Cabin door - what to do?

[finatic]

Attached is a pic of the cabin door on my 52C. Has anyone had to strip one of these. If so, what did You use? Other suggestions?

 

[Fish Tales]

My 45c looked just like that. It was paint over the original laminated plywood door. Water was able to get in around the window, and started swelling the plywood. It was the paint, and top laminate coming off. I decided to have a solid door made to the plywood specs. Used the original window and hinges, but bought new latch from Sams.

That door was varnished with 6 coats, and looked awesome. I am going to do the same to my 65 when I repaint the boat.

Hope this helps.

Tim

 

[finatic]

My 45c looked just like that. It was paint over the original laminated plywood door. Water was able to get in around the window, and started swelling the plywood. It was the paint, and top laminate coming off. I decided to have a solid door made to the plywood specs. Used the original window and hinges, but bought new latch from Sams.

That door was varnished with 6 coats, and looked awesome. I am going to do the same to my 65 when I repaint the boat.

Hope this helps.

Tim

Interesting option! What type of wood did you use?

 

[Walter P]

I had the same thing happen to my wing doors on my 1982 48MY. I thought about stripping off the awlgrip that a PO had done and restore the original varnished teak doors but since the Plexi windows were scratched up and there was no easy way to replace them, I decided to just build new teak doors. They look original and after 6 or 7 coats of Bristol finish I am happy with the results. The door going down into the salon was also painted but was not exposed to the weather but the plastic window needed to be replaced so a new door was built for that as well.

Not sure why that happens with Awlgrip (or similar products) over the wood but I think I agree with Tim about water getting into the wood and causing it to swell. While everything is dry the rate of expansion due to temps etc is probably close enough between the paint including the epoxy primer and the wood. When water gets into the mix the wood swells and expands much more than the epoxy primer and causes it to break it's bond with the wood. Bobk is our resident chemist/plastics expert and perhaps he has more enlightening information for us.

Walt

 

[Bob Bradley]

Similar problem, but mine was delaminating from the bottom up. I built a new rail and stile door from solid teak, with 8 - 10 coats of good Epifanes varnish. I used biscuits, long ss screws, and glued with clamps to assemble it. It was really a fun project.

At some point, my ability to post pics disappeared or I'd put some up.

Maybe someone could give me the new process for getting pics up. I'd be happy to email them to you if it would help.

 

[Fish Tales]

Mine was solid Teak sides, top, and bottom. The glass was original, was fitted tight, but the bottom panel was solid "mirrored" left and right to form a floating solid insert in the middle of the door. I am not sure of the terminology but the bottom floating panel was not plywood or veneer. The door was heavier then the original, but with new rollers on the bottom, the door slid very easy.

It was pricey however, Sams wanted about a grand for a new one, with no stock, and it also did not come with hardware. The new one with the new latch and rollers was just under 3 grand total, but man was it pretty. I think the door was just over 2 thousand, built, finished with my supplied new hardware installed by the carpenter.


Good luck,
Tim

 

[bobk]

I had the same thing happen to my wing doors on my 1982 48MY. I thought about stripping off the awlgrip that a PO had done and restore the original varnished teak doors but since the Plexi windows were scratched up and there was no easy way to replace them, I decided to just build new teak doors. They look original and after 6 or 7 coats of Bristol finish I am happy with the results. The door going down into the salon was also painted but was not exposed to the weather but the plastic window needed to be replaced so a new door was built for that as well.

Not sure why that happens with Awlgrip (or similar products) over the wood but I think I agree with Tim about water getting into the wood and causing it to swell. While everything is dry the rate of expansion due to temps etc is probably close enough between the paint including the epoxy primer and the wood. When water gets into the mix the wood swells and expands much more than the epoxy primer and causes it to break it's bond with the wood. Bobk is our resident chemist/plastics expert and perhaps he has more enlightening information for us.

Walt

I would not want to speculate W/O seeing the problem. As to expansion, Algrip and other two part paints seem to survive on exposed handrails, so I would not jump to that conclusion.

Bobk

 

[finatic]

I would not want to speculate W/O seeing the problem. As to expansion, Algrip and other two part paints seem to survive on exposed handrails, so I would not jump to that conclusion.

Bobk

I would tend to agree with WalterP. All the problems begin at the seam of the window frame. The material peeling back is more than just paint. Although I haven't pulled a piece off yet there seems to a thin layer of wood laminate attached.

 

[bobk]

I would tend to agree with WalterP. All the problems begin at the seam of the window frame. The material peeling back is more than just paint. Although I haven't pulled a piece off yet there seems to a thin layer of wood laminate attached.

I'm not surprised. The wood is failing ... due to water and rot?

Bobk

 

[CaptainRoberts]

Mine was solid Teak sides, top, and bottom. The glass was original, was fitted tight, but the bottom panel was solid "mirrored" left and right to form a floating solid insert in the middle of the door. I am not sure of the terminology but the bottom floating panel was not plywood or veneer. The door was heavier then the original, but with new rollers on the bottom, the door slid very easy.

It was pricey however, Sams wanted about a grand for a new one, with no stock, and it also did not come with hardware. The new one with the new latch and rollers was just under 3 grand total, but man was it pretty. I think the door was just over 2 thousand, built, finished with my supplied new hardware installed by the carpenter.


Good luck,
Tim

Gotta admit, I love that door!

 

[Boatsb]

That's either a fsiring/filler or the wood failing. Paint is only a few mills thick. It wont survive a 10 kt wind if it peels off.

 

[BobWaz]

Back in the days of all wood boats, my dad and 2 boating friends contracted a couple guys from Pacemaker to paint the hulls. At the time they used Z-Spar gloss white and to each quart added an once and a half of boiled linseed oil and an ounce and a half of high quality varnish. with this mixture there was added gloss, ease of brushing, could brush on a thinner coat with the brush marks melting away and the oil acted as a flex agent in never totally drying. I had painted a Chris Sea Skiff in this fashion. 8 years after I sold the boat, I came across it and there was not a crack in the paint. Ever since if I have a painting project will do the same process. Works great on kitchen cabinets! One day I want to try the flexing agent used in painting the soft bumpers on cars.

 

[Tim Powell]

FIRST CALL CAPE LOOKOUT WINDOWS AND TELL HIM TO MAKE YOU A NEW WINDOW FRAME. iT WILL BE FIBERGLASS NOT THE PAINTED TEAK.
THEN WORRY ABOUT THE DOOR . SAMS HAS A STACK OF DOORS IN ASHBORROW WAREHOUSE.