how can I fix a cabinet door?

Question

it has hidden hinges and the door is made of particle board with the hard cabinet door coating. the particle board has been broken away around the screw anchors. for one hinge I was able to replace the missing wood with sawdust mixed with wood glue. the other hings is still loose.
will epoxy work to glue in the screw anchor?
should I cover it with a metal plate and more screws?
the door is thin so I cannot install longer screws.

thank you

Answer 1

You could:
Replace the door -- IF you know what kind it is, brand etc... tho, color matching could be a problem.

Fix the door... this is what I recommend.
Remove the hinge from the door. You state that a portion of the door is missing some wood... you will need to replace this with an appropriate substitute. IF, this missing wood is adjacent to the hole (or cup) that the hinge mounts into... youve got a little extra work ahead of you, but this can still be fixed.
First let's assume the missing wood is not adjacent to the hinge cup. In this case, you merely need to apply a wood epoxy to the screw holes, to help fill them. Make this as smooth with the surrounding surface as possible, and you will not have to sand it too much. A little primer and paint, (or stain, to match your door), and you're all set.

In this scenario, let's assume the chunk of missing wood DOES include the wood near/next to, the hinge cup. You still need to fill it with epoxy... but you do NOT want the epoxy to take up space in the hinge cup. If you are VERY careful... you can leave the hinge cup in place, and apply the epoxy next to it. You do NOT want to get any of the epoxy IN the hinge. If this isnt something you feel comfortable doing... then what we need to do, is make a 'mold' of a good hinge cup. You can use any good hinge cup... and a little wax paper, or plastic wrap, and either some plaster, or wax. I would use the plaster, or even modeling clay, which you can purchase at any place that sells craft supplies. Let's assume you will use the plaster (its the best choice of the three)... you need to make a mold of an existing hinge cup, that is in good condition. The purpose of this, is to keep the epoxy you are going to apply from getting into the area where the hinge needs to sit. Take a bit of wax paper, or plastic wrap, and line the hole of a good hinge cup. Press it in place firmly...you want the plaster mold to fill it as much as possible. Mix just a little of the plaster according to the directions. Use a spoon, or putty knife to dip some of the plaster into the good hinge cup, that is lined with wax paper, or plastic wrap (the wax paper, or plastic wrap, will help keep the plaster from sticking to this hinge cup).
Stick an object into the plaster... like a small bolt....this will act as a handle, making it easier to remove, once the plaster has set.

After the plaster has hardened, remove it from the 'good hinge cup', and place it in the damaged one. here, you only need to apply some wax paper to the side that is going to have the epoxy on it. You could, very lightly, just tape a small piece of wax paper to the plaster "plug" that you have made. With the plug in place, now you are ready to apply the epoxy to the damaged section of the door. Again, apply the epoxy as smoothly with the surface as you can, and you will not have to do much sanding after it has dried. After the epoxy has cured, and hardened, you can remove the plug... the epoxy should have filled the space where the door was missing wood, while leaving the space for the hinge, intact. A little sanding, and then finish, and youre ready to install the hinge... drill a couple of pilot holes where the screws will go, and you're all set.

Now... IF the damaged portion of the door extended all the way to the EDGE of the door...and you have a chunk of the edge missing.... you can make a mold of the edge, just like you did of the hinge cup. You would need a couple of clamps... one of them a 'C' Clamp (or two, depending on how much of the edge is missing), and the other a long clamp that will let you clamp across the door itself. Also, you need a piece of 'L' shaped wood... this will hold the plaster you are going to use, to make a mold. The length of the 'L' shaped wood needs to be long enough to span the damaged section. (Im assuming the damage does not include a corner, here). One piece of the 'L' will be clamped to the 'face' or front, of the door... the second piece is aligned with the edge... the two pieces should be screwed together.
Now, put some of that plaster into the 'L'...enough to fill the length of it.. and lay a piece of plastic wrap over it. Placing it on a section of door that is similar of shape to the damaged section.... press it firmly in place, and clamp it, in both directions. (use a block of wood, or cloth, where the clamp meets the other edge of door. You do not have to clamp this too hard... you just want to keep it from moving while the plaster dries.
After the plaster has dried.... you should be able to unclamp your 'mold' and move it to the damaged section of door. Depending on how much damage there is, and how easy it is to get to it.... you can either apply the epoxy first, and then clamp the mold in place, squeezing out any excess epoxy, or clamp the mold in place, and then fill in the gap with the epoxy. Allow the epoxy to harden per instructions. You are now ready to remove the 'mold', perhaps to a little light touch-up or sanding, and re-finish the door edge to match the rest of the door.

This is how professionals repair furniture in the stores, or at the manufacturing plant ( I know, Ive done enough of it myself, lol ).... depending on the finish that needs to be matched... it might take a little artistry to get the match to the point that you cannot see the repair, but it can be done.

Feel free to contact me, if you have any questions, and...

Have Fun!

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

To properly repair it, you could order a new door, if you know who the cabinet manufacturer is... There should be a sticker inside the cabinets somewhere, search through all of them... they are definately not custom cabinets. If you don't care about cosmetics, drill a hole completely through the door and put a nut & bolt on it. Otherwise, try the epoxy first and see if it works.

Answer 4

How about ordering a whole door replacement?

Answer 5

take out the hinge and replace it

Answer 6

epoxy or body filler will be fine body filler is easier to sand and paint.epoxy is stronger