those damn hinges on plastic boxes.

[toplessHO]

why do they make them so thin they fail almost instantly?
why cant they be reinforced with a fabric or something?
Show us your repair jobs.

Ive used pieces of old fabric belts glued and pop riveted on,gorilla duct tape,etc

 

[nmantas]

There is a guy that sells stamped/lasered out fire house material for Igloo cooler replacement hinges.....I bought a set for my cooler and have to say I like it. Firehouse has a lot going for it.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/132888165699

 

[rlitman]

Before he sold those, I put a stainless piano hinge on my cooler.
I usually look for cases with proper hinges.

 

[Magnum440d100]

Before he sold those, I put a stainless piano hinge on my cooler.
I usually look for cases with proper hinges.

^^This

I have a friend whose tool kit box broke. I gave him a piano hinge and he cut it to size to fit.

 

[Packard V8]

After we finish cussin' out the hinges, then there are the latches which will break soon.

jack vines

 

[Lynden]

Cable ties can be used to repair the hinges and latches.

 

[toplessHO]

agree on the latches
those tolerances are normally much tighter too

 

[mjs3350]

It's all cost. A living hinge allows the top and base to be molded together in one shot with no additional parts. It has to be thin to fold easily, and adding reinforcement would change the molding process completely.

 

[toplessHO]

It's all cost. A living hinge allows the top and base to be molded together in one shot with no additional parts. It has to be thin to fold easily, and adding reinforcement would change the molding process completely.

I fully understand the concept of why... because its cheaper.
Ive tried warranty on Craftsman boxes even 20 yrs ago,answer was they dont warranty the box just the tool.

Its very rare to find a replacement box even available and if you do it still has the same POS hinge.

 

[bwringer]

I generally "repair" blow molded cases by carefully depositing them into the trash... not a fan of these things, to be honest.

My Dad loved cases and boxes, and I inherited some that were repaired with various hinges he carefully bent and filed into shape, then attached with pop rivets or screws and nuts.

A fabric or leather hinge makes a lot of sense, but you'd need fasteners. It's hard (mostly impossible) to get adhesives to stick to polypropylene.

 

[rlitman]

...A fabric or leather hinge makes a lot of sense, but you'd need fasteners. It's hard (mostly impossible) to get adhesives to stick to polypropylene.

I used short stainless wood screws for my cooler hinge.

For adhesive, hot melt glue works excellently. BUT, it only sticks to the plastic when it is hot. Think of it as thermoplastic soldering, as opposed to plastic welding (which can also be done with polypropylene).

 

[bwringer]

I used short stainless wood screws for my cooler hinge.

For adhesive, hot melt glue works excellently. BUT, it only sticks to the plastic when it is hot. Think of it as thermoplastic soldering, as opposed to plastic welding (which can also be done with polypropylene).

Good to know -- hadn't thought of hot glue for that stuff, but it makes sense that a bit of melting would lead to a nice bond.

 

[JRC3]

Hmm, sounds like a job for some 3M/Scotch mounting tape and a some wide HVAC flex duct hanger strap. I wonder how well the mounting tape will adhere to the strap material. I know it will stick to the plastic case.

 

[hangfirew8]

I just had some HVAC flex strap fall down on me, dryrot. Basement, moderate humidity, heated and air conditioned space. Less than 15 years old. Dropped a whole duct on my head.

Maybe it was just a bad batch?

If I used it for a hinge, I would melt the edges a bit so it doesn't unravel.

-HF

 

[rlitman]

Hmm, sounds like a job for some 3M/Scotch mounting tape and a some wide HVAC flex duct hanger strap. I wonder how well the mounting tape will adhere to the strap material. I know it will stick to the plastic case.

3M makes a “low surface energy” VHB tape that is supposed to bond to PE and PP, but it it mega expensive. The normal VHB they make (even the “30lb” “extreme” stuff) sticks to thermoplastic like ****.

 

[toplessHO]

thinking that if something was made that had the fabric or hinge material fused with some PP on a strip,the strip could be fused to the PP case.
what I like about most of the blow molded cases is they organize the tools quite well,as intended.
fixing the hinge is one option,placing the broken case inside a real case with a real hinge,is another.... throwing it away,to me is not so good of an option.

 

[Rarified27]

why do they make them so thin they fail almost instantly?
why cant they be reinforced with a fabric or something?
Show us your repair jobs.

Ive used pieces of old fabric belts glued and pop riveted on,gorilla duct tape,etc

Glad to know I'm not the only one who had to write "top" or something similar on cases. You only have to open one upside down once to regret it.

 

[neilreeveszz]

Here is a tip for putting hinges, latches etc. on blow molded cases and coolers. Do not drill a pilot hole or use self drilling screws. Rather use a red hot nail to create a pilot hole and you will get a nice bulge of plastic that, after it cools, gives the screw much more material to "bite".

It takes a bit of practice to determine the correct diameter for the nail, how much to heat it and how gently to push it in so that you don't over do it.

 

[whyNick?]

I've used bits of seat belt or 1" nylon strap for replacement hinges on coolers and tool cases. Melt a hole with a hot nail for fasteners.

 

[rsanter]

In thenplastics world it’s called a live hinge”
They are thin so they will flex without breaking (yes I know what you are going to say)

If they added canvas or other material this would become insert molding. More complex mold, higher labor, higher cost

 

[toplessHO]

heres a thought
find some woven(think belt like material) made of polypropylene.
use the hot air welder to fuse it into the case at the hinge.

 

[PWC Repair]

Best thing I've seen is the Gorilla Hinge.

 

[JRC3]

Best thing I've seen is the Gorilla Hinge.

 

[kctyphoon]

Buy a piano hinge in Home Depot. Cut to fit. Attach how you like. I think i have drywall anchors and screws to hold the piano hinge i attached to my old husky mechanic tool set. Rivets would work too.

IMO - you want something that is as good, or better than what was there. I think the fix being able to sustain a little bit of abuse is important - especially if some weight needs to be supported.. just a flimsy top of a case - tape is probably fine and easy enough to apply and call it done.

 

[toplessHO]

those with sharp eyes will notice the gorilla tape repair in the first photo
Save the trouble... it doesnt work.
sticks ok for a couple days they slowly lets loose.
This repair was from about 6 months ago

 

[wayne55]

Similar to what others have said, i get the cheapest and smallest brass hinges, drill tiny starter holes, and use the screws provided. Just snug up the screws and they will hold in the plastic.

 

[atikovi]

The last few tools I've bought in plastic cases had real hinges, not that molded in garbage. Usually the quality of the case is reflected in the quality of the tool.

 

[PWC Repair]

Lol! No, the actual Gorilla Hinge.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Gorilla-Hinge-Replacement-Tool-Box-Cooler-Hinges/50183357

 

[JRC3]

Lol! No, the actual Gorilla Hinge.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Gorilla-Hinge-Replacement-Tool-Box-Cooler-Hinges/50183357

I was being serious too.

Those hinges look a pretty heavy duty, maybe a little too much for something like a finish nailer or brake caliper kit but good for some bigger stuff.

www.gorillahinges.com