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switters · 10-17-2020, 05:46 PM

The lower hinge of one of the cabinets under the sink came off. It's a 23' Flying Cloud 23FB, and my guess is the screws were loose when we bought it (I missed it in the inspection). The screws came completely out, but it looks impossible to get them back in without removing the drawers to the left—and this doesn't seem like an easy repair.

The other issue is that, even if I can take out the drawers and the drawer housing, the screw holes for the hinge seem stripped. One of the screws can just push all the way in with no resistance. But I can't really drill new holes or the hinge will be in the wrong position.

See attached photo. Any ideas?

kittmaster · 10-17-2020, 06:59 PM

Use toothpicks the length of the screw holes and use elmers glue to lock them in place in the stripped out screw holes.....this will give the screws new wood to bite into and it will hold them in place.

We had the same issue on a door on ours....it shouldn't have happened, but an easy fix.

majorairhead · 10-17-2020, 07:00 PM

You'll have to remove the drawers. Then remove the hinge. There is a flat piece of metal cover on the cabinet side of the hinge. It pops off and reveals a couple adjustment screws too. And there is a plastic tab at the very end that pops out, it's a locking mechanism of sorts. You have to kind of pinch it to get it to come out. Some come out easier than others.

I recommend checking ALL hinges in an airstream as a routine. Speaking from experience

Be careful with the hinge when removed, it's spring loaded and will snap, don't want to get stung by it.

Do a google search on euro cabinet hinges, watch some youtube vids, etc.

Fix stripped screw holes with toothpicks and elmers wood glue. Cut toothpick pieces to fit in hole, apply glue, insert. Use as many as needed. When done, make sure you punch a starter hole in the center for your new screw to start on center.

If not toothpicks, you could shave a piece of wood from darn near anything, whittle it to fit, glue, and stick it in there.

I don't even wait for the glue to dry, I like to run the screw in there, that squeezes the wood insert(s) and glue, making for a tight fit. I used to repair furniture, did it way too many times to count.

pcskier · 10-17-2020, 08:05 PM

Howdy neighbor. That's my previous floorplan. I have a 23 corner bed now.

You didn't say which screws were stripped, the ones on the door or the ones inside the cabinet. I'll assume inside the cabinet, since you referenced having to remove the drawers. Repair is easy once you have access, as the previous posts suggest. I like Airheads suggestion to not let the glue dry, and as a former furniture fixer, it sounds like he knows a thing or two about a thing or two with this kind of stuff.

As previously mentioned, it's always good to go around and tighten up screws often. It's when they loosen a little, that the motion of the road and using the cabinet doors causes them to stress and strip out. A small ratcheting angle screwdriver set is a lifesaver as well in many situations.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/CRAFTSMAN-1...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

waninae39 · 10-17-2020, 08:09 PM

easy to fix

fill hole with 2 part hard epoxy. cover with green tape so epoxy does not pour out . let it cure for 24 hours

then use a 5mm drill bit to make a new hole

we replaced some of the euro hinges with piano hinges in places that the hinge was too bulky

switters · 10-17-2020, 08:33 PM

Thanks, everyone! Really glad I came here to ask.

The only part I'm still not clear on is how to access the area to do the work. Even if I remove the drawers, the side of the cabinet that the drawers slide into will still be there—and it looks like that piece of wood is either glued in or doesn't have accessible screws that would allow me to remove it. As the picture below shows, there's barely enough room for me to slide my hand in sideways between the hinges and the side of the cabinet.

switters · 10-18-2020, 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pcskier

Howdy neighbor. That's my previous floorplan. I have a 23 corner bed now.

You didn't say which screws were stripped, the ones on the door or the ones inside the cabinet. I'll assume inside the cabinet, since you referenced having to remove the drawers. Repair is easy once you have access, as the previous posts suggest. I like Airheads suggestion to not let the glue dry, and as a former furniture fixer, it sounds like he knows a thing or two about a thing or two with this kind of stuff.

As previously mentioned, it's always good to go around and tighten up screws often. It's when they loosen a little, that the motion of the road and using the cabinet doors causes them to stress and strip out. A small ratcheting angle screwdriver set is a lifesaver as well in many situations.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/CRAFTSMAN-1...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

The screws inside the cabinet are stripped, which is what is making this so difficult. As I mentioned in the last post, I don't know how I will be able to access that area to put the toothpicks/epoxy in the screw holes or screw new screws in there. The wall of the cabinet that holds the drawers is only a few inches from the wall that the hinge is attached to, and there's not much room to maneuver around there.

majorairhead · 10-18-2020, 06:30 AM

My guess is there will be enough room to access the hinge screws once the drawers are out.

I'm not sure about how the drawers remove, some times you pull the drawer out the whole way til it stops, then lift the front of the drawer to pull it out the whole way, some times there's a tab underneath, on the drawer slide, you have to push to get past the safety stop, and some times the drawer comes to a stop and then you have to yank it a bit to get it come slide out past the safety stop mechanism.

I'd get the drawers out first then look at that hinge.

switters · 10-18-2020, 06:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by majorairhead

My guess is there will be enough room to access the hinge screws once the drawers are out.

I'm not sure about how the drawers remove, some times you pull the drawer out the whole way til it stops, then lift the front of the drawer to pull it out the whole way, some times there's a tab underneath, on the drawer slide, you have to push to get past the safety stop, and some times the drawer comes to a stop and then you have to yank it a bit to get it come slide out past the safety stop mechanism.

I'd get the drawers out first then look at that hinge.

It's not the drawers themselves that are obstructing access to the hinges, it's the side wall of the cabinet that the drawers slide into (see the area inside of the red rectangle in the attached pic). That side wall is either glued in, or the screws that were used aren't accessible—at least as far as I can tell. There is a small hole, which you can also see inside of the red rectangle, but that hole is too far back to be able to access the hinge through it from where the drawers are (after I remove them).

Does anyone know if this is standard equipment in the 2018 FC 23FB? If so, it's a very poor design that doesn't make it easy to fix loose hinges—which seem to be pretty common.

switters · 10-18-2020, 07:25 AM

Here's what I mean. I've removed the cabinet door and the drawers. The wall of the cabinet that the door slides into still makes access difficult, although I can probably get epoxy and toothpicks into the holes now, and re-attach the new hinge using the ratcheting angle screwdriver suggested earlier.

The other possible option: there are screws for removing the track that holds the drawer. Underneath that track, it looks like there may be screws that attach the cabinet side wall to the interior (see the red circles in one of the attached pics). If I remove those screws I may be able to pull out that wall and have much better access to the hinges.

turk123 · 10-18-2020, 07:44 AM

Not knowing what is seeable or not, I would drill two small holes in the side of the cabinet and use those to access the screws on the hinge. They may be hidden by the cabinetry and only known by you! You can buy a long "bit" Philips to use in the new holes.

If your fix has to be done again one day, you'll have access.

majorairhead · 10-18-2020, 08:32 AM

Looks like it's coming along pretty well. I'd fill the holes and see if I could find whatever tool needed to run the hinge screws back in there, as mentioned by you, an angle ratchet.

I wouldn't have a problem seeing if the wall could be removed by removing the track and a couple screws but if it doesn't appear to loosen with screw removal be careful as it could also be glued in there.

Rule of thumb for me has always been to not make things worse.

switters · 10-18-2020, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by majorairhead

Looks like it's coming along pretty well. I'd fill the holes and see if I could find whatever tool needed to run the hinge screws back in there, as mentioned by you, an angle ratchet.

I wouldn't have a problem seeing if the wall could be removed by removing the track and a couple screws but if it doesn't appear to loosen with screw removal be careful as it could also be glued in there.

Rule of thumb for me has always been to not make things worse.

Yes, that's exactly my goal as well: not to make things worse. I'm heading to Home Depot to get a ratcheting angle screwdriver, and I'll start there. If I can't do it that way, I'll see about removing that wall.

Thanks again, everyone.

switters · 10-18-2020, 11:23 AM

Update (for anyone who might be in the same boat): I removed the drawer tracks and there are not screws to remove that side wall of the cabinet that holds the drawers in place. So, I'm off to Lowe's to get the ratcheting screwdriver set and will try to do it that way.

pcskier · 10-18-2020, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by switters

So, I'm off to Lowe's to get the ratcheting screwdriver set and will try to do it that way.

Hope that works...there looks to be enough room to do it with the 90 degree screwdriver wrench. Anyway, good tool to have in any case, I have discovered abundant uses for it!

hissilver · 10-18-2020, 01:26 PM

Great advice.

switters · 10-18-2020, 04:56 PM

Success! The ratcheting screwdriver worked very well, plenty of room for it. I ended up using the toothpick/wood glue solution and that did the trick. Thanks again for your help.