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Microwave oven door hole - outer plastic panel

rockstar

Jul 20, 2018
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Hi guys, need your advice with hole in microwave door. It's brand new and being offered cheap. How can I safely fix this?
 

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(*steve*)

¡sǝpodᴉʇuɐ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥd
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The perforated metal is the shield. The hole is in a part that's mostly cosmetic. Place some duct tape over the hole. It's probably best not to poke your fingers against the metal shield.
 

rockstar

Jul 20, 2018
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The perforated metal is the shield. The hole is in a part that's mostly cosmetic. Place some duct tape over the hole. It's probably best not to poke your fingers against the metal shield.
Thanks for your advice Steve. Concerned though that the duct tape will be compromised while microwaving. Is this possible?
 

(*steve*)

¡sǝpodᴉʇuɐ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥd
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This is an image of the outside of the door isn't it?
 

(*steve*)

¡sǝpodᴉʇuɐ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥd
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That part doesn't get hot. And the microwave energy is stopped by the perforated metal shield.
 

73's de Edd

Aug 21, 2015
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Sir rockstar . . . . . . ( soon to be microwave star ). . . .

If being MY repair . . .to accomplish ?

Procedure option one . . . .

Initially size up the damaged area and go about an additional 1/2 inch past the extreme fracture trails.
Configure as a rectangle.
Get a sheet of LEXAN (aka INDESTRUCTIBLE) versus this inferior polycarbonate and cut out a rectangle of your computed rectangle, from it . Get it to size and then place it on top of your hole in the microwave and position it properly. Use a Blue sharpie permanent micro marker and run its tip all around the patch piece to thereby leave a marking on the doors plastic.
Use a straightedge and come in from the outside towards that blue line on one of the 4 directions until being 1/16 in from it.
Use an Exacto knife with a #11 blade and be SURE that straightedge does not move, while you hold the 11 blade backwards so that its blade tip then becomes a scoring tool to lightly scratch the initial full length run.
Then redo with a little bit more pressure to deepen the score, but NOT jump out of its rut.
By the third time it pretty well follows the rut trail .
Move to the three other sides and do them the same way.
Then you cut that rectangle out of the door plastic, fully knowing that any speedy power tool solution, will result in heating and binding of the plastic, or distorting it, or having it flowing back together and fusing into a closed seam behind it.
A NAKED hacksaw blade, used manually, usually works just fine.
Plus , you might also have a naked blade holder hand grip, that makes it easier on the holding hand.
There is then the resultant hole and the patch which will probably have the LEXAN being the thicker of the two.
By this time I am sure that you have the door removed, along with removing the internal surround bezel to get unobstructed access to the whole frontal polycarbonate faceplate.
You then need to smooth out your lengths of sawkerf with file or wetted . . .wet and dry
silicon carbide sandpaper. and THEN do a purposefull roughing up of all of the 8 facing edges with 60 grit.
That is so that it will bond well with the forthcoming water clear , two part epoxy, which will be filling in that predermined 1/16 in gap around the perimeter of the patch, into the doors plastic.

Considering that the LEXAN was thicker it would be cosmetically better if the LEXAN patch was being flush with the doors original plastic at the front of the front panel.

To accomplish that, it is done in two stages, use clear SCOTCH box sealing tape which is 1 1/2 in wide . Cut four 1 1/2 by 1 1/2 squares and four 3/8 by 3/8 in squares and have the sticky side large squares facing up and tweezer insert the smaller squares into the center of the larger squares with their sticky side facing down.
That will result in 4 corner patches that will have smooth surfaces offered to the epoxy drops that will be added in at the corners, while the outlaying larger squares will stick to the patch and hold it aligned until the epoxy corner drops cure.
As a preliminary to that, you use just some two pieces per side of loose tape on the
face between the door plastic and the patch LEXAN to establish that uni8form 1/16th in spacing all around .
Ready to do the patch:
You have the temporary tape on the front,avoiding the corners, for establishing and holding that 1/16 gap all the way around.
The earlier prepared corner pieces have that slick center piece to be centered on a corner and the sticky larger tape surround then is pressed into the face,. That is repeated for the 3 other corners. That then leaves a 3/8 in area that will leave a slick epoxy surface.
You then mix up the clear epoxy's resin and hardener and have the door resting on a flat surface so that the patch and door plastic will be flush on the fronts.Then add dops of epoxy at the corners, not to overflow the slick 3/8 in tape uderneath them. Press down on the patch to see that it is left flush with the font plastic again and leave the epoxied corners to cure..
The final step , with you now having cured corners holding the patch in place , would be to
go to the backside and cut four lengths of tape to the lengths of the 4 gaps and cut out four 1/4 wide strips to center upon those first pieces, so that you will have a slick piece facing the long slots, such as the squares did for the corners.
You then apply those four strips with the slick 1/4 lining up with the slots and the larger tapes sticky side going onto the door insides plastic and the LEXAN patch.
Then you flip the door so that the gaping , surrounding gaps are on top.
Then you mix very much epoxy to be applied with a toothpick or wooden match or bamboo skewer so that it just fills in LEVEL as you move around to each corner where the initially cured alignment drops already are.

Procedure option two . . . . .

You observe the front of the faceplate, to see if there is not being to severe of a curvature
to prohibit you from using the same procedure on a symmetrical much larger door area inset patch of lEXAN, with it being inclusive of your present raggedy hole. .

In either option , using of some final overlaying of "pinstriping tape" will make your gap repair disappear.

Procedure option three. . . . .

Take any old piece of plastic bigger than the hole and glue it on the innerside of the door.
After it has cured fill in the hole with any type of solid filler . . .even inclusive of drywall filler and surface it off such that it is flush with the plastics frontal surface. Let it cure /dry.
Hit the daughters bedroom and commandeer a large HELLO KITTY sticker and then use it cover up your handy-crap completely.
Or get the appropriate sport teams sticker , to plaster over the worked over area.

Thasssssit . . . .

73's de Edd
.....
 
Last edited:

rockstar

Jul 20, 2018
6
Joined
Jul 20, 2018
Messages
6
Sir rockstar . . . . . . ( soon to be microwave star ). . . .

If being MY repair . . .to accomplish ?

Procedure option one . . . .

Initially size up the damaged area and go about an additional 1/2 inch past the extreme fracture trails.
Configure as a rectangle.
Get a sheet of LEXAN (aka INDESTRUCTIBLE) versus this inferior polycarbonate and cut out a rectangle of your computed rectangle, from it . Get it to size and then place it on top of your hole in the microwave and position it properly. Use a Blue sharpie permanent micro marker and run its tip all around the patch piece to thereby leave a marking on the doors plastic.
Use a straightedge and come in from the outside towards that blue line on one of the 4 directions until being 1/16 in from it.
Use an Exacto knife with a #11 blade and be SURE that straightedge does not move, while you hold the 11 blade backwards so that its blade tip then becomes a scoring tool to lightly scratch the initial full length run.
Then redo with a little bit more pressure to deepen the score, but NOT jump out of its rut.
By the third time it pretty well follows the rut trail .
Move to the three other sides and do them the same way.
Then you cut that rectangle out of the door plastic, fully knowing that any speedy power tool solution, will result in heating and binding of the plastic, or distorting it, or it flowing back and fusing into a closed seam behind it.
A NAKED hacksaw blade, used manually, usually works just fine.
Plus , you might also have a naked blade holder hand grip, that makes it easier on the holding hand.
There is then the resultant hole and the patch which will probably have the LEXAN being the thicker of the two.
By this time I am sure that you have the door removed, along with removing the internal surround bezel to get unobstructed access to the whole frontal polycarbonate faceplate.
You then need to smooth out your lengths of sawkerf with file or wetted . . .wet and dry
silicon carbide sandpaper. and THEN do a purposefull roughing up of all of the 8 facing edges with 60 grit.
That is so that it will bond well with the forthcoming water clear , two part epoxy, which will be filling in that predermined 1/16 in gap around the perimeter of the patch, into the doors plastic.

Considering that the LEXAN was thicker it would be cosmetically better if the LEXAN patch was being flush with the doors original plastic at the front of the front panel.

To accomplish that, it is done in two stages, use clear SCOTCH box sealing tape which is 1 1/2 in wide . Cut four 1 1/2 by 1 1/2 squares and four 3/8 by 3/8 in squares and have the sticky side large squares facing up and tweezer insert the smaller squares into the center of the larger squares with their sticky side facing down.
That will result in 4 corner patches that will have smooth surfaces offered to the epoxy drops that will be added in at the corners, while the outlaying larger squares will stick to the patch and hold it aligned until the epoxy corner drops cure.
As a preliminary to that, you use just some two pieces per side of loose tape on the
face between the door plastic and the patch LEXAN to establish that uni8form 1/16th in spacing all around .
Ready to do the patch:
You have the temporary tape on the front,avoiding the corners, for establishing and holding that 1/16 gap all the way around.
The earlier prepared corner pieces have that slick center piece to be centered on a corner and the sticky larger tape surround then is pressed into the face,. That is repeated for the 3 other corners. That then leaves a 3/8 in area that will leave a slick epoxy surface.
You then mix up the clear epoxy's resin and hardener and have the door resting on a flat surface so that the patch and door plastic will be flush on the fronts.Then add dops of epoxy at the corners, not to overflow the slick 3/8 in tape uderneath them. Press down on the patch to see that it is left flush with the font plastic again and leave the epoxied corners to cure..
The final step , with you now having cured corners holding the patch in place , would be to
go to the backside and cut four lengths of tape to the lengths of the 4 gaps and cut out four 1/4 wide strips to center upon those first pieces, so that you will have a slick piece facing the long slots, such as the squares did for the corners.
You then apply those four strips with the slick 1/4 lining up with the slots and the larger tapes sticky side going onto the door insides plastic and the LEXAN patch.
Then you flip the door so that the gaping , surrounding gaps are on top.
Then you mix very much epoxy to be applied with a toothpick or wooden match or bamboo skewer so that it just fills in LEVEL as you move around to each corner where the initially cured alignment drops alredy are.

Procedure option two . . . . .

You observe the front of the faceplate, to see if there is not being to severe of a curvature
to prohibit you from using the same procedure on a symetrical much larger door area, with it being inclusive of your present raggedy hole. .

In either option , using of someoverlaying "pinstriping tape" will make your gap repair dissappear.

Procedure option three. . . . .

Take any old piece of plastic bigger than the hole and glue it on the innerside of the door.
After it has cured fill in the hole with any type of solid filler . . .even inclusive of drywall filler and surface it off such that it is flush with the plastics frontal surface. Let it cure /dry.
Hit the daughters bedroom and commandeer a large HELLO KITTY sticker and then use it cover up your handy-crap completely.
Or get the appropriate sport teams sticker , to plaster over the worked over area.

Thasssssit . . . .

73's de Edd
.....
Wow that's probably the most detailed repair advice I've ever received. Big thanks 73's de Edd for taking the time, can't wait to be a microwave star! :)
 

hevans1944

Hop - AC8NS
Jun 21, 2012
4,878
Joined
Jun 21, 2012
Messages
4,878
Procedure option three. . . . .
I vote for this one, but just use duct tape (or duck tape if that's all you can find) as Steve recommended originally. It's just a cheap (maybe free) microwave... no need to make the "repair" look "professional" IMHO unless the OP wants to sell it.
 

rockstar

Jul 20, 2018
6
Joined
Jul 20, 2018
Messages
6
I vote for this one, but just use duct tape (or duck tape if that's all you can find) as Steve recommended originally. It's just a cheap (maybe free) microwave... no need to make the "repair" look "professional" IMHO unless the OP wants to sell it.
Thanks hevans1944!
 

FuZZ1L0G1C

Mar 25, 2014
366
Joined
Mar 25, 2014
Messages
366
Take clear plastic jewel case, use square-nose pliers to carefully bend / break surrounding frame off, so flat plate is left.
May need to file edges a bit.
Using clear silicon (bath sealer) or clear adhesive, stick over broken hole.
 
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