How to make FST door channels (1 Viewer)

[antFJ]

So I finally figured out how to do this. My first attempt failed when I tried to hammer an aluminum U-channel around a 1/4'' steel insert. It was a bitch to get the steel inner piece out of the formed aluminum and the aluminum ended up work hardening and started cracking. I never tried this process with a steel U-channel and may have had better success that way.

Instead I ended up getting 1/2'' x 1/4'' rectangular tubing from mcmastercarr and made the channels that way. Here is how I did it, you may find an easier way.

1. 6 foot rectangular channel

2. measure about 41 inches - you will shorten this up a little more later but you need this measurement for step 4

3. Drill bit (7/16th) - this is the size hole for the channel - you will need a smaller drill bit for a #4 screw for the actual door itself

4. drill holes in the channel about 6-9 inches from the edge of where your ends will be. This will help you bend the channel and will also double as the holes used by the screws

 

[antFJ]

5. start bending the channel (the holes go on the inside of the bend) - I started by using my knee and thigh to bend the channel - go slow... if you have to un bend the aluminum and re-bend it, it could crack.

6. You can use clamps to help get the basic bend shape but you will still need to refine the bend

7. I used a marker to show where i needed to bend the channel and then would open or close my vice so that I could make tiny bends and make the channel match the door perfectly.

be sure to keep the channel square when bending so it doesn't twist

 

[antFJ]

8. first side is complete. Clamp it down and make some marks on the other end so you know where to start the other bend

9. Here I have the other side mostly done and I am over bending the channel so I can see where I will need to make the cut. If you don't bend the channel so it matches the curve you will cut the channel too long if that makes sense

 

[antFJ]

10. with a permanent marker drag the plastic part of the tip along side the channel to get a nice straight line. Thankfully this is pretty darn close to what we need to cut out. I used my angle grinder with a cutting wheel to cut out the aluminum. I used a vice to hold the channel and I cut about 6'' at a time and then slid it over. Be careful. Molten aluminum hurts way more than sparks from cutting steel. You want the thinnest blade you can find - too thick and you will just make a mess of the channel. TIP: practice this cut on a spare piece of channel so that you know exactly how much material to remove. If you do not remove enough it is not very easy to go back and remove more without damaging the channel.

11. Once you have cut the channel and have deburred the inside (use a file or other available sharp tool to clean the inside of the channel) you will need to put the channel in a vice and bend the lip up a bit. It only needs to be bend up a tiny bit. If you do it too much it will crack. If it cracks a little bit don't worry we can fix that at a later step. I found the weather stripping was too difficult to slide in without this step.

12. use a large drill bit to counter sink your holes. This is a must or the weather stripping will hit your screws and will be very difficult to install.

13. use a small wire wheel to deburr the channel. This will also remove any marks from your vice and blend in any cracks you may have caused. I used this to round all the edges and overall make the channel less like something I made with brute force.

 

[antFJ]

14. you will most likely need to rebend the channel to fit the door. It should go on easily without much flexing so the paint won't crack when you go to install it. Here are some pictures of the finished channel.

 

[antFJ]

and lastly some more with the weatherstripping installed - remember using windex will make your life a lot easier when trying to install the weatherstripping

 

[Stumpalama]

Nicely done!

 

[jm599]

Nicely done ANT, Wish I had seen this earlier, had searched soft door not FST. Tried yesterday to make the channel out of 1/2 square tube steel by using cut off wheel to take a side off, then scoring a bend mark. Conduit bender made perfect curve but channel ended up being too tight.
Searched granger and McMaster to no avail. Should have looked for aluminum. Then found this thread this morning.
Almost as nice as your door handles you sent.
Do you have finished pic of your doors yet?
Do you have part # for McMaster?
I'll try to post a pic of my failed attempt to boost your pride. You have some great skill of solving problems.

 

[antFJ]

Yours look pretty darn good if you ask me. Stand by on the part number

 

[antFJ]

No complete pictures yet

 

[antFJ]

Check the measurements but i think it's 6546K47

 

[Tysano]

It's cool to see people out there fabricating their own parts.

 

[jm599]

Haven't found the McMaster part yet,
U channel but not slotted.
Oh, $or.com, has the soft door edge rubber weatherstripping on sale till end of month. $50 a door

 

[jm599]

McMaster says they don't carry it:

McMaster-Carr
to me
3 minutes agoDetails
Hi Jay,

The smallest slotted C-channel we sell is 13/16" deep x 1-5/8" wide. We don't have any in steel or aluminum that would measure 0.25" high (deep). Here is a link to our slotted C-channels in case you find that a different size will work for you.

Sent: Thursday, September 10, 2015 4:33 PM

Looking for part # for slotted C channel aluminum, not U. 0.5" on flat side, 0.25" high Friend got some few months ago, thought it was 6546K47, But that's not working. Any idea, steel would work also

Jay

 

[jm599]

Oops, reread the article, and see I have to cut the slot. Sorry. Thanks

 

[antFJ]

part number is 6546K47