How to Repair a Broken or Detached Wardrobe Hinge (by Mariobrossh)

Indice

You opened your wardrobe door and—snap! The hinge has come away from the cabinet side? Don’t worry, you don’t need a new wardrobe. In this guide, we’ll show you how to fix modern clip-on hinges when the mounting holes have become stripped or too loose to hold. With a few simple tricks and some basic materials you probably already have at home, you’ll have your door back in place in no time.

Introduction

I hope these photos can sufficiently illustrate the steps to take in the classic case of a plastic base breaking on typical wardrobe hinges. No special tools or woodworking skills are needed, just a bit of good will.
In this photo, you can see what a base supporting the hinge looks like when it’s still intact.

photo of a hinge base still intact

What happens when the base breaks or detaches from the cabinet

Over time, the base of this type of hinge, which is fixed by pressing into pre-drilled holes in the chipboard, tends to detach, "fraying" and enlarging the holes. At this point, they can no longer guarantee a solid attachment.
If the base is secured with screws, the same issue occurs with the screw holes.

Jagged holes that no longer hold the cabinet hinge

Closing the holes with wooden dowels

First, we insert two dowels of the appropriate diameter into the holes after carefully coating them with wood glue.
If the holes are too small (as in the case of screw holes), we can widen them with a drill using a suitable bit.

We insert into the old holes some beech pins, those used for joints.

Cutting off the excess part

Once the glue has dried (at least 4 hours), we trim the dowels flush with the surface. Then, gently, we use a file first and then sandpaper to level everything smoothly with the wood.

cutting the protruding part of the wooden dowels

Finishing

We fill and even out the surface with ready-made wood filler. You can use a filler that’s already coloured to match the wood tone of your wardrobe, or a white filler that can later be coloured with a touch-up wood marker.

The hole will then be finished with a filler

Sanding

Once dry, we gently sand the surface using 320-grit sandpaper.

Once dry, the stucco will need to be sanded.

Attaching the new hinge

We secure the plate to the hinge, drilling new holes if necessary, and test the closure.

Installation of the new hinge

Then we secure the plate with two screws, and that’s it—job done.

fixing the new hinge

Anyone with questions or curiosities, or simply wishing to let us know that this article has been helpful, can write on the forum (from which this article was sourced) at this link:
https://www.ilsitodelfaidate.it/FDTForum/viewtopic.php?t=6741

Thank You
Mariobrossh

Warning!

The advice and instructions provided on this site come from hobbyists rather than professional technicians, meaning there is no guarantee that they are accurate or represent the best solution.
Additionally, using the tools and techniques described here should be done with careful consideration of one’s own abilities.
These articles assume that the tasks will be performed by individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge to use the required tools safely, without risking harm to themselves, others, or property.
Therefore, the owners of this site cannot be held responsible for any direct or indirect damages resulting from the application of the content found here.
Before undertaking any DIY activity, it is strongly recommended to read the Safety Notice, which provide a basic (though non-exhaustive) list of precautions to follow.

Copyright

The republication of full articles is strictly prohibited. However, it is permitted to publish brief excerpts of the articles or images, provided that the source is clearly credited at the end. This must include a hyperlink directing readers to the original page from which the content was taken.