Any fixes for Dometic SS fridge door severley scratched

[chilibean]

Hi All,

I have a 2007 Dometic Refrigerator model RM3962 with wrap around Platinum Stainless Steel. The door got a nasty scratch in it, and me being the DIY I am, I decided to try to fix it. Um, nope! Made it oh-so-much worse. Dometic quoted me $986.00 plus shipping:E for a set, but I only need the fridge section. I have not called local RV dealers yet to find out if they can order me one because I know that will still be a lot of $$$. I was thinking about the Thomas Stainless Steel paint, but there are mixed reviews on that, plus it would not be anywhere near the color of the freezer door. I called a local appliance repair shop but they would not touch it. My thinking is now maybe replacing both the panels, but I am not sure if I can do that with the current wrap around. Has anyone here replaced door panels? Or, does anyone have any other ideas? I have lost sleep over this, and feel sick to my stomach every time I look at it. Searching the internet I know I am not alone in ruining a ss door, but that is little comfort knowing this might be a horribly expensive fix. Any ideas or insights are welcome.

Sharon

[rkentzel]

http://www.amazon.com/Scratch-B-Gone-Stainless-Steel-Scratch-Repair/dp/B000MMWBK8


Use to use this stuff when I was in appliance repair business business

[Gene_Ginny]

How about a bumper sticker or a decal from some favorite vacation spot? You will know what is behind the sticker but nobody else will. :C

[chilibean]

I had actually thought of doing this, and I still might. I guess I just need to call around to see if they would even look at it.
Thanks Can-AmDuo

[Can-AmDuo]

Try taking it to an auto body shop. They are great at matching colors.

[chilibean]

HAHAHA @Rick Jay. I can relate 🙂

I tried to take pictures but there was just too much glare and I did not have room to get it right.

So here is what I have so far;

There is a company online that specializes in skins for refrigerators and other appliances. They run about $90-$100. Not bad. That is a possibility.

I put the word out in my area for metal work to make new panels, but that has not produced any results yet.

I took a maroon scotch-brite for metals and a block of wood and lightly ran it straight up from bottom to top to even out the previous marks I had put on. I am now looking online for the best topcoat to put on over that, as once I went over it with the maroon pad it did not look as horrible as before. There is a spot on the lower corner that I had taken it down to the black steel, (practicing with different pads), so I am going to try to fudge that spot with a Stainless Steel or Metal Flake paint. I figure now I am going to see what it looks like after I topcoat it, and if it is still not to my liking I will purchase a vinyl skin. They have all sorts of designs, and lots of artwork, so that could actually be kind of neat looking. I do not know if I can say what that company is on this forum, so maybe PM me if you are interested.

I so wish I had researched the Dometic fridge more, and that the Platinum Stainless Steel is actually a coating on black steel. I would have saved myself so much grief.

Does anyone here know of a good topcoat for what I am doing? I am not sure if Krylon or Rustoleum are actually the products I want to use. Maybe I am over- thinking this.

Thanks again for all the suggestions, and some needed comic relief. Oh if only I could go back in time 😕

[Rick_Jay]

Probably won't help, but invite my wife over and within minutes she'll have so many refrigerator magnets on it you won't even be able to tell what color the fridge is! LOL 🙂

[path1]

I used to pick up at a place that made a boom winch thing so people could pick up little boats from a bigger boats with this winch type thing, all stainless steel hoist boom. They would rub them out with "jewlers rouge" and a buffing pad to a like mirror finish that didn't show any scratches at all. They looked like a chrome piece of metal when they got done.

But if scratches were deep into finish that might change things.

Find your favorite pic and put it on a thumb driver and take it to a Staples store and have them blow it up to the size you need for your purpose.

lots of info here https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=buffing+out+stainless+steel+scratches and here

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=how+do+you+remove+scratches+from+stainless+steel+refrigerator

[path1]

(sorry, double post)

[frankdamp]

We had a Dometic fridge in our rig. It had the veneered walnut front panels. The fridge ( 2001 vintage) died and was replaced in 2012, but the old door panels were installed on the new fridge.

I don't know if the type of fridge you have has removable "decor" panels or not, but it might be worth a visit to a good repair shop to find out. They were a common feature. I think the panels could be removed and replaced by taking off the chrome strip that the handles to open the doors were attached to.

[chilibean]

As embarrassed as I am with what I have done, a picture would probably help. I will try to get one posted tomorrow.

[TexasShadow]

yes to overlaying with something that suits your fancy.

[Dakota98]

chilibean wrote:
OK, good idea. This is why I love this forum 🙂 Now to find one.

And yes, adding a panel to the center might work too. It is only the face that is damaged. I have also seen online that there are skins that can be applied, some with designs, but not sure how they would look in person.

Maybe you won't even need to cut the center section out, just over-lay it with something & add trim.

[westend]

How DIY friendly are you with metal work? You could probably put a brushed finish on the door panel that would eliminate most of the scratch or botched repair job.
Can you post a picture of the door panel?

[chilibean]

OK, good idea. This is why I love this forum 🙂 Now to find one.

And yes, adding a panel to the center might work too. It is only the face that is damaged. I have also seen online that there are skins that can be applied, some with designs, but not sure how they would look in person.