Joy Knollenberg writes:

Let's see if I can explain this.
 

I was asked to refinish a Hoosier cabinet.  It's made of poplar.

Most likely it was originally painted, but the owners want a

varnish.  That's not my problem, what is, is the missing door.

 

On the show page is a rough sketch of one of the upright

supports on the top cabinet.  I'm assuming the missing door is

supposed to be a tambour door.  The groove is 1/4" wide in the

front.  When it goes over the top and to the back, it is 1/2" wide.

The big circle in the center is twice as deep as the groove. 
 

What I can't figure out is what the big circle is for ! ? !
 

Also, the little squiggle 3/4 the way down in the groove on the

right, is a little piece of corrugated metal .  I can't figure out

what it is supposed to be for.

I made a mock up of a tambour door, put it in the groove.

When it's lifted, it stops just short of the piece of corrugated

metal.  And if the door had to go past the metal, it couldn't be
closed.  The metal would prevent the door from going back

down.  The other side also has the big circle, but no

corrugated piece of metal.
 

Does anyone know what these are for?
 

Thanks
Joy Knollenberg

Steve Austin writes:

Ok, I think I found a similar hoosier to what you have, Joy, and

it's an improvement over using the tin lid, I can see why they did it.

I don't do these modern cabinets, so, I've never seen this setup.

Looks like a 1950 or 1960's cabinet, and probably has plywood doors.

That's a tall opening and would take every bit of groove and probably

1/3 to 1/2 of the tambour would end up rolled up in that circle :)  It doesn't

come out the back or the bottom, so, there must be two, thin removable

strips right there in the front, on each side, to get the tambour in.

I can't really tell from this photo, if there's a slot in the back

curve, doesn't look like it. I think I see a joint for those strips,

though. I got this photo off of Ebay. Just stick your tambour in there, :).
 

Steve Austin-NY