robgraham wrote:

On Tuesday, July 14, 2015 at 2:10:55 PM UTC+1, Martin Brown wrote:
On 14/07/2015 13:54, robgraham wrote:

One of the plastic lugs in the door moulding that holds in the lower shelf has broken off.
I'm prepared to try a wood shape replacement araldited on with a
couple of wood screws into
the insulation to hold while it sets.

I suspect you will never get the required strength by gluing it on that
way. Can you not do it in say 10mm thick perspex/polystyrene instead?

The right solvent glue for a plastic to plastic weld would probably set
very much faster even if it smells.

Basically araldite smell will taint stuff in the fridge so you might as
well turn it off while you mend it with whatever glue you use!

Chemical reactions tend to be exponentially faster with increasing
temperature so with it on your odds of a satisfactory result are nil.

But will it set with the fridge operating? Am I going to have to switch it off with all
the hassle that will arrive with that from the kitchen operative?

It probably will set eventually weeks or months (perhaps just before
hell freezes over) but take so long that it will have a chance to get
everywhere including the kitchen operatives fingers.

I suspect it may just delay a new fridge purchase.

Rob

Probably. If you do use araldite do it at room temperature.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

Many thanks guys - I'd forgotten the 10 deg C ratio thing (Arrhenius)
so yes that is not the right option.

Martin - your idea of the plastic to plastic solvent in conjunction
with perspex looks the right way to go. But what solvent ? I seem to
have a memory of perspex cement being made by dissolving small bits of
perspex in something - cellulose thinners ?

Rob

I don't have much luck with Araldite these days. Many years ago it
used to set rock hard, but my recent attempts stay slightly flexible.
After the last failure I used plastic cement from my local model shop,
which sticks many plastics including Perspex. It's a thin liquid which
is applied to the join, going in by capillary attraction. Based on
methylene chloride I think.
--
Dave W