Calling the wood botherers

[Red'n'Black]

I know a few people on here are into restoring antique furniture. What do you use for repairing stripped out screw holes into hardwood? Preferably keeping the same screw type / size.

I just bought an old pool table, in nice nick overall but half the screws securing the pockets are stripped:



I can think of a few methods but they all strike me as a bit 'bodgey' so suggestions welcome.

 

[MattF]

Wooden dowel is simple & easy. Find something same diameter as hole, or increase hole size slightly if necessary.

 

[Mark 5]

I know a few people on here are into restoring antique furniture. What do you use for repairing stripped out screw holes into hardwood? Preferably keeping the same screw type / size.

I just bought an old pool table, in nice nick overall but half the screws securing the pockets are stripped:

I can think of a few methods but they all strike me as a bit 'bodgey' so suggestions welcome.

Armed with some decent wood glue, I'd have thought peg & glue, clean out existing holes, glue & peg, allow to thoroughly dry, before inserting original screws, drill small pilot holes into pegs

All this done with hand tools except for the pilot hole drilling.

 

[Red'n'Black]

Wooden dowel is simple & easy.

So drill the hole out to take the dowel, glue it in and drill a new screw hole?

Doesn't that mean the screw cuts its thread along the grain? Woodwork classes in school were a long time ago now but I'm sure we got our knuckles rapped for doing that.

I've no idea how much it matters in practice

 

[steveo3002]

shave down a scrap of wood so its a snug fit , apply wood glue or epoxy , tap in wood , shave flush once its dry and refit the screw

 

[Mark 5]

So drill the hole out to take the dowel, glue it in and drill a new screw hole?

Doesn't that mean the screw cuts its thread along the grain? Woodwork classes in school were a long time ago now but I'm sure we got our knuckles rapped for doing that.

I've no idea how much it matters in practice

Avoid making holes larger if you can, you might be able to afford going a little deeper and just dowel/peg 'em.

 

[cheb]

Drip some slightly diluted PVA and poke the non striking end of a matchstick into the hole. Leave to set and then refit the screw. If the hole is large you might meed two bits of matchstick.

 

[Agroshield]

If the hole is large you might meed two bits of matchstick.

The ones sold as Cook's matches have a larger square if that helps.

For me, a bamboo kebab skewer works well because the wood grass is stringier.

 

[cheb]

That's a good point about bamboo. I use matches as I have them. And the Zippo didn't fit.

 

[grim_d]

So drill the hole out to take the dowel, glue it in and drill a new screw hole?

Doesn't that mean the screw cuts its thread along the grain? Woodwork classes in school were a long time ago now but I'm sure we got our knuckles rapped for doing that.

I've no idea how much it matters in practice

It doesn't matter, the dowel is wedged into the hole, it cannot split enough to be a problem.

I do this all the time. Usually because I've drilled a hole in the wrong place.

 

[MattF]

For me, a bamboo kebab skewer works well because the wood grass is stringier.

Sometimes use those myself simply because they're a good fit for the hole in question. I tend to have various odds & sods for such occasions.

 

[brightspark]

shave down a scrap of wood so its a snug fit , apply wood glue or epoxy , tap in wood , shave flush once its dry and refit the screw

yep slightly tapered and it will be a good solid fit .do it with door hinges all the time

 

[Hitch]

My go to is a couple of drops of HV superglue and a slither of whatever wood is to hand tapped in the hole.

 

[steveo3002]

or just snap off a couple of match sticks in the hole and roar the screw back in

 

[brightspark]

or just snap off a couple of match sticks in the hole and roar the screw back in

there as soft as sh,it

 

[waddycall]

To do it properly you should use a cocktail stick as they are round.

 

[Smallfry]

As furniture restoration was something I did for a living, plug and wood glue with a bit of hardwood if possible. Make sure you get plenty of glue in the hole first. Tap in plug and wipe away exude glue with a damp cloth.

Let the glue go off for a day, trim off plug, Assume screw will be brass, so pilot drill first. Brass screws are easily ruined, so use a well fitting screwdriver.

 

[TEO]

What he said, @Smallfrie 's got the best solution for proper restoration.
You'll need a counter bore drill & a tapered plug cutter.
All the other methods mentioned above are bodges, good bodges, done it myself a million times but bodges none the less.
In addition to the bodge I've been know to resort to a longer, or fatter screw.... Or both

 

[TEO]

This is one of the counter bore bits