# Plastic repair for plastic refrigerator drawer



## ChuckTin (Nov 17, 2014)

Buy a new one? Or "new-old stock" on eBay?

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

I have often found it hard to glue edge-to-edge especially if there is any bending being applied. I have however had good success overlaying a wider piece of something and gluing it all together. Mt drawer, large single, is still holding after 3 years, rails on sides cracked.

Finding the right glue is important. Don't remember what I used.

Bud


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## diyorpay (Sep 21, 2010)

See pic.
Drill holes through vertical wood strips (not too thick, one inside, one outside) and the drawer front so they line up.
Insert screws with nuts that won't be overly long.
Instead of metal washers use rubber washers and don't over tighten.


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## mathmonger (Dec 27, 2012)

Edge to edge is impossible to glue without reinforcement. Recently my kid broke a cheap plastic frisbee in half. He got it from my parents, so I wanted to try to fix it. I tried the locktight plastic bonding system prmer with the Bob Smith Maxi-Cure Extra Thick cyanoacrylate. That usually works pretty well. But not on a thin edge of something that gets thrown around. So I tried again with Gorilla brand hot glue. I filled the joint and I built up hot glue on both sides to give it more surface area. The whole repair is maybe 3/8" wide. That has been holding up really well for me. 

With a fridge drawer, make sure it is nice and warm before you try hot glue on it. Hot glue doesn't stick to cold stuff. 

Another option would be to cut a big rectangle of acrylic and cover the entire front of the drawer. That would give you a ton of surface area and it might look better than having something right in the middle. Maybe even cut out most of that broken area and make it into a nice rectangular hole that can be neatly covered.


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

When gluing plastic, it is very helpful to know what type of plastic it is.

Fortunately, for clear plastic, there is a very high probability it will be either acrylic or polycarbonate.
If you can figure out which, it will be much easier.. Then just do a Google search for a glue for that particular plastic. If Acrylic, for example, I am pretty sure it is normally solvent welded. You can buy a small piece of acrylic sheet (or polycarbonate) at Home Depot to use as a reinforcing piece. (Hopefully you can find a small piece, because its not cheap) (Solvent welding is like what you do when joining ABS pipe, and is very strong)

I didn't watch the whole video, but this guy seems to have the correct procedure for finding the right adhesive.


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## User02 (Sep 17, 2015)

Go to hardware store and purchase a 1/8 thick piece of plexiglass. Cut the plexiglass to the same size as the front of the drawer and use a few stainless steel rivets to attach it. 

The plastic drawer will remain cracked, but the new plexiglass will keep the drawer rigid and functioning. The only difference a casual observer would notice is a few rivets.

If you do a neat job with it and make straight cuts and get your rivets in straight lines, it will look very nice. 

I have a Leister plastic welding heat gun with extruder feed that I used to repair fire trucks with, and I still use it to fix kayaks and broken utility vehicle fenders and stuff. Even having it, I would still use the rivets on the fridge drawer. 

I fixed a 2500 gallon cross-linked poly tank the same way. You can't weld cross linked polyethylene, and it had a hole from a fork truck.. I just cut out a piece of 3/8 thick poly, and used stainless 1/4 inch bolts.. insert a rubber gasket and tighten it all down. Its been in service for almost 10 years and no leaks.


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## mathmonger (Dec 27, 2012)

Shopguy said:


> I have a Leister plastic welding heat gun...


That is a great tool. Stuff like that amazes me. Why do you have such a thing? How did you even know such a thing exists? How did you learn how to use it?


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## User02 (Sep 17, 2015)

mathmonger said:


> That is a great tool. Stuff like that amazes me. Why do you have such a thing? How did you even know such a thing exists? How did you learn how to use it?


Well, remember that cross linked poly tank I mentioned? I'm already an accomplished welder with mig and brazing, so I figured: how hard can it be right? Bought the heat gun, bought some plastic, started reading. Tried welding it and failed big time.. Then learned that the tank wasn't just High Density Polyethylene, it was cross linked HDPE (called XHDPE) and while HDPE can can be easily welded, the XHDPE can not be welded at all. 

So I got desperate and bolted the patch to the tank. Buried my sorrows with a friend about the $600 gun I just bought and he asked if I could repair a 4-wheeler fender for him.. Lets hope its not XHDPE! LOL. The job was perfect.. then I welded some PVC, and then a friends tractor fender.. Then I decided to put an ad on craigslist for plastic welding, and I'm not kidding, ten different customers over the next 6 months all brought me one type of plastic boat or another.. HINT: Never buy a plastic boat because they break easily. 

It turned into a little hobby-business. People were bringing me plastic 55 gallon rain water barrels and wanting special modifications on them, kayaks, canoes (Did you know they make plastic canoes??), fenders from motorcycles and 4-wheelers, etc. 

Then some guy from Georgia saw my ad.. all the way on the other side of the country and he found my craigslist ad in Michigan.. asked me if I could weld a fire truck.. HUH? What the hell is plastic on a fire truck? Its a "FIRE" truck.. not supposed to be plastic.. plastic melts genius! LOL As it turns out, the "pumper trucks" have large water tanks that can hold as much as 2500 gallons.. Big square things smack in the middle of the frame, and its HDPE.. and... wait for it.. They crack when its below zero degrees outside and everything is frozen.. 

One thing led to another and I had fire trucks pulling into my driveway from all the way across the state.. at $500 a pop, it was easy work. 

I still have the welding gun but I don't do much of that kind of work anymore for other people.. Just did it for a learning experience.. something new.


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## mathmonger (Dec 27, 2012)

Shopguy said:


> Well, remember that cross linked poly tank I mentioned? I'm already an accomplished welder with mig and brazing, so I figured: how hard can it be right? Bought the heat gun, bought some plastic, started reading. Tried welding it and failed big time.. Then learned that the tank wasn't just High Density Polyethylene, it was cross linked HDPE (called XHDPE) and while HDPE can can be easily welded, the XHDPE can not be welded at all.
> 
> So I got desperate and bolted the patch to the tank. Buried my sorrows with a friend about the $600 gun I just bought and he asked if I could repair a 4-wheeler fender for him.. Lets hope its not XHDPE! LOL. The job was perfect.. then I welded some PVC, and then a friends tractor fender.. Then I decided to put an ad on craigslist for plastic welding, and I'm not kidding, ten different customers over the next 6 months all brought me one type of plastic boat or another.. HINT: Never buy a plastic boat because they break easily.
> 
> ...


That is a great story. That is the fantasy that plays out in my brain every time I contemplate buying a new tool. But you actually did it! Does the welding experience really play into it or could I pick it up in an afternoon? I need one of these now!


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## User02 (Sep 17, 2015)

mathmonger said:


> That is a great story. That is the fantasy that plays out in my brain every time I contemplate buying a new tool. But you actually did it! Does the welding experience really play into it or could I pick it up in an afternoon? I need one of these now!


Its pretty easy to pick up.. its not like you're dressed in heavy gear with a dark plate over your eyes. You just need to pay attention to proper temperatures for the type of plastic you're working on.. and you'll get used to reading those funky little triangles with the number inside them that identifies the type of plastic the object is made of.

Just be warned, if you weld certain plastics like PVC, you need special ventilation because it gives off some nasty poisonous gasses. Outside work only for PVC.


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