Another door sill strategy

[Tired iron]

I read up on what folks are doing for door threshold replacements and decided to use .05 sheet aluminum and added some design instead of rubber on top. It clamps the carpet edge tight, I like the look, and it definitely didn't cost me much.

 

 

Edited February 2 by Tired iron

[Ivan_B]

That looks very good... Are you using stainless/aluminum screws as well?

I hate to ask again, but would you please consider oiling your floors/rockers with liquid undercoating? I keep looking at all this surface rust, underneath the new interior pieces, before bedtime, and can not sleep well ?

 

Also, would you share some pictures of the design process? I am not a metal specialist, but I guess that you rolled or pushed/slided the grooves using some sort of DIY stand? Or do you simply have sheet-metal equipment in the garage and been doing this for a while? ?

Edited February 2 by Ivan_B

[desoto1939]

Also like what you designed. Great fabrication. One suggestion, to improve the finished product I would roll the front and back ends and then seal the seam with some clear silicone seam sealer. I would make it look more stock and finished. Just my 25 cents worth of input.

 

Rich Hartung

Desoto1939@aol.com

 

[andyd]

Very nice, I don't need these pieces but would be interested in your explanation of how you did them as they appear very well done & quite professional......andyd 

[Plymouthy Adams]

I like the non traditional approach, beats searching worrying and if lucky to find decent stock thresholds...the need to mortgage the house.  I got this pair to modify for my bz cpe....cost.....10.00 for the pair...quick and easy fix...

 

 

Edited February 2 by Plymouthy Adams

[vintage6t]

Looks great as is. It depends on what aesthetic your going for but if wanted they can be made to look more like the original rubber. Spray on Plasti Dip or even a bed liner coating would probably hold up well in that location.

[Tired iron]

12 hours ago, Ivan_B said:

That looks very good... Are you using stainless/aluminum screws as well?

I hate to ask again, but would you please consider oiling your floors/rockers with liquid undercoating? I keep looking at all this surface rust, underneath the new interior pieces, before bedtime, and can not sleep well ?

 

Also, would you share some pictures of the design process? I am not a metal specialist, but I guess that you rolled or pushed/slided the grooves using some sort of DIY stand? Or do you simply have sheet-metal equipment in the garage and been doing this for a while? ?

Yep, stainless, and I will consider undercoating.  Now, sleep well, friend!  I'll answer the metal-working question separately since others asked that as well.

[Tired iron]

12 hours ago, desoto1939 said:

Also like what you designed. Great fabrication. One suggestion, to improve the finished product I would roll the front and back ends and then seal the seam with some clear silicone seam sealer. I would make it look more stock and finished. Just my 25 cents worth of input.

 

Rich Hartung

Desoto1939@aol.com

 

That's a good idea, Rich.  I hadn't thought of that

[p15-1948]

It's been 20 years so memory is a little foggy.  For a 48 Plymouth Business Coupe I used a rear hatch threshold plate from a Yukon/Tahoe (don't remember the year).  If I remember right, it required little to no trimming.

Edited February 2 by p15-1948

[Tired iron]

Alrighty, for those who asked about the process I used in making these...

I cut 4" wide strips of sheet aluminum, .04 gauge. I used a big floor mounted shop tool that is a combo shears, brake, and roller, but this gauge aluminum can be readily cut with a sturdy tin snips.  The pieces were 28" and 35" for the back and front, respectively, if memory serves.

 

I then bent an almost 90 degree bend at a depth of 1".  I used a press brake for this.  You could also bend this by hand without this special tool, but it would take time and ingenuity with, say, a vise and sheet metal pliers.  Then I trimmed  the front and back ends to match the needs of the door posts and bent them up in a sweeping curve.

 

Then I rolled a 1/4" wide inside edge to bite down on the carpet, as well as look better.

 

Lastly, I rolled in two lines in parallel down the middle, both for strength as well as looks.  This required the use of a bead roller and, admittedly, would be tough to replicate without that special tool.

 

The sills are held in place with small flathead trim screws, counter-sunk in the grooves.  I didn't want to glue them in so that I can remove them if I ever need to pull up the carpet.

 

I appreciate the kind words.  I recognize that this is not stock looking by any stretch and just wanted to record another strategy for the database of posts so that folks down the road have another option to consider.

 

I didn't really take pictures worthy of uploading.  Here are two.  The first shows the bead roller putting in the 1/4" carpet edge (I'll change the dies for rolling in the grooves).

 

 

Edited February 2 by Tired iron

[65bcoda]

Tired Iron, very well done sir........I really like the thinking out of the box ideas to approach things like this.

[Ivan_B]

Door sills like that (aluminum or stainless) were popular on many cars.

[65bcoda]

1 hour ago, Ivan_B said:

Door sills like that (aluminum or stainless) were popular on many cars.

On these particular vintage of Chrysler vehicles....??
All I meant was that he was not only focused on a rubber / vinyl type solution but was willing to go elsewhere for the solution and that it was nicely executed.

[Ivan_B]

Not on these, apparently (which I did not even know, because my older model has a simple aluminum profile), but in general

Edited February 3 by Ivan_B

[Booger]

As a former sheetmetal worker I must compliment you TI on a skilled project. 

[Tired iron]

Thanks.  As you know, having specialized tools makes a huge difference.