Used door skins
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Senior User
Joined: Apr 2002
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Used door skins
Here is my situation. The doors on my highboy need help. The shell is solid, but the lower 10 inches of the outer skin are full of rust. I have another set of doors, however the lower inside part of the shell is rotten. I am wondering which of the following is the best option. I do have a welder and know how to use it.
1) Use the original doors (something I would like to do) and carefully remove the skin from the parts door and replace the entire skin on the original door.
2) Use the parts doors and replace the bottom of the inside shell with a piece of the original door.
3) Use the original doors and cut the skin, 10 inches of the bottom of the parts door, and graft it on the original door.
I am leaning towards option #1, as this would have the factory weld seam. Has anyone ever removed a door skin without ruining it? Can it be done?
1) Use the original doors (something I would like to do) and carefully remove the skin from the parts door and replace the entire skin on the original door.
2) Use the parts doors and replace the bottom of the inside shell with a piece of the original door.
3) Use the original doors and cut the skin, 10 inches of the bottom of the parts door, and graft it on the original door.
I am leaning towards option #1, as this would have the factory weld seam. Has anyone ever removed a door skin without ruining it? Can it be done?
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,214
Likes: 13
From: New Jersey
Yes, you can remove a door skin without ruining the skin. If you're not a pro, expect to damage the donor door frame.
What you do is this... use an airsaw, cutoff wheel, plasma cutter, or air snips, and hack off the doorframe as close to the skin as you can get, and still move the tool. Then using a flapper sanding disk (like so: http://www.toolshopdirect.co.uk/isho...opscr4371.html) and grind the lip of the doorframe off the skin as far as you want to go. I prefer flap discs (as in the link) because they have a wider grinding area, thus making it more difficult to take a huge chunk out of the project accidentally. Thinner grinding wheels as you know can bite in really good. 40 or 80 grit, lowes and home depot have 'em.
Since you can weld, you can adjust things to fit and I don't have to explain that process. It's like everything else pretty much. Make sure you stitch weld the new piece on, as not to warp or blow through.
What you do is this... use an airsaw, cutoff wheel, plasma cutter, or air snips, and hack off the doorframe as close to the skin as you can get, and still move the tool. Then using a flapper sanding disk (like so: http://www.toolshopdirect.co.uk/isho...opscr4371.html) and grind the lip of the doorframe off the skin as far as you want to go. I prefer flap discs (as in the link) because they have a wider grinding area, thus making it more difficult to take a huge chunk out of the project accidentally. Thinner grinding wheels as you know can bite in really good. 40 or 80 grit, lowes and home depot have 'em.
Since you can weld, you can adjust things to fit and I don't have to explain that process. It's like everything else pretty much. Make sure you stitch weld the new piece on, as not to warp or blow through.
