This is for all you out there with broken left hand hinges on your Beogram CDX's. The problem as seen in this picture is that the plastic hinge hole breaks due to the constant stress placed on it by the lid opening assist spring. I have had a few attempts at perfecting this repair and this is the best answer I have come up with so far. After thinking long and hard about this I came to the conclusion that the best way around this inherent problem would be to take the stress away from the original hole in the plastic and transfer it to the front of the hinge body by adding a thin recessed metal strap - you'll get the idea as this thread progresses.

OK now to begin.

Before going further it is VITALLY important to know that the positioning of the drilled holes in the strap are in EXACTLY the same place as the original. If you get this wrong then it escalates through the complex lid mechanism and your lid will sit askew which is a real pain to get right after refitting. You will notice the notch which has been left from the original hinge hole after this step which is the datum point for aligning the hole in the strap.

You now need to file a groove with a small flat file all around the hinge body in which to set the strap. This will also take away a small part of the bit which slides into the machined grooves in the lid itself, and the small hole for the tiny tensioning spring will disappear but this doesn't affect the final result as it will stay put without this. This stage is quite painstaking so some patience is required and it is a bit of a compromise as to how much to take off. You want a groove deep enough to just about accept the metal strap but not so deep as to seriously weaken the hinge body.

Now to make the strap. You need some thin sheet metal - I cannibalised an old car stereo cassette case for this - some sharp tin snips and a 2mm drill bit.

Drill a 2mm hole (the size of the hinge pin) at one end of the metal sheet then cut a thin strip of the approx width of the groove you have filed in the hinge keeping this hole at one end of it. You can then round off the end with the hole keeping @ 1mm of metal all the way round it. If you try to keep too much metal around this hole it will catch on the back of the CDX body when you refit it.

Using the 2mm drill bit inserted in this hole you can now line this up with the notch left by the original hole in the hinge and make the bend around the front of the hinge body. Simply wrap this strap around the hinge body and this will now give you the U shape required. At this stage I place the strap over some thick flat steel I have and gently tap it with a small hammer to give me a nice crisp return on the corners. Snip the long end of the strap to match the pre-drilled hole and round it off with a file. Don't worry about drilling the other side for now as it is easier to do once it is set on the hinge.

Now you need to glue this in place using 2 part epoxy resin - don't be tempted to use the quick setting stuff as it is nowhere near as strong as the real thing. Hold this in place with some grips and leave to set overnight - check that the hole is aligned correctly with the notch first or you'll find yourself ripping it off next day and starting again. The hole can now be drilled all the way through to the other side of the strap.

Nearly there!

All that is required now is some filler - cataloy resin as used in car body repairs is perfect for this - and some light sanding. You may have to do this a couple of times to ensure all the little nooks & crannies get filled nicely. Mask off the parts which slide into the lid and give a light spray of zinc primer followed by a couple of coats of satin black spray paint and the job's done.

This results aren't cosmetically perfect but are very good and the repair is far more robust than the original hinge and is mostly hidden in any case.

The final result is actually better than the photo suggests as my flash seems to have given the original hinge body a more textured appearance than is true.

Chris.

Close up of repaired hole.

Really interesting Chris. I thought this was a terminal problem, and the only solution was a donor hinge from a scrapped unit. You're clearly the man to call if my CDX's hinge ever packs up!

Really great post Chris!

Is that my hinge in the photos? Anyway my CDX now works great thank's to Chris for the hinge repair and Dillen for the electronics.

In February I got a Beomaster 8000 and the CDX together in a bundle. As it needed repairs I took the train straight to Copenhagen to Dillen. Dillen informed me as far as the CDX went unless I found another CDX or something that hinge would be a problem in getting it running well.

By chance I searched Beoworld for CDX and found Chris saying someting about fixing the hinge. Some pms later Dillen send the hinge to the UK, got it back, installed and fixed the rest. Now back to full working order.

I've spend 2 weeks with it and its a great sounding one. It even plays CDR's!

Again thank you for making this happen. 

Thanks guys,

                    Friedmett no this isn't your actual hinge but the repair is identical, glad everything worked out OK. Martin (Dillen) used to have an aversion to the CDX but it seems he's starting to appreciate them for the fine machines the rest of us know they are

John, you know where I live

To be fair this isn't a particularly straightforward repair as it takes some time, effort, patience and skill but is well worth doing and I stand by my comment that it is a more robust option than the original design. The left hand hinge really is the only weak point with these machines and I'm happy that I have at least found a solution to save many more from the bin.

 

Chris.

Great thread Chris!
Beoworld at it's best.

Andy T.

A superb solution !

Thanks for sharing this with us, Chris.

As already mentioned, I've mounted a hinge that Chris repaired and it was an exact fit and was the final detail in a complete overhaul. The next hinge is already with Chris.

Every machine has it's weak points. The Beogram CD X has many, luckily most are easily fixed, but this hinge has been a huge problem in the CD X machines for a long time so when solutions like this is found it's a pleasure hard to describe. No doubt this will rescue many of these CD players from the skip.

I always liked the design of the CD X, it's a beautiful machine with a wonderful sound despite only being 14 bit, but a goofy one to service.

Martin

Thanks Martin,

                    praise is always most welcome from somone as technically capable as yourself

The next hinge is in the post back to you Martin - actually there are 2 on the way - the one you sent and one from a long term project of mine (well another Beoworlders) which is awaiting a replacement glass panel as soon as a suitable donor crops up.

I agree 100% with your goofey comment though, I do like the sound of these things when they're up & running though.

Chris.

Thanks for posting this solution.

I am about to repair the left hinge of a CDX player as well.

Could anybody explain why the images of the previous posts cannot be downloaded ? I would very much like to see these. Or can somebody send the pictures by email ?

Thanks

Since we upgraded to CS2008, Keith has had to manually add the photo's. I guess he hasn't got round to this thread yet.
If not sorted in a few days, perhaps you could send him a personal message at Keith Saunders .

Andy T.

Photo's have now been restored thanks to our resident guru & genuine all round nice guy Keith Saunders.

I just wanted to say I have just followed your instructions and I have successfully repaired the hinge :) This is one of those problems that requires a little lateral thinking and a spark of genious to overcome, and you have certainly done that Chris!

Must say it is a nerve-racking moment trying the hinge for the first time - as the reference to the original hole seems to all but dissapear as you file the plastic down! For those trying this be very wary here! Also could do with a small vertical drill stand to make sure you drill the second hole nice and straight... an old cut up hacksaw blade clamped to the surface acts as a guide for the file too..

Just one question Chris, Is there a particular reason that you used the zinc primer and not ordinary stuff? That's all :)

Hi Olly, well done!

I'm keeping a non-functional CD3300 for this reason, should my CDX hinges break.

Happy New Year!