Tape for use in a freezer

Having defrosted the freezer I have found that a number of the plastic trays have developed cracks in them. Of course it is not my wife's fault even though she is the one who uses it most frequently.

The best solution appears to be to tape them up to hold them together once I've drilled some small holes to stop the cracks spreading but what sort of tape to use? Duct tape/gaffer tape I doubt will have the necessary resistance to damp and cold so I was thinking of something like the aluminium tape used on gutters etc.

Anyone done anything similar and can offer a view please?

Reply to
Mark Allread
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not the answer you wanted, but I have generally found them not too expensive to replace

plastic cement will repair brittle styrene

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

I ended up stitching them together with cable ties. That's not very satisfactory either, because it's ugly and the ends of the ties bite you when you pick up the drawer, but I couldn't find anything else that worked.

Reply to
Huge

Check the type of plastic, usually marked with a triangle and number or letters

Get a suitable glue for that type of plastic. Leave the trays out to warm up and dry off before gluing, has given me good results.

Reply to
Andy Burns

Dichloromethane or chloroform may solvent weld them.

Reply to
F Murtz

Sticky tape strikes me as a pretty rubbish solution to the problem.

Find what plastic the trays are made of and it may be that there is a solvent glue which will effectively weld the cracks. If not then I think I'd either screw some 'patches' of sheet metal or plastic over them or I'd bind them together by drilling small holes and using cable ties.

Reply to
Chris Green

bout 6 months ago I repaired one with some wide, clear, sticky tape that I had acquired from the pound shop

it's still holding

tim

Reply to
tim...

I have some which crack around the "handle" recess, and thick clear 50mm tape as sold for greenhouse repairs works fine. As would the aluminium tape, I suspect.

Reply to
newshound

+1

I also added some of those U shaped plastic binders they sell in stationers, for binding several sheets of A4 into a 'book' form, where they had cracked at the hand grip.

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield

Those are dead handy, aren't they? I already repaired our fridge with one.

Reply to
Huge

I always use superglue liberally.

Reply to
Capitol

I wouldn't want to use metal since the differential expansion/contraction rates would be a problem.

Reply to
Sam Plusnet

Yep - I reinforced all of the drawer molded in finger grips on our freezer, after three broke.

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield

Thanks for all the suggestions - there are probably enough cracks in them for me to try all the solutions :( but initially I'll go for the Greenhouse repair tape.

Reply to
Mark Allread

I repaired a drawer that the wife dropped with araldite and some plastic strips cut from an asda gift card. Its still ok after two years.

Reply to
dennis

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