. They do custom work in Starboard.

 

[BruceK]

Making up a pattern in cardboard and cutting to that should work, but you probably tried that already. Starboard is hard to paint, is it a good choice? You could post a pic of the doorless opening, the fabrication experts might have some ideas.

 

[Sparks5501]

Making up a pattern in cardboard and cutting to that should work, but you probably tried that already. Starboard is hard to paint, is it a good choice? You could post a pic of the doorless opening, the fabrication experts might have some ideas.

When we bought the boat, it had been sitting awhile in hot and cold, moisture got into the wood. Had to tear all of the rotted wood and replace with Starboard. We used the frame itself to make the shape. Interior of the boat is white, so painting is not necessary.

Checked all the salvage yards to no avail. Any suggestions would be welcome.

 

[FF]

"Any suggestions would be welcome."

Take the pattern to any cabinet shop, provide them with the material you wish to have the door made from and in a couple of days ,done!

 

[Steve]

"Any suggestions would be welcome."

Take the pattern to any cabinet shop, provide them with the material you wish to have the door made from and in a couple of days ,done!

Or bring a guy from the cabinet shop to take the measurements, so if it doesn't fit well there is no question of who's error. It shouldn't take long to measure.
good luck

 

[rwidman]

If you can't make a door to fit a frame, you need a pro. As mentioned above a cabinet shop should be able to do this with no problem. And as Steve mentioned, if you have them measure and make the door, it's their responsibility to make it to fit.

 

[FF]

The only downside of having a shop measure is you may be laying out $125 an hour for the cabinet measurer to drive over and back.

 

[psneeld]

If it is only the edges that don't look nice, consider some pre made edging that will dress it up and strighten the not so straight edges.

May have to trim it some more but may save some big bucks if you already have the base door and the trim is relatively inexpensive.

Lots of DIY tips to help guys like us...not all projects require a pro.

Something like this but in a different color or stailess, etc.

 

[rwidman]

The only downside of having a shop measure is you may be laying out $125 an hour for the cabinet measurer to drive over and back.

The upside is, the cabinet company takes full responsibility for the end result. Patterning, cutting and installing, including the latch.

Personally, I would do it myself but the difference is, woodworking has been a hobby of mine for many years. I have the tools, skills and experience. It's apparent that the OP does not. He tried and was unable to meet his expectations.

 

[FF]

" He tried and was unable to meet his expectations."

That's the joy of wood , there is plenty of it.

 

[rwidman]

" He tried and was unable to meet his expectations."

That's the joy of wood , there is plenty of it.

He is using Starboard and while there is plenty of it, it's pretty costly. Many species of wood are equally costly.

 

[Comodave]

If you are working in Starboard, you need to make a parrern out of something like hardboard. Sand the edges so they are completely smooth. Then use a patterning bit in a router and cut the door duplicating your pattern (that you spent a lot of time getting it perfect). By using a router, you will get a clean cut in the Starboard. If you are cutting curves in Starboard, they will not come out well if they are not machined with a router. A jig saw will give you a horrble cut. You will not be able to sand it smooth. Whenever I cut Starboard I either use a router on curves or if the cuts are straight, then I run it through a jointer to remove the saw marks. The edges then come out great.

 

[CDreamer]

I bet someone in Franklin could do it.

 

[Sparks5501]

Thank you all for your suggestions. We decided when we bought this boat that we were going to minimize the wood. We went to Piedmont Plastics here in Nashville. They sold us 2 large sheets of Starboard for $150 each. As soon as I figure out how to get some pictures uploaded, I will show you what we built to replace the rotten wood that we took out.
I found an edging that I like at one of the Auto parts stores, but it is not quite the right thickness, so I am going to keep looking. Going to hang a curtain until we get it fixed.

 

[BruceK]

I had new side aluminum windows made for a previous boat,and was nervous about the shipwrights here measuring up and a manufacturer 1000km away quoting and fabricating the windows. The shipwrights removed the old, made a cardboard pattern, supplied it to the manufacturer, and later fitted the new. The windows were excellent, so was the fit.
Good luck with the project, hope it works out well, sounds like a good example for the DIY thread.

 

[Sparks5501]

I will go ahead and move it over there.

 

[Maerin]

The only downside of having a shop measure is you may be laying out $125 an hour for the cabinet measurer to drive over and back.

Which might not be a bad deal if they make a piece to your spec and your spec doesn't happen to fit the opening!

Have a cabinet maker friend who's done some boat stuff for me, he refuses to make stuff he doesn't measure. He hates to do stuff twice, and worse than that not getting paid for it! He makes cryptic notes on his pad, comes back with the finished product and it fits perfectly. Tradesmen have their method, and the good ones don't want an amateur monkeying with their routine, it just makes their job harder.

Let the guy who's gonna do the fab do the measuring.

 

[psneeld]

The trick is finding good craftsman nowadays.

 

[rwidman]

Making a door to fit an opening is within the skill level of many woodworker hobbyists and certainly within the skill level of a shop that actually makes cabinets. Almost any town of any size will have someone capable of making that door.

Ask for references or samples of their work.

 

[Pack Mule]

There are a bunch of custom cabinet and millwork shops in Nashville . You might even try a counter top guy that does Corian. He will have the tools and good patternmaking skills . I think most all of the craftsman/ woodworkers will want to take their own measurements. Call Nashville plywood ,or Middle Tn Lumber, maybe they could give you some names of some small shops that could handle it .

 

[Sparks5501]

After I get back from our trip I will do that.