Run the damp cloth over the seam where the upholstery slides into the panel and give the area around the seam a quick wipe.
How to fix old door panels.
The cleaner you can get the panel and door the easier it will be to reattach the upholstery.
Most of the time years of paint or caulking the seams around the panels will cause the wood to stick and not allow the panel to expand and contract with the weather.
In this video im showing you the process i use to do small rust repairs where a complete panel.
These few extra steps really improved the appearance of the door.
While it is possible to reuse the original punched holes it is much easier to drill new holes and use pop rivets to secure the new door panel backing board.
Square up the door if necessary and clamp the stiles against the rails with bar clamps under light pressure then gently tap in the tenon wedges to tighten the tenons in their mortises being careful not to crush the fibers in the tenons.
This will remove all of the gunk and dried out adhesive on the panel and the seam.
After this was all dry i primed the entire door again and was very pleased.
You can also lightly sand with a wet sander made for sanding dry wall.
With a scrap of wood tap against the frame of the panel to separate it from the joint.
To remove the door panels you need to remove the armrest window crank door handle and any other hardware first.
Remove the frame piece and place aside.
Then pop loose the door panel clips by using a broad blade screwdriver or u shaped clip lifter tool.
Some people might say you can t apply patching plaster to a wooden door.
For doors that are still reasonably tight or just beginning to loosen try the following.
Use a rubber mallet to carefully bang out the corner.
If a crack has gunk in it clean out the space with a strip of sandpaper.
The upper section of the upholstery.
With the door panel removed now is a good time to lubricate and make any necessary repairs to the window and door mechanisms.
Here s a few tips on repairing rust holes in car body panels.
Well i did and it worked.