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Best material for panels?

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I

ichthos

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Can someone suggest the best material for use in making interior panels? I am starting with the door panels, and I need something that will not warp quickly - we get over 4.5 feet of water here yearly. Suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Kevin
 
Top is up, Don. I keep my car garaged, but have to use it as my daily driver right now. Sometimes it has to sit in the rain when I am at work. Just the moisture in the air seems to warp door panels. I had cut some sort of composite material I cut and was going to use, but watched it warp as it sat in my garage - probably not a good choice. I had thought about using a thin plywood. It has to be soft enough for me to use my upholstery stapler.
 
You could use 4mm Okoume marine plywood. Extremly stable and not terribly expensive. Will take staples and if you want extra protection you could seal it. It's used in boat building all the time.
 
Lowes and Home Depot sells 4x8' sheets of fiberglass panelling for shower walls. I use the stuff for my workbench top...can wet it, hammer it, chew on it. It is about 1/8" thick and would be impervious to warpage.

John
 
When I living in Washington, I did my buddies spit interior and I used thin paneling. I know it sounds Ghetto but it was very easy to work with and I was ble to use factory style panel clips. I have found most panels will begin to warp when the clips have ripped out and nothing will hold the panel flat.
I covered the panel with thin foam then naugahyde. (sp).
The panels have been in place for four years and no warping.

Even did the panels in my 62 bug.
 
CJD said:
Lowes and Home Depot sells 4x8' sheets of fiberglass panelling for shower walls.
Click to expand...

Hmm, I'll have to try Lowe's. I looked for it in Home Depot a few months ago, and they didn't have it (or seem to know what I was talking about).
 
I never thought of using those panels before. I use them to make my own whiteboards in class. They are cheap, so I will see how they work. If I can't get a staple in it, I think I will go for the marine plywood.
 
With my job, I have access to equipment that can cut interior panels out of a variety of materials - 2,3 or 4mm plastic corrugated as an example. All I need are well dimensioned drawings or CAD files - .dxf, .ard, etc. and I can duplicate those worn out, ratty panels.
 
So Kevin.....Don gets 4.5 feet of water where he's at too??
 
John and Randall, search for FRP (fiber reinforced plastic). I think that's the product you're referring to that's used in showers.
 
That fiberglass panel is very useful...it may be hard to get a staple in, though. I forgot about that when I mentioned it!?

John
 
I've been making and selling TR4/250/6 interior panel kits for two years now and use 1/8" tempered hardboard from Home Depot. Here's the problem with the panels....... they have to be flexible enough to take the bend at the trunk & Wheel Arch panel (so plastic/aluminum etc is good & 1/8" plywood not so good) AND you need to be able to staple into them (so plastic/aluminum etc won't work). I've used the hardboard that Lowe's sells and it's a different composition from the HD product. The Lowe's hardboard won't take that bend without cracking. I learned that the hard way.

The other thing to consider are the staples themselves. With stock vinyl covers installed over 1/8" hardboard you'll need a staple shorter than 1/8" as stock vinyl has minimal foam and the staple can poke right through....... again, I'm speaking from experience. I make my covers with 1/4" pleating foam under the vinyl so there's no problem with the staple length.

There should be a plastic liner in your door to "protect" the door panel from water and new inner & outer window seals help to keep thing dry too.
 
Bobby's my hereo and if he wasn't older than me I'd kidnap him and make him my son. So listen to what he says.
Kevin I went to one of the Boxstores and bought a 2X4 piece of MDO or MDF, I can never remember the difference. It is good stuff.
Here is what it looks like when I did my shifter for the Wedge.
I cheated and took it to my upholstery guy and he has the short staples

DSCF6286.jpg
 
I have one of the special staplers for upholstery-paid for itself many times over. I have noticed quite a variety in the quality of hardboard. Home Depot had a hard board material that was smooth on one side and rough on the other that I really liked, but they seem to no longer carry it. Is this what you are talking about Bobby and Don?
Kevin
 
Mine is smooth on both sides and it is NOT called hardboard. It is MDF or MDO
Big difference
 
MDF is medium density fiberboard. It is made from wood byproducts (saw dust) and does not have the structural integrity of real wood or hardboard. MDF will dissolve when it gets wet, hardboard will swell.
 
MDO (Medium Density Overlay) is a plywood product, faced with a resin impregnated paper. Is it designed for things like painted signage and concrete forms. It should be fairly water resistant.
 
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