Not to sound like a jerk or anything, but those are the types of projects that I hate. Not saying that your method of building a door panel is right or wrong, and not saying my method is right or wrong, but everyone has different ways of doing things. I might want a panel a certain way to be covered when the next upholstery guy would want it a totally different way.
It sounds like you havent started on the panels yet. I would recommend finding the upholstery shop that is going to cover the panels for you, and specifically ask them what way they would prefer the panels to be built, in order to make their job easier. I would prefer the panels in separate pieces, and attaching them together to form the entire panel. Most of the panels I make are 2,3,4, sometimes 5 pieces. But another upholsterer might want them built differently.
Looks like you are going about it the safest way, asking first before you build. I hate it when someone comes into the shop with something crazy built (had a few steel dashes like this) and wants it covered a certain way, making it damn near impossible. Hope I was some help.....
[ January 30, 2003: Message edited by: kristkustoms ]</p>