CAPT OF A B747 QUESTIONED AIRLINE MAINT PROC IN CORRECTING A CARGO DOOR LATCHING PROB WITH REGARD TO REPAIR PROC AND MEL WRITE-UP.

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NEAR SCHEDULED DEP TIME; ARR BAGS WERE STILL IN FORWARD CREW BIN. MAINT COULD NOT GET DOOR OPEN. SO WENT TO CHK ON PROGRESS. DOOR FINALLY OPENED. MAINT CAME TO COCKPIT; SAID THEY WERE NOW GOING TO CLOSE DOOR AND GET US ON OUR WAY. I SAID WE WOULD MAKE SURE DOOR WOULD OPEN AND CLOSE; WE DIDN'T NEED ANOTHER ACR B747 OUT OF HNL ACCIDENT WITH THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR. I PROCEEDED DOWN TO RAMP TO SEE MAINT LOOKING AT DOOR LATCH SYS OUT OF PHASE IN A STATE OF BEWILDERMENT. 1 MECH TOOK OUT A KNIFE AND BEGAN TO CARVE WHAT APPEARED TO BE FOAM LIKE MATERIAL FROM THE INSIDE OF THE DOOR; AS IF IT WAS IN THE WAY OR IMPEDING DOOR CLOSURE. I THEN TOOK MAINT SUPVR TO CHK MEL AND MAINT PROCS. I TOLD HIM TO USE THE PROPER PROCS AND TO BE PRUDENT AND CAUTIOUS. MEL PLACARD PAPERWORK COMPLETED -- WE WERE ON OUR WAY; LATE. FLT PROCEEDED NORMALLY TO JAPAN AND BACK. UPON NEXT DAY'S FLT; I DISCOVERED THE PAPERWORK VERBIAGE TO BE NOT RELATED TO MEL AND THAT PERHAPS THEY SHOULD HAVE REMOVED THE HOOKS. I RPTED THE EXPERIENCE TO THE CHIEF PLT. I SUGGESTED GUAM MAINT NEEDS MORE TRAINING AND TO SLOW DOWN AND TAKE TIME TO DO PAPERWORK AND DO PROCS COMPLETELY.