[VAL] Gaucho envy

[Glyn Judson <glynjudson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

All, 

   I just responded to a fellow on airstreamforums.com from Mesa AZ last
night who's offering, among other things, a Gaucho from his 1969 Overlander.
I contacted him in hopes that he'll respond and help me end my vintage parts
search, at least as far as filling the empty space in the front of my
Caravel is concerned.  My hope is that I can obtain his and modify it or
simply use it as a pattern to remake my own.

    Update:  He and I did connect last night and I think it's going to work
to get his old Gaucho minus the foam cushions that I'll have to pick others'
brains about. 

   While here on the keyboard I thought of several other things to discuss.

   Is there a method of straightening bowed doors?  I have several like
that, the worst being the main hanging locker.  On that same subject and
timely in light of mention of the above Gaucho that does not have the
storage doors, I experimented making my own doors several weeks ago with
great success.  

    I made a small sample door 10 1/8" X 10 1/8" from some scrap 1/8" birch
plywood and some 3/16" strips I ripped from the edge of a 1" X 2".  I made a
rectangular pattern of the strips that fit flush up to the outside edge of
the plywood and added a vertical down the center for added strength.  Once I
saw that everything was going to fit, I glued the strips on one side with
Titebond and laid them down on the ply.  I then applied glue to the other
side of the strips and laid the other ply on them.  After carefully clamping
all four sides with a bunch of Stanley Utility clamps and letting it sit
over night, it emerged the next morning a cool looking door that's as strong
as can be.  I then trimmed the edges with the vertical disc sander on my old
Shopsmith (remember those?) so that it's now 10" square with beautiful
finished edges.  

       I might attempt to make my own real doors using this same method for
the Gaucho frame.  The only thing I might change would be to use West System
105 epoxy with thickener instead of the Titebond.

   Has anyone tried this before with what results?  What was done
differently?  Am I overlooking something important?

   Thanks,

   Glyn Judson
   1969 Airstream #508
   Santa Monica CA