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[GMCnet] Cabinets in Royale [message #142374] Sun, 04 September 2011 10:00 Go to next message
Gerald Work is currently offline  Gerald Work   United States
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Registered: June 2010
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Hi Nick,

Glue anywhere but where the panel sits in a groove on a rail, stile, panel component like the doors. All of the cabinet frame parts should be glued together. Use a yellow or white glue made for woodworking. I like Tightbond 2 for interior work not normally subject to moisture and Tightbond 3 for areas that can see moisture. On our coaches that go in and out of all kinds of humidity I suggest the Tightbond 3. Don't bother with the messy urethane glues like Gorilla Glue and no need for epoxies unless you are trying to mend broken joint parts or are trying to glue dissimilar materials together.

Staples alone never make a good or stable joint and are only used to throw things together quickly by unskilled people where the joint is not normally seen, like the insides of your cabinets. Note how the face frame of your cabinets are assembled properly with mortise and tenon joints (which should have been glued) and drawers are assembled with half blind dovetail joint because these parts are seen. The doors are assembled with proper rail, stile, panel construction because they are also seen.

Least we beat up on Coachman and some years of GMC coaches for their "poor" construction, take a look at most gas coaches and "inexpensive" diesel coaches of just a few years ago. Nearly every joint was just stapled together and these things are literally falling apart before the owner's eyes. So is a lot of the imported home furniture that comes "assembled" instead of knocked down to be assembled by the purchaser. Only a very few of the quality coaches like Beaver have truly well made cabinetry and even they use staples in areas that don't show or which have to be fitted in the coach while it is on the line. Open a drawer on most of the new $100,000 plus coaches and what you will often see is plywood stapled together. I recently looked at one very expensive coach made by a well known company just coming out of bankruptcy a while back and even found stapled together plywood drawers there!

Yes, short cuts were taken when our 35 plus year old units were made, but all in all most have a better build quality than most things being made today. I don't like the staple suff either and just go about replacing those parts with properly made ones when they bug me. I have a rear cabinet where the upper rail split from an improperly glued mortise and tenon joint that gets stressed as we stuff our down comforter up there for storage. If/when it gets worse I will take it down and fix it. When I do I will also replace the stapled components so I never have to revisit that issue there again.

Sorry you had yours come all the way apart. Glue it back together properly but be sure to allow the solid wood panels to float in the grooves so they can expand and contract with seasonal changes in humidity.

Jerry



Date: Sat, 03 Sep 2011 13:04:58 -0500
From: Nick Roenick <pickle4k@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [GMCnet] Cabinets in Royale
To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
Message-ID: <22bb1.4e626c4a@gmc.mybirdfeeder.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-15"



Jerry,
My hanging cabinet came crashing down two days ago. I found the front was intact and glued. BUT the rest of the assembly was all staples. No glue on any parts. After inspecting the other side hanging cabinet I found that it also is starting to have loose joints in the back where it attaches to the frame.
You are saying that I should NOT use glue to reassemble the cabinet to make it a solid unit? I just do not trust staples at this point.
--
Nick R. NorCal
76-23'Transmode-Norris
Rear Bath

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Re: [GMCnet] Cabinets in Royale [message #142394 is a reply to message #142374] Sun, 04 September 2011 20:22 Go to previous messageGo to next message
USAussie is currently offline  USAussie   United States
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Location: Sydney, Australia
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Jerry,

I couldn't agree with you more! The bottom line is that the cabinet fell apart AFTER thirty years!

I wonder how many GMC's would have been sold if custom cabinet construction methods had been used? I reckon it would have driven the
cost beyond what the market could have borne.

The fact that the similar methods are used today reflects the same problem.

I for one am glad that over twelve thousand were built and over seven thousand are still around!

For the hell of it how many hours does anyone think it takes to re-do woodwork in a GMC?

Regards,
Rob M.

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Regards, Rob M. (USAussie) The Pedantic Mechanic Sydney, Australia '75 Avion - AUS - The Blue Streak TZE365V100428 '75 Avion - USA - Double Trouble TZE365V100426
Re: [GMCnet] Cabinets in Royale [message #142398 is a reply to message #142394] Sun, 04 September 2011 20:51 Go to previous messageGo to next message
armandminnie is currently offline  armandminnie   United States
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I estimate that I spent 250-300 hours on the interior of my GMC. That was the whole living area: ceiling, cabinets, flooring, window valances, window coverings, and repainting and refacing the doors and drawers of the original closet and bath units.


Armand Minnie
Marana, AZ
'76 Eleganza II TZE166V103202
visit my gmc blog
click here to visit gmcws.org
Re: [GMCnet] Cabinets in Royale [message #142400 is a reply to message #142398] Sun, 04 September 2011 21:12 Go to previous messageGo to next message
USAussie is currently offline  USAussie   United States
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Registered: July 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia
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Armand,

And you KNOW what you're doing!

I'm a half decent mechanic but a bit of a "wood butcher" so it will take me even longer!

Regards,
Rob M.


-----Original Message-----
From: Armand Minnie

I estimate that I spent 250-300 hours on the interior of my GMC. That was the whole living area: ceiling, cabinets, flooring,
window valances, window coverings, and repainting and refacing the doors and drawers of the original closet and bath units.

Armand

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Regards, Rob M. (USAussie) The Pedantic Mechanic Sydney, Australia '75 Avion - AUS - The Blue Streak TZE365V100428 '75 Avion - USA - Double Trouble TZE365V100426
Re: [GMCnet] Cabinets in Royale [message #142409 is a reply to message #142398] Sun, 04 September 2011 23:02 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Byron Songer is currently offline  Byron Songer   United States
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Registered: August 2007
Location: Louisville, KY
Karma: -2
Senior Member

Just before he took his last trip in his coach, Bruce Tara pulled out the
Coachmen cabinets and rebuilt them getting them square in places and glued
in other. I don't know how much time he took but he did a fine job. I
never met the man but I admired his work.

Byron

-----Original Message-----
From: Armand Minnie <armand@minniebiz.com>
Organization: GMCnet
Reply-To: <gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org>
Date: Sun, 04 Sep 2011 20:51:15 -0500
To: <gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org>
Subject: Re: [GMCnet] Cabinets in Royale

>
>
>I estimate that I spent 250-300 hours on the interior of my GMC. That
>was the whole living area: ceiling, cabinets, flooring, window valances,
>window coverings, and repainting and refacing the doors and drawers of
>the original closet and bath units.
>
>--
>Armand Minnie
>Marana, AZ
>'76 Eleganza II
>TZE166V103202
>http://www.minniebiz.com/gmcmotorhome
>use the forum - it's easy
>_______________________________________________
>GMCnet mailing list
>Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
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-- Byron Songer
Full-timing to enjoy the USA
Former owner but still an admirer
GMC paint schemes at -
http://www.songerconsulting.net
Re: [GMCnet] Cabinets in Royale [message #142412 is a reply to message #142374] Sun, 04 September 2011 23:24 Go to previous message
pickle4k is currently offline  pickle4k   United States
Messages: 129
Registered: January 2011
Location: San Leandro
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Senior Member
Gents,
I am not complaining that they failed after 35 years of service. I was just surprised when they did. No notice - no sign of an issue - JUST CRASH! I am hoping that this experience will have you all look at your cabinets for any signs of stress or sagging or other signs of possible failure. Maybe just check to see the screws are all tight, holding the cabinet to the wall.
I have started the reconstruction with wood glue and screws and all should be well with in days. Glue dries sooooooooo slow. Give me a nut and a bolt with a torque wrench = fast and efficient.
Thanks again for all your advise.


Nick R. NorCal 76-23'Transmode-Norris Rear Bath and 75-26' Avion
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