- 1). Measure the area that you are going to cover in the door skin. Your measurements need to be exact, so you need the exact length and width of the section.
- 2). Using the pencil, carefully draw the section onto a piece of the wood. Since door skins come in sheets that measure 4-foot by 8-foot, start in one corner to not waste any of the wood.
- 3). Cut out the section with the X-Acto knife. Make sure to cut the edges and corners precisely and sharply. It will be hard to straighten out the edges once the piece is glued to the plane.
- 4). Pour water into a pan. If the wood needs to be bent in order to fit the bones of the fuselage, it will need to be wet. Put the wood in the pan for about five minutes and try to fit it onto the plane. If it will not bend entirely, leave it in the water for an additional five minutes and then try again. Keep repeating this until it fits. Do not try to force the wood to fit or it will crack.
- 5). Clamp the wood onto the fuselage and allow it to dry. This could take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour, depending on how much soaking was required. The glue will not adhere correctly if the wood is still wet, and clamping it in place will ensure that it fits correctly.
- 6). Remove the piece of door skin. Run glue along the bones of the fuselage and carefully press the wood in place. Clamp the wood down again for about 15 minutes so that the glue has a chance to dry.
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