tambour hardware manufacturers

[Brian Runau]

I have to replace the hardware on a tambour, the spring failed. Door hangs when open. I have looked for different designs, but can only find the one made by Omega National Products. Can't find anyone else who makes the hardware. Anyone know of anyone offhand? I bought and installed an Omega and it will not hold the tambour tight, it is sloppy. Talked to a really nice guy at the factory and we can't figure out why. Thought I would try another brand.

Thanks.

Brian

http://www.omeganationalproducts.com/php/products.php?p=pl&cid=352

[Frank Pratt]

I made a couple of tambour door appliance garages for my kitchen 15 years ago or so & the hardware I have looks just like the Omega. It always has worked perfectly, requiring only a light finger touch to open or close. I did make the tambour to the correct thickness for the track. Can you glue in a shim of the appropriate thickness to provide a little friction? If you have the spring properly adjusted, you should need very little interference to hold the door in position.

I just checked mine & the doors are not a tight fit in the track, there is a little play. The springs are adjusted so the door will actually tend just a little to lift by itself. There is slightly more friction the last couple of cm of travel at the bottom, which keeps it tightly closed.

When I built the doors, I looked at another brand (can't remember which), but the mechanism was not as nice or smooth.

[Mike Kees]

I made a tambour door for an appliance garage without any hardware. Just made it with tracks like the ones I have done for roll top desks and entertainment centers. The key is to figure out the opening size and give yourself the same length for the tambour to move to so it stops at the right location when open. I have always just used canvas glued up on the back of the tambour door. I usually make a quick jig from a piece of plywood with two pieces of solid wood with a rabbeted edge to hold the slats for the door. Then all that is needed is a strip screwed on to hold pieces square on one end. At the other end I make a couple sets of opposing wedges to push all the slats together ,screw one and push the other in to place. The track part is made with a router bit and collar with a template shaped to what is needed.