Glueing a broken plastic refrigerator shelf

[Chris Lewis]

According to AZ Nomad :

Depends on the plastic. Model airplane glue is little more than polystyrene dissolved in acetone to give it some body. If your shelving is polystyrene (good chance), either acetone or model airplane glue will work more or less the same, and model airplane glue is easier to work with - won't dribble all over the place. Just get fresh stuff - semi-congealed stuff won't work...

However, not all plastics are polystyrene. Acetone won't do a thing to polyethylene for example. Essentially nothing will. Some plastics just don't "glue". The "slippery ones" generally don't, no matter what you use.

[DerbyDad03]

If you have room, why not sandwich the broken pieces between two pieces of material, such a lexan, drilling and bolting on both sides of the crack. The new material would bear the weight, not the damaged shelf.

Or, as so many have said...purchase or make a replacement shelf - probably the best idea.

[M Q]

...

... Shelving is probably not polystyrene. Even citrus oils dissolve polystyrene. It would not do to have refrigerator shelves marred because you put oranges in the fridge. Polystyrene (unless it is foamed) tends to be on the brittle side (in my experience). Those clear plastic (brittle) disposable beverage cups are polystyrene.

[larry moe 'n curly]

Aren't most plastic pieces inside refrigerators made of PVC? If so, you want to use solvent, not glue, to fix them. Acetone or laquer thinner will work, but hobby shops and electronics supplies. have stuff made especially for gluing plastic models and TV cabinets.

[Dan Espen]

Back when I was young and poor I had this happen and fixed the shelf with a sheet of glass cut to size. Just some old glass from a door we had in the attic. Worked for years. A mirror would be good too.

I doubt any repair will hold up. You should be able to get a new part from the manufacturer.

[enigma845]

The secret is usng Just enough. The popsicle sticks are a neat trick. When I can, I use string or cording. Iie the ends of the string together when wet. (It will be stromger when dryas it shrinks.) Make a tight knot. Wrap the string around item that needs to be clamped(for gluing). Then take a stick/pencil/dowel, loop string around such then start twisting the stick/pencil dowel until tight. Then tape stick, etc. solid or secure pencil/stick on itself or wedge it so it remains tight. It works wonders and is cheaper than clamps.

[Chris Lewis]

According to larry moe 'n curly :

Acetone doesn't work that well on PVC. PVC glue has small quantities of acetone, but the main ingredients is MEK, Tetrahydrofuran, PVC resin and some other solvents. Model airplane glue is acetone based aimed for use on polystyrene. Laquer thinner is largely MEK I think, but it's not designed as a glue, it'll be messy, and glue joints probably brittle because it has no "body" to it.

Best way to glue PVC is PVC pipe glue.

I've done some major repairs to ABS-based devices using ABS pipe glue (rebuilt a leaf blower after the impeller came apart and demolished the blower housing. Bought a new impeller (no way a glued one was going to balance let alone stay together, but the housing was pieced back together). I'm sure that PVC glue will work as well on PVC. Throwing scrap bits of PVC in as reinforcements will help too.

[Asiangem]

I used Sugru to fix my refrigerator door.

Sugru is the world?s first mouldable glue that turns into rubber glue

It all started with an idea and a small team of product designers and material scientists here in London. Their dream is to make fixing, modifying and making things easy and fun for anyone, and Sugru is our solution.

Their patented silicone technology is unique. Out of the pack, Sugru feels like play-dough, and it's that easy to use too. It bonds to almost any other material and cures just by exposing it to air. Its durable cured properties mean it'll stay strong and securely bonded anywhere from the freezer to a steamy hot shower, from the home to the great outdoors.

I do not sell the product or have any connection to the product - just that it worked to fix a hole and molded an hook for my shelf which was in the inside of the door.

[David L. Martel]

Kal,

Did you glue on the shelf supports or the shelf?

Dave M.

[\Horace L\]

Worsk for me.