Tape for use in a freezer

Mark Allread

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Sep 3, 2016, 7:33:31 AM9/3/16

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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?

The Natural Philosopher

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Sep 3, 2016, 7:50:17 AM9/3/16

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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

--
Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as
foolish, and by the rulers as useful.

(Seneca the Younger, 65 AD)

Andy Burns

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Sep 3, 2016, 8:40:47 AM9/3/16

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Mark Allread wrote:

> Having defrosted the freezer I have found that a number of the plastic
> trays have developed cracks in them.

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

<https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/RIC_Updated.jpg>

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.

F Murtz

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Sep 3, 2016, 8:57:43 AM9/3/16

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Dichloromethane or chloroform may solvent weld them.

Chris Green

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Sep 3, 2016, 9:16:04 AM9/3/16

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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.

--
Chris Green
·

tim...

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Sep 3, 2016, 10:23:10 AM9/3/16

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"Mark Allread" <m...@desktop.com> wrote in message
news:Tc6dneBzTceUKFfK...@brightview.co.uk...

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

newshound

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Sep 3, 2016, 10:40:41 AM9/3/16

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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.

Harry Bloomfield

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Sep 3, 2016, 10:44:51 AM9/3/16

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on 03/09/2016, newshound supposed :

+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.

Capitol

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Sep 3, 2016, 12:55:41 PM9/3/16

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I always use superglue liberally.

Sam Plusnet

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Sep 3, 2016, 1:41:57 PM9/3/16

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In article <ipuq9d-...@esprimo.zbmc.eu>, c...@isbd.net
says...

>
> Mark Allread <m...@desktop.com> wrote:
> > 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?
>
> 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

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

Harry Bloomfield

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Sep 3, 2016, 2:15:54 PM9/3/16

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Huge presented the following explanation :

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

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

Mark Allread

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Sep 3, 2016, 3:03:59 PM9/3/16

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On Sat, 03 Sep 2016 06:33:29 -0500, Mark Allread wrote:

> Having defrosted the freezer I have found that a number of the plastic
> trays have developed cracks in them.
>

> Anyone done anything similar and can offer a view please?

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.

dennis@home

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Sep 4, 2016, 2:00:20 PM9/4/16

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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.