Fixing to 6mm MDF

[Lower]

I’ve made some shakers style cupboard doors out of 18mm mdf with the 6mm centre panels let into the 18mm frame. One door is for an integrated freezer. The top bracket screws to the 18mm frame, but the door I’ve made is quite a bit longer than standard so the bottom door brackets that attach the door to the freezer door behind have ended up in slightly the wrong place. There is about 50mm of bracket that should be attached to the 6mm mdf, before the bracket hits the 18mm frame.

The freezer door is quite stiffly hinged, so because the bottom brackets are’t secured in quite the right place, the brackets flex when the door is opened. I really need to find a way of fixing to the 6mm mdf centre panel to take some of the load.

I’ve been able to glue on 2-3mm of pine which gives a bit more meat to fix to and a flat surface for the whole bracket, but are there any suitable fixings that anyone can suggest or other ways of securing the plastic brackets to the wood.

6A95A6E1-7339-41CC-AA80-1F2E521BCB84

• Lower
• 2 Jan 2021
• 2

 

[Lower]

Bump. Any suggestions appreciated.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

IMHO 6mm MDF is too thin to carry any sort of load. Maybe that's why no suggestions.
About the only thing I can suggest (albeit a bit of a bodge, and assuming that your panel grooves are centred on the rails and stiles of the door frame) is that you cut a piece of 6mm MDF to be a tight fit at the back of the door in the panel recess - then glue that to the back of the existing panel. At least then you'll have 12mm thickness of material to work with

 

[Notch7]

I would get a length of metal strap.....I think some are available 3mm thick from places like screwfix.

If you drilled and csk and hole through from one side, put a csk set screw in, then glue it to the panel so the thread side of the screw sticks out - then put your plastic bracket on and tighten with nut and washer.

If you were really keen you could rout a stopped slot across the mdf stile and run the steel strap real close to the edge - that would stop the mdf flexing.

Bl@@dy integrated fridges....I've had many a time mucking around with them.

 

[foxhole]

The bracket should just be fixed to the 18mm section, it’s designed to flex.

 

[Lower]

The bracket should just be fixed to the 18mm section, it’s designed to flex.

Moving the bracket so that it’s on the 18mm section is something I have thought about, but can I just drill and screw into the base of the fridge door in the right position?

 

[foxhole]

Yes

 

[Lower]

I would get a length of metal strap.....I think some are available 3mm thick from places like screwfix.

If you drilled and csk and hole through from one side, put a csk set screw in, then glue it to the panel so the thread side of the screw sticks out - then put your plastic bracket on and tighten with nut and washer.

If you were really keen you could rout a stopped slot across the mdf stile and run the steel strap real close to the edge - that would stop the mdf flexing.

Bl@@dy integrated fridges....I've had many a time mucking around with them.

It’s not the mdf flexing, it’s the bracket because the I’m screwing the bracket to the 18mm mdf which is tooo far from the attachment point to the door.

If it comes to it, I can easily get my factory to make a full width steel bracket to allow me to do away with the plastic one completely. But I was hoping their might be an easier solution

 

[Lower]

IMHO 6mm MDF is too thin to carry any sort of load. Maybe that's why no suggestions.
About the only thing I can suggest (albeit a bit of a bodge, and assuming that your panel grooves are centred on the rails and stiles of the door frame) is that you cut a piece of 6mm MDF to be a tight fit at the back of the door in the panel recess - then glue that to the back of the existing panel. At least then you'll have 12mm thickness of material to work with

I’m sure you right about 6mm mdf not being strong enough. Unfortunately, I can only add 3mm of material which I’ve already done.

 

[Lower]

Yes

That’ll be the solution then

thanks to everyone that’s made suggestions.