Kitchen cupboard door hinge falling off the side panel

MothballsWallet

Hello again everyone!

Following on from my toilet seat thread, we've had something else go that needs work doing and I'd like to ask for advice here before we go looking at hardware stores and/or local tradespeople.

A hinge on our kitchen cupboard won't stay put in the side panel mounted part (this is still the original kitchen from when the house was built in the 1990s as far as we know), and it looks like this:



What's happened is that the screw has come out of the top hinge (the bottom hinge is sort of holding onto the side panel, but since the cupboards are made with chipboard, it's not so sturdy) and we can't get it to stay in for any length of time after refastening it with a screwdriver. The screw looks like this now from the side:



There looks like there's some wear around 1/3rd of the way up the shaft from the left hand side. And from the top it looks like this:



(The blue handle is from a spatula we used to help keep the screw upright to take this photo, otherwise it would just keep falling over.)

The screw head is worn past where the screwdriver will fit, so we're probably expending more effort just turning the screwdriver than is going into securing it.

The door is hanging like this at the moment:



And a close up of the hinge on the cupboard wall panel:



I might be able to get a better photo of the hinge part on the panel using the flash to show the state of the thread inside it, but it seems to be just the screw keeping these 2 parts together that's the issue.

Is this just a case of getting a new screw, perhaps one that's a bit longer, and using that to reattach the hinge body to the cupboard panel or do we need a new hinge entirely with different mounting hole placements?

mta999

Go onto eBay and search for kitchen cupboard hinge repair kit

Rodders53

New set of hinges without the stripped thread(s).  Just need to match measurements. 

Cabinet Door Hinges is an example of the ranges from one supplier.

Take door off and remove a hinge to take to a decent DIY ironmongery store where they can match it up.

MothballsWallet

mta999 said:

Go onto eBay and search for kitchen cupboard hinge repair kit

Are you referring to something like the kits on this list?

molerat

The plates are only needed if the carcase is damaged and will not allow the screws to hold the hinge.  It looks like you need a new hinge as the screw hole in the bracket is damaged and that is unlikely to come with that narrow bracket, if you look on that list they all come with a larger bracket so likely you will have to drill new holes anyway.

MysteryMe

Maybe put some glue or other filler in the hole so that when you screw the hinge in it stays in place? You might need to support the door whilst the screw in the filler sets

Eldi_Dos

Before buying anything you could try taking plate that is on the wall of the unit off, then with a flat head screwdiver try using screw from other side to cut a new thread on plate.Then reassemble,if new thread is cut and holding you could place cup washer between screwhead and hinge.

Murmansk

Get some new hinges. Your only problem might be working out exactly where to attach them to the carcase of the unit so only attach them with one screw to start with until you are sure it's in the right position, then you can put the other screw in too.