# Refrigerator Door Milk Holder Fix --- Plastic Cement - Where is the good old stuff?????



## Don2222 (Mar 14, 2012)

Hello

Why is it so hard to fix something nowadays?? This was really frustrating!

The gallon milk holder in the regrigerator door was craking and the white plastic rim top popped off.

So before it was completely destroyed and unusable there should be an easy fix?

Now when I was growing up and putting model planes, cars, trucks and monsters together we all used a tube of PolyStyrene Cement. That was just about as common as bubble gum and pretty cheap.

So I went to the craft store AC Moore and found Testers Plastic Cement in a bottle for over $5.00!! No ingredients on the label either!!
http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/tes/tes3502.htm?source=froogle&gclid=CLLGo7SB564CFQfe4AodlWmAiw

It smelled like the old stuff but was very watery and does not hold like the good old stuff!!

So then I started really looking. I found Revelle Polystyrene on UK web sites!! What is going on here!!

Then in Washington State I finally found Air Fix Humbrol Polystyrene  cement for $1.49 !!
http://www.shopatron.com/products/productdetail/part_number=AE4021/359.2.1.1

So I sent for it and just tried it out today. It came in the familiar tube, looks like the same consistancy, the smell is pungent too!
It does say polystyrene on the Label so it sure looks like the real McCoy!!
Then I tried it out, you have to apply it to both sides so it will properly fuse together. I held it for 15 mins and it stayed together!

We will see?

I know Testers also has plastic cement in a tube for models but it does not say Polystyrene Cement? Is that a bad word these days?
*Does anyone else have polystyrene cement these days?? Why is it so hard to get?*
See pics


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## SmokeyTheBear (Mar 14, 2012)

For welding polystyrene you want something containing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butanone


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## Don2222 (Mar 14, 2012)

SmokeyTheBear said:
			
		

> For welding polystyrene you want something containing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butanone



Thanks Smokey

I scanned the box at 600DPI and blew it up 200% in the pic below. I can only read English but with such little information maybe they are trying to hide something? See pic below. Click to Enlarge and then click one more time to enlarge again!

I think they cannot make this stuff in the US anymore!


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## nate379 (Mar 15, 2012)

Those are the types of repair I can never seem to fix without just ordering new parts.  Superglue usually rarely works and I have had limited sucess with hot glue.  The ice maker on my fridge broke a tab that holds it in the door.  Fridge was bought new in 2009 at somewhere near $2000

Fridigdare wanted $195 for a new trim piece  :gulp: :gulp: :gulp:   Needless to say, it's not going to get fixed!


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## Dix (Mar 15, 2012)

What make is the fridge & what model #?

Keep in mind there may not be an answer for me for a few days


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## Captain Hornet (Mar 15, 2012)

I would go to your local hardware store and get a can each of PVC pipe cleaner and PVC cement.  Probably not more than seven bucks or so.  If you can't fix it with that it than you are most likely out of luck.   David


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## Don2222 (Mar 15, 2012)

Doing The Dixie Eyed Hustle said:


> What make is the fridge & what model #?
> 
> Keep in mind there may not be an answer for me for a few days


 
*It is a SearsKenmore ColdSpot 22 CuIn Refrigerator Model # 106.74259402.*
*The Milk holder shelf is the same size as the other 2 shelfs and called "Refrigerator Door Bin" Part # 2179606 in Clear Plastic with a white cap along the top edge. The new substituted part # is 2204813 which is all white and will not match the other shelves.*

*So my Imported Polystyrene cement is holding quite well now and I swapped it with another shelf that holds less weight!! This may get me by for a long time!!*


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## Dix (Mar 17, 2012)

And there ya go. Better than buying a new one


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## Don2222 (Mar 17, 2012)

Doing The Dixie Eyed Hustle said:


> And there ya go. Better than buying a new one


 
Yes, Thanks
That Polystyrene cement sure smells up a storm, but it bonds plastic like NOTHING else!

Too many glue sniffers in US so I guess that is why it was just about banned


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## FanMan (Mar 18, 2012)

Most internal parts of refrigerators are made of ABS nowadays, not styrene.  ABS is most commonly used for thermoformed sheet parts, while styrene is used for transparent parts and those requiring the precision of injection molding.  Either way, gluing the thin edge of a broken flat part doesn't make for a strong bond... it needs to be reinforced.

A good way to repair such a part is with cyanoacrylate adhesive (CA, "super glue").  You need the thin kind, not the thick gel "gap filling" kind.  Cut a small piece of synthetic fabric (fiberglass is best, but Dacron (polyester) is OK... nylon will work, but because it's more stretchable it won't hold up as well.  Glue the plastic first and let it set... it will hold it together but won't be very strong.  Next, lay a piece of the fabric over the joint, smooth it flat, and drip the CA onto it.  It will wick into the fabric, wet it out, and harden rigid.  Do this on both sides if possible.  Your repair should be stronger than the original material.


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## Don2222 (Mar 18, 2012)

FanMan said:


> Most internal parts of refrigerators are made of ABS nowadays, not styrene. ABS is most commonly used for thermoformed sheet parts, while styrene is used for transparent parts and those requiring the precision of injection molding. Either way, gluing the thin edge of a broken flat part doesn't make for a strong bond... it needs to be reinforced.
> 
> A good way to repair such a part is with cyanoacrylate adhesive (CA, "super glue"). You need the thin kind, not the thick gel "gap filling" kind. Cut a small piece of synthetic fabric (fiberglass is best, but Dacron (polyester) is OK... nylon will work, but because it's more stretchable it won't hold up as well. Glue the plastic first and let it set... it will hold it together but won't be very strong. Next, lay a piece of the fabric over the joint, smooth it flat, and drip the CA onto it. It will wick into the fabric, wet it out, and harden rigid. Do this on both sides if possible. Your repair should be stronger than the original material.


 
Hello
My neighbor is a chemical engineer and said that the new plastic now is mostly ABS and super glue will work on that. However since this part (See Pic Above) is clear and they do not make it anymore, then it could very well be styrene. So it seems like the Polystyrene Cement is working very well here. However in the future it won't! I guess that explains why the Polystyrene Cement is not used so much anymore!

Is there any better glue than super glue for ABS plastic like the plumbers glue for PVC pipe? That stuff really smells?

I hear Acetone is best for gluing ABS to ABS??


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## FanMan (Mar 18, 2012)

Cement made for styrene typically contains toluene or MEK, both of which will also dissolve (i.e. bond) ABS.  Cement made for PVC is different; one of the solvents usually used in PVC cement also dissolves ABS but the other does not.  You can also buy cement for ABS in the plumbing department.  CA sticks to nearly anyting but is brittle, which is why reinforcing the repair is a good idea.


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## Don2222 (Mar 18, 2012)

Hello

Well which works better for ABS plastic then Super Glue or Polystyrene?
Polystyrene welds and is not brittle so it may be a better choice?

BTW. On the back of the Air Fix Humbrol Polystyrene Cement I found the major ingredient.

Butyl Acetate !! Click on Pic Below
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butyl_Acetate

For other uses, see Butyl acetate (disambiguation).
​*n-Butyl acetate*, also known as *butyl ethanoate*, is an organic compound commonly used as a solvent in the production of lacquers and other products. It is a colorless flammable liquid. Butyl acetate is found in many types of fruit, where along with other chemicals it imparts characteristic flavors and has a sweet smell of banana. It is used as a synthetic fruit flavoring in foods such as candy, ice cream, cheeses, and baked goods.


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## Don2222 (Jan 10, 2013)

Hello

Here is a much better price on that part
https://www.midwestapplianceparts.c...edium=cse&utm_campaign=export_feed#googlebase


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## blujacket (Jan 10, 2013)

We sell it for $40.28, but I would discount it for a fellow Hearth member if you lived here.


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## jharkin (Jan 10, 2013)

That clear plastic shelf might also be acrylic.

The problem with plastics is there is a different glue for every formulation (polystyrene, ABS, PVC, lexan, acrylic, etc) and you need to know what you are dealing with for best results.

Personally I am not a fan of using regular cyanoacrylate on plastics. CA's big advantage is that it sticks to anything and it cures extremely fast... However its actually a weaker bonding strength than most other glues, especially on nonporous materials. It also will eat some plastics & fog up any plastics with a white haze as it cures. They make special foam and plastic safe CA formulations but you would have to go to a hobby shop to find them. Here is one example.

If you don't know exactly what kind of plastic it is, epoxy is the fail-safe choice.


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## drizler (Jan 10, 2013)

When I fix something like this I first stop drill the crack at the end with a drill.  Then I find something to lap the bad spot by a very large area, say the whole bottom of the tray.   Then glue the plate to the inside of the tray.   That way you spread out the glue surface by a huge amount as well as the surface area the glue is sticking to.   It works even better if you gouge the mating surfaces so the glue sticks even better.   Same goes for fiberglassing the bottom inside surface.   That will fix it too but my bet is "the old lady" ain't gonna like it.either method.


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## Don2222 (Jan 10, 2013)

drizler said:


> When I fix something like this I first stop drill the crack at the end with a drill. Then I find something to lap the bad spot by a very large area, say the whole bottom of the tray. Then glue the plate to the inside of the tray. That way you spread out the glue surface by a huge amount as well as the surface area the glue is sticking to. It works even better if you gouge the mating surfaces so the glue sticks even better. Same goes for fiberglassing the bottom inside surface. That will fix it too but my bet is "the old lady" ain't gonna like it.either method.


 
Thanks for the Info. Sounds like a very good fix!


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