Someone a few years (10) ago gave us an old refrig that
we use as 2nd refrig.

That bottom drawer -- slides out -- stationary shelf that
it slides in and out under is clear plastic (other shelves
are made of matrix of metal rods) are of course strong,
not likely to ever break or even bend.

But this bottom (cheap) plastic shelf is cracked and
bending down in the middle.

What can I do to fix it before it completely fails?

What, try to find another piece of hard plastic to
bond to it? Where would I find that?


Of course I could google for replacement, but
it's so old, etc, not really worth too much.

Nice cheap fix would be really great!

Any ideas?


Thanks

David

"David Combs" wrote in message
...
Someone a few years (10) ago gave us an old refrig that
we use as 2nd refrig.

That bottom drawer -- slides out -- stationary shelf that
it slides in and out under is clear plastic (other shelves
are made of matrix of metal rods) are of course strong,
not likely to ever break or even bend.

But this bottom (cheap) plastic shelf is cracked and
bending down in the middle.

What can I do to fix it before it completely fails?

What, try to find another piece of hard plastic to
bond to it? Where would I find that?

Ten years ago you were given a use refrigerator so now it is 15 to 20 years
old and yet you call the broken part "cheap plastic"

Try supporting the middle if you can. You can try epoxy, but not much of
anything sticks to the plastics generally used inside of appliances. You
may have better luck with a mechanical fastener.

(David Combs) wrote:

What, try to find another piece of hard plastic to
bond to it? Where would I find that?

Go to one of the big box stores and buy a sheet of plexigas cut to the rough
size. Trace the current shelf and cut to match. Toss the broken shelf. If the
shelf also has guides for the drawers, you may need make those as well.

David Combs wrote:
Someone a few years (10) ago gave us an old refrig that
we use as 2nd refrig.

That bottom drawer -- slides out -- stationary shelf that
it slides in and out under is clear plastic (other shelves
are made of matrix of metal rods) are of course strong,
not likely to ever break or even bend.

But this bottom (cheap) plastic shelf is cracked and
bending down in the middle.

What can I do to fix it before it completely fails?

What, try to find another piece of hard plastic to
bond to it? Where would I find that?


Of course I could google for replacement, but
it's so old, etc, not really worth too much.

Nice cheap fix would be really great!

Any ideas?


Thanks

David


I patch things occasionally with a piece of glass fabric impregnated
with epoxy. Mesh tape used for drywall cracks could work. Plain glue
would be no good as you need to beef up the old plastic's structure.
Won't be pretty but will be functional.

Frank wrote:
David Combs wrote:
Someone a few years (10) ago gave us an old refrig that
we use as 2nd refrig.
That bottom drawer -- slides out -- stationary shelf that
it slides in and out under is clear plastic (other shelves
are made of matrix of metal rods) are of course strong,
not likely to ever break or even bend.

But this bottom (cheap) plastic shelf is cracked and
bending down in the middle.

What can I do to fix it before it completely fails?

What, try to find another piece of hard plastic to
bond to it? Where would I find that?


Of course I could google for replacement, but
it's so old, etc, not really worth too much.

Nice cheap fix would be really great!

Any ideas?


Thanks

David


I patch things occasionally with a piece of glass fabric impregnated
with epoxy. Mesh tape used for drywall cracks could work. Plain glue
would be no good as you need to beef up the old plastic's structure.
Won't be pretty but will be functional.

Nobody else said it, so I will- if this is a garage or basement fridge
that doesn't need to be pretty, just cut a wide 1x board or two to
replace the shelf. Rub in food-grade mineral oil (like on a
butcher-block counter) to give it some moisture resistance. You can
probably figure some way to reattach the drawer slides, or McGyver
something out of the junk box that will do the same thing.

If the thought of wood in the fridge horrifies you, just buy a
suitably-sized plastic cutting board to gusset the shelf with, and
fasten it to the existing shelf with stainless steel pop rivets and
washers. The others are right- trying to glue greasy old plastic like
that falls into the 'life is too short' category.

--
aem sends...

aemeijers wrote:
Frank wrote:
David Combs wrote:
Someone a few years (10) ago gave us an old refrig that
we use as 2nd refrig.
That bottom drawer -- slides out -- stationary shelf that
it slides in and out under is clear plastic (other shelves
are made of matrix of metal rods) are of course strong,
not likely to ever break or even bend.

But this bottom (cheap) plastic shelf is cracked and
bending down in the middle.

What can I do to fix it before it completely fails?

What, try to find another piece of hard plastic to
bond to it? Where would I find that?


Of course I could google for replacement, but
it's so old, etc, not really worth too much.

Nice cheap fix would be really great!

Any ideas?


Thanks

David


I patch things occasionally with a piece of glass fabric impregnated
with epoxy. Mesh tape used for drywall cracks could work. Plain glue
would be no good as you need to beef up the old plastic's structure.
Won't be pretty but will be functional.

Nobody else said it, so I will- if this is a garage or basement fridge
that doesn't need to be pretty, just cut a wide 1x board or two to
replace the shelf. Rub in food-grade mineral oil (like on a
butcher-block counter) to give it some moisture resistance. You can
probably figure some way to reattach the drawer slides, or McGyver
something out of the junk box that will do the same thing.

If the thought of wood in the fridge horrifies you, just buy a
suitably-sized plastic cutting board to gusset the shelf with, and
fasten it to the existing shelf with stainless steel pop rivets and
washers. The others are right- trying to glue greasy old plastic like
that falls into the 'life is too short' category.

I'm with you on this. I am surprised that there's a need for the question. A
bit of marine plywood shaped to fit seems to be the way to go.

On Sat 26 Apr 2008 03:45:36p, Clot told us...

Someone a few years (10) ago gave us an old refrig that
we use as 2nd refrig.
That bottom drawer -- slides out -- stationary shelf that
it slides in and out under is clear plastic (other shelves
are made of matrix of metal rods) are of course strong, not likely
to ever break or even bend.

But this bottom (cheap) plastic shelf is cracked and
bending down in the middle.

What can I do to fix it before it completely fails?

What, try to find another piece of hard plastic to
bond to it? Where would I find that?


Of course I could google for replacement, but
it's so old, etc, not really worth too much.



If it were mine, I'd have a piece of tempered glass cut to fit. It's
really not that expensive, and minimal effort on your part. I just
wouldn't bother with trying to fix a piece of old plastic.

--
Wayne Boatwright
-------------------------------------------
Saturday, 04(IV)/26(XXVI)/08(MMVIII)
-------------------------------------------
Countdown till Memorial Day
4wks 1dys 7hrs 40mins
-------------------------------------------
Figures won't lie, but liars will figure.
-------------------------------------------

On Apr 26, 7:24*pm, Wayne Boatwright
wrote:
On Sat 26 Apr 2008 03:45:36p, Clot told us...





*Someone a few years (10) ago gave us an old refrig that
we use as 2nd refrig.
That bottom drawer -- slides out -- stationary shelf that
it slides in and out under is clear plastic (other shelves
are made of matrix of metal rods) are of course strong, not likely
to ever break or even bend.

But this bottom (cheap) plastic shelf is cracked and
bending down in the middle.

What can I do to fix it before it completely fails?

What, try to find another piece of hard plastic to
bond to it? * Where would I find that?

Of course I could google for replacement, but
it's so old, etc, not really worth too much.

If it were mine, I'd have a piece of tempered glass cut to fit. *It's
really not that expensive, and minimal effort on your part. *I just
wouldn't bother with trying to fix a piece of old plastic.

--
* * * * * * *Wayne Boatwright * * * * * *
-------------------------------------------
* * *Saturday, 04(IV)/26(XXVI)/08(MMVIII)
-------------------------------------------
* * * * Countdown till Memorial Day * * * *
* * * * * 4wks 1dys 7hrs 40mins * * * * *
-------------------------------------------
*Figures won't lie, but liars will figure.
-------------------------------------------- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Interesting trick, how do they cut tempered glass?

On Sat 26 Apr 2008 05:56:01p, beecrofter told us...

On Apr 26, 7:24*pm, Wayne Boatwright
wrote:
On Sat 26 Apr 2008 03:45:36p, Clot told us...





*Someone a few years (10) ago gave us an old refrig that
we use as 2nd refrig.
That bottom drawer -- slides out -- stationary shelf that
it slides in and out under is clear plastic (other shelves
are made of matrix of metal rods) are of course strong, not likely
to ever break or even bend.

But this bottom (cheap) plastic shelf is cracked and bending down
in the middle.

What can I do to fix it before it completely fails?

What, try to find another piece of hard plastic to bond to it? *
Where would I find that?

Of course I could google for replacement, but it's so old, etc,
not really worth too much.

If it were mine, I'd have a piece of tempered glass cut to fit. *It's
really not that expensive, and minimal effort on your part. *I just
wouldn't bother with trying to fix a piece of old plastic.

- Show quoted text -

Interesting trick, how do they cut tempered glass?


I don't really know, but it's done everyday, and I've had pieces cut. The
last "project" was to replace some awful flimsy plastic shelves in two
medicine cabinets. I needed the tempered for strength.

--
Wayne Boatwright
-------------------------------------------
Saturday, 04(IV)/26(XXVI)/08(MMVIII)
-------------------------------------------
Countdown till Memorial Day
4wks 1dys 5hrs 35mins
-------------------------------------------
Some People, like Flowers, Give
Pleasure Just by Being.
-------------------------------------------

aemeijers wrote in news:8RFQj.130186$D_3.7093
@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net:

Frank wrote:
David Combs wrote:
Someone a few years (10) ago gave us an old refrig that
we use as 2nd refrig.
That bottom drawer -- slides out -- stationary shelf that
it slides in and out under is clear plastic (other shelves
are made of matrix of metal rods) are of course strong,
not likely to ever break or even bend.

But this bottom (cheap) plastic shelf is cracked and
bending down in the middle.

What can I do to fix it before it completely fails?

What, try to find another piece of hard plastic to
bond to it? Where would I find that?


Of course I could google for replacement, but
it's so old, etc, not really worth too much.

Nice cheap fix would be really great!

Any ideas?


Thanks

David


I patch things occasionally with a piece of glass fabric impregnated
with epoxy. Mesh tape used for drywall cracks could work. Plain glue
would be no good as you need to beef up the old plastic's structure.
Won't be pretty but will be functional.

Nobody else said it, so I will- if this is a garage or basement fridge
that doesn't need to be pretty, just cut a wide 1x board or two to
replace the shelf. Rub in food-grade mineral oil (like on a
butcher-block counter) to give it some moisture resistance. You can
probably figure some way to reattach the drawer slides, or McGyver
something out of the junk box that will do the same thing.

If the thought of wood in the fridge horrifies you, just buy a
suitably-sized plastic cutting board to gusset the shelf with, and
fasten it to the existing shelf with stainless steel pop rivets and
washers. The others are right- trying to glue greasy old plastic like
that falls into the 'life is too short' category.

--
aem sends...


Now that's classy - woodgrane frig shelves.

In article 4,
Wayne Boatwright wrote:

On Sat 26 Apr 2008 05:56:01p, beecrofter told us...

On Apr 26, 7:24*pm, Wayne Boatwright
wrote:
On Sat 26 Apr 2008 03:45:36p, Clot told us...





*Someone a few years (10) ago gave us an old refrig that
we use as 2nd refrig.
That bottom drawer -- slides out -- stationary shelf that
it slides in and out under is clear plastic (other shelves
are made of matrix of metal rods) are of course strong, not likely
to ever break or even bend.

But this bottom (cheap) plastic shelf is cracked and bending down
in the middle.

What can I do to fix it before it completely fails?

What, try to find another piece of hard plastic to bond to it? *
Where would I find that?

Of course I could google for replacement, but it's so old, etc,
not really worth too much.

If it were mine, I'd have a piece of tempered glass cut to fit. *It's
really not that expensive, and minimal effort on your part. *I just
wouldn't bother with trying to fix a piece of old plastic.

- Show quoted text -

Interesting trick, how do they cut tempered glass?


I don't really know, but it's done everyday, and I've had pieces cut. The
last "project" was to replace some awful flimsy plastic shelves in two
medicine cabinets. I needed the tempered for strength.

No, it's cut first, then tempered.

On Sat 26 Apr 2008 11:29:21p, Smitty Two told us...

In article 4,
Wayne Boatwright wrote:

On Sat 26 Apr 2008 05:56:01p, beecrofter told us...

On Apr 26, 7:24*pm, Wayne Boatwright
wrote:
On Sat 26 Apr 2008 03:45:36p, Clot told us...





*Someone a few years (10) ago gave us an old refrig that
we use as 2nd refrig.
That bottom drawer -- slides out -- stationary shelf that
it slides in and out under is clear plastic (other shelves
are made of matrix of metal rods) are of course strong, not
likely to ever break or even bend.

But this bottom (cheap) plastic shelf is cracked and bending
down in the middle.

What can I do to fix it before it completely fails?

What, try to find another piece of hard plastic to bond to it?
* Where would I find that?

Of course I could google for replacement, but it's so old, etc,
not really worth too much.

If it were mine, I'd have a piece of tempered glass cut to fit.
*It's really not that expensive, and minimal effort on your part. *I
just wouldn't bother with trying to fix a piece of old plastic.

- Show quoted text -

Interesting trick, how do they cut tempered glass?


I don't really know, but it's done everyday, and I've had pieces cut.
The last "project" was to replace some awful flimsy plastic shelves in
two medicine cabinets. I needed the tempered for strength.

No, it's cut first, then tempered.


Well, whatever, it works.

--
Wayne Boatwright
-------------------------------------------
Saturday, 04(IV)/26(XXVI)/08(MMVIII)
-------------------------------------------
Countdown till Memorial Day
4wks 1dys 30mins
-------------------------------------------
A poet who reads his verse in public
may have other nasty habits.
-------------------------------------------