Delivery Door

[Beap52 2,045]

Some 50 years ago I replaced the wood around the back door of my sedan delivery.  It's been getting progressively harder to close due to sagging and a loose hinge. The suspect was the wooden door frame.  Once I  got into it, I found that some insect had bored holes and weakened the frame.  Looks like I have a project on my hands.  Of course I'm in to it deeper than I had planned.  

[ri702bill 11,321]

2 hours ago, Beap52 said:

Some 50 years ago I replaced the wood around the back door of my sedan delivery

Yup, no pressure treated back then. And if you used creosote like on Railroad Ties, the smell may have gone away by now....

Edited 21 hours ago by ri702bill

[ebinmaine 77,464]

Interesting project 

[squonk 45,581]

Back in the 1800's they started building wood wagons in a factory down the street from where I live. Then progressed to "Woodie trucks" In 1932 Hercules -Campbell Body bought Waterloo Body and Mid-State was formed. We have a car show every Memorial Day weekend and quite a few survivors show up.

 

https://www.autoweek.com/news/a2075806/1942-gmc-campbell-built-wagon-returning-waterloo/

 

@4:32 in you see a fine example.

 

 

 

 

[953 nut 64,228]

Your wood appears to be in reasonably good condition. If you can kiln dry it well and use some epoxy like "Petrified Wood Hardener" to repair soft spots Then add steel plates to hold the hinge and latch bolts the original wood should be good.

GM was the last of the major auto manufacturers to realize that steel is stronger than oak. Years back I helped a friend replace the hinge side wood on a 1937 Chevy, we notched the back side of the new wood to receive a 1/4" steel plate which was drilled and tapped for the hinge bolts instead of screws. Wish epoxy products were around then.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/PC-Products-16-oz-PC-Petrified-Wood-Hardener-164440/100649629

[Beap52 2,045]

After studying the situation, I've decided that I only need to replace one board on the hinge side.  The sides are actually two boards sistered together.  The one the hinges  are attached to (which is one of them that I replaced years ago) was the one that insects decided to eat.  I had to remove the whole wooden frame as a unit.

 

The three boards in the first picture shows the one I am replacing on the right, the sister that goes behind in the middle and the left is the new board I am working on,  It's an seasoned cedar (juniper), straight grained, knot free and hard. The two hinges are backed with metal brackets from the factory.  The split in the middle board was filled with epoxy.

 

The second picture shows the new board and it's backer board.  I'm free hand routing the new board.   I rough cut and held it in place scribing the body metal that wraps around the board. I spent a good deal of time trying to locate the hinges both by clamping the two boards together and aligning the holes used to attach the hinges, drilling pilot holes for the hinges by placing the new board along side of the door and finally measuring  the opening.  I can's say for sure that ever swung like I hope to make it this time. I've raised the door ~3/16 of an inch hoping it aligns with the striker better.  

 

Unfortunately, the door slipped and fell breaking the tear drop tail light lens that are specific to sedan deliveries.  Fortunately I have a NOS still in the box in the glovebox for the past 50 years.  Things that make you go HMMMMM.