The Project

In order to remove the tambour door, I found it easiest to unscrew the bottom track, and then the tambour falls out of the top track. Nothing but friction holding it in place.

So, unscrew the screws on the bottom; philips screws.

On the advice of the gals at JoAnne Fabrics, I bought a yard of denim fabric (not exactly blue jeans, much thinner and stronger). I looked for canvas, but the JoAnne gals talked me out of it.

I cut the cloth smaller than the full height and width of the tambour door. I didn't want it to get stuck in the track when I reinstalled the door.

I thought about using rubber glue, but I couldn't find any at Home Depot (their folks kept confusing 'contact cement' for 'rubber cement' and they do not have the same properties).

It just so happens that I have some 3M 77 Spray adhesive. So that's what I decided to try:

1. Spray both the underside of the cloth and the back of the tambour liberally.
2. Let it sit until tacky (about 5 minutes in 75 degree temp)
3. Re-spray both again.
4. Immediatly put it together; I used a dry paint brush to go over the entire cloth for better contact

Too early to tell if the project will be successful. However, I have a very positive feeling about it. So much so, that I've brought home another tambour door (from the bathroom) to repair in the same manner.

I'll report back again in the summer of 2011.