Cabinet doors - Fiberglass RV
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Old 08-23-2012, 07:23 AM   #1
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Cabinet doors

I have those wood look particle board cabinet doors in our 1972 Tote n' Tarry, and would LOVE to refinish/cover to make them look more contemporary and colorful, but don't know where to start. They are riveted on, so I want to refinish them in place, unless it's easy to remove and reinstall them? What are my options? Paint, some type of spray coating, or cover them in contact paper? I know how creative some of you are out there, and would like to see some finished products if possible. If anyone can send me some links or photos, I'd REALLY appreciate it! Thanks to you all
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Old 08-23-2012, 11:50 AM   #2
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Removing rivets is generally not hard, just requires a little care. You drill the center of the head with a drill the same size as the rivet. Head pops off. You push the rivet through.

Make it a lot easier to refinish if they were not hanging on the cabinet.

Replacing rivets is not hard either if you decide to go that route.
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Old 08-23-2012, 02:39 PM   #3
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Thanks, and is it just as easy to re-hang them with new rivets, or better to screw them back on? I'd like to reuse the original hinges, as they fit perfectly and are in good shape.
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Old 08-23-2012, 03:07 PM   #4
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Riveting is not hard. You have to buy a rivet gun - of course - but they are inexpensive. I screwed mine back on. I just cut a small block of wood and screwed all they way through hinge, fiberglas and into the wood block. Easy peasy!

For painting that plastic veneer. Zinsser 1-2-3. The alcohol based one dries FAST and you can put any kind of paint on top of it. You can get it in a spray can at any paint store, Wallyworld, hardware store. Tat's the way I would go...
Good luck!
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Old 08-23-2012, 03:14 PM   #5
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Okay, sounds tackle-able (if there's such a word!). Should I sand the finish first to roughen it up, or just give them a good scrubbing before I prime them? I know I don't want to use any water, as they'll just swell up and probably fall apart Also, which can spray paint do you recommend? They have so many finishes now. I used the stone look one on some of my garden planters and fiberglass fountain, and they look great and have held up for at least a year so far. I'm just not sure how well it would stick to the fake wood finish. Thanks for all your help!
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Old 08-23-2012, 03:22 PM   #6
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On my '77 Trillium, the fake wood look over particle board is actually some kind of plastic. I would be willing to bet (if I were a betting man) yours is. also. That being said, just make sure it is clean. Wash it with Spic-n-Span, TSP or some other good cleaner . Make sure you leave no residue. The 1-2-3 will stick to just about anything.
As for paint, it depends on the look you want. The stone finishes are very durable from my experience. I would rather have a smooth finish -but that's just me. If you go with the smooth look, try to find a can that has a "fan" to the spray- not just a round pattern. It is easier to get a good job with a fan pattern.
I would call around for that. It beats using your gas.
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Old 08-23-2012, 03:27 PM   #7
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Here is a good video on using pop rivets, aluminum are typical on FG trailers because they do not rust, and they "pop" with less pressure. However aluminum and iron/steel when in contact with each other speed the oxidation (rusting) of each other. You can purchase pop rivet tool for about $20 at most big box or hardware stores.



My scamp cabinets have a thin piece of wood glued inside the cabinet along the hinge side. Hinges screw through FG and into that. Some of my screws were stripped, I just replaced with machine screw (bolt like threads but with screw head) and nut & washer on the inside. Seems solid.
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Old 08-23-2012, 03:40 PM   #8
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Thanks Mike, all good advice!
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Old 08-23-2012, 03:43 PM   #9
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Man, this is when I miss my father who could do it all, or knew how! I inherited his old trailer and want to freshen it up without changing it too much. Lots of good memories still in it, and I don't want it to loose that special dad patina
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Old 08-23-2012, 03:51 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Filbert V. View Post
Man, this is when I miss my father who could do it all, or knew how! I inherited his old trailer and want to freshen it up without changing it too much. Lots of good memories still in it, and I don't want it to loose that special dad patina
God bless your father for giving you those memories, and you for cherishing them.
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Old 08-23-2012, 04:31 PM   #11
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Quote:
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God bless your father for giving you those memories, and you for cherishing them.
Rogerdat
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Old 08-23-2012, 05:27 PM   #12
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Thanks, my dad and his brother could build/fix just about anything of of things just sitting around. Us younger generations are pretty helpless at times, but learning just the same. At least I still have all of my dad's tools sitting where he left them, and just have to learn how to use all of them the way he did. But no signs of a riveting tool...yet! The garage is definitely like a mini Home Depot, and his trailer sits where he left it in the carport. But like they say, " A ship in the harbor is safe, but that's not what ships are made for". Like his trailer, it's been sitting long enough, and it's my job to get it road worthy again
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Old 08-23-2012, 05:34 PM   #13
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Rivet gun ~ $35 at Home Depot. Get some rivets too.
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Old 08-23-2012, 05:41 PM   #14
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I just did this, I pealed off the "wood" layer, it was just a plastic/vinyl layer. That left quite rough particle board. In retrospect I probably would have been better off starting with new material. Plywood is a lot lighter and stronger. After many layers of primer, paint and sanding my doors are now smooth and white to match the cabinets. If you do go this route, make sure all is smooth before you move from primer to paint. Some paints are not good for filling and sanding. Primer is very good at that.

Will be installing them back in place soon, but with new hinges and pulls on them (brushed metal handles and hinges rather than brass looking knobs/hinges).
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Old 08-23-2012, 07:18 PM   #15
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Thanks for the info Dylan! I'll see if I can begin peeling one off from the corner. I have the old fashioned push button type handles on mine, which don't really latch the best. There are so few doors 7 small and 2 larger, plus the closet door, that making new ones from scratch just might be easier. Some nicely finished plywood, and then maybe mirror the surfaces rather than paint or stain. Mirror is cheap, and we already have a mirrored door covering up the old fridge cabinet where we now store the porta potty. I guess the possibilities are endless! Could even go high tech and cover the doors in a nice plastic or metal material. Something lightweight and cool looking
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Old 08-23-2012, 07:30 PM   #16
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Sounds like your on track. One of my doors ended up going missing at my painters. My painter made one out of plywood, he routered the edge to match and did a lot of sanding, puttying and priming to get a smooth surface that matched the others, but it looked perfect and felt much lighter. I wish all my doors were made like that one, but it was labor intensive.
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Old 08-23-2012, 08:15 PM   #17
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Well I just realized that I'm stupid AND lucky! I just went out to look at them again, and realize that only the hinges are riveted to the fiberglass, but the latches and hinges on the doors themselves are screwed on! So this is going to be so much easier now. I just have to unscrew them, remove, refinish and re-install! No hinge removal from the trailer and no rivets to deal with. So all I have to do now is choose a new finish/color. And I will probably end up putting a nice mirror on the closet door after I refinish the surface. I know Rustoleum sells a cabinet refinishing kit for kitchens, so I may look into that. They also have a spray on finish for old Formica tops too Rust-Oleum's Cabinet and Countertop Transformations™ - A Revolutionary Kitchen Transformation System
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