I have a question for a carpenter (Page 3): Providing you have enough space, find a dowel or plug slightly larger then the damaged hole, drill out the damage to an appropriate depth...

marine73 Loc: Modesto California

Providing you have enough space, find a dowel or plug slightly larger then the damaged hole, drill out the damage to an appropriate depth insert the dowel or plug with glue let dry and re-drill the screw hole. I use dowels or plugs that are harder than the parent material. If I know what the parent material I will use the same material to match.

BebuLamar

marine73 wrote:

Providing you have enough space, find a dowel or plug slightly larger then the damaged hole, drill out the damage to an appropriate depth insert the dowel or plug with glue let dry and re-drill the screw hole. I use dowels or plugs that are harder than the parent material. If I know what the parent material I will use the same material to match.

The material is teak. The door is only about 5/8" thick. The screw holes are only 1/8" or less.

Dikdik Loc: Winnipeg, Canada

Can you go down to the lumberyard and get a length of 1/4" dia dowel. Cut this into 1" lengths. Drill the existing screw holes out with a 1/4" drill and glue (white glue) the dowel in place. Put hinge in place and use hole locations to drill hole smaller than the screw. Replace screw into new hole.

clint f. Loc: Priest Lake Idaho, Spokane Wa

Gorilla glue will create more problems due to expansion. Use Titebond and a match stick.

lindmike

BebuLamar wrote:

I have an Earnst Dieter Hilker circa 1950's. It has a door with a piano hinge on the side. The screws came loose and the holes are kind of enlarged so I can't tighten the screws tight. I wonder what I should do? I do not want to use larger screws nor replace the hinge. Perhaps put super glue in the holes then tighten the screws?

When I encounter this situation I drill out the hole to the size if a small dowel. Then insert the dowel into the hole, cut or saw off and screw in the screw.

frankco Loc: Colorado

Instead of toothpicks I use sawdust mixed with aliphatic glue for inside or a polyurethane glue for outside. It's more structural than toothpicks and easier to center the hole.

procrastinater

Terry was right on target with the little extra suggestions. I even have little drills with spring loaded centering that I got from Temu for a few bucks that I use for starting holes.

neillaubenthal

Longshadow wrote:

The chamfer in the hinge screw hole will help mostly center it.

Besides, I never inspect hinges at friends houses to see that they are perfectly set.....

Heck…that's the first thing I do is charge into their bedrooms and bathrooms to check this out…

bw79st Loc: New York City

My late brother-in-law was a carpenter who showed me that a piece of wood in the hole with some Elmer's Glue should do the trick. What you could do is get a wooden coffee stirrer at a coffee bar and clip off a very thin length of wood, just enough to fill a little bit of space. Try for something a lot thinner than a toothpick. Stick it in the hole to adjust the size then put it in with a little glue. The screw should set nicely if you are careful about how little you need to use!

Howard5252 Loc: New York / Florida (now)

BebuLamar wrote:

I do want to keep it looks the way it was.

You have gotten the correct advice from several people. Fill the hole with as many round toothpicks (and a bit of glue) as necessary - three will probably do. Put the hinge back in place and screw in the screws. Do not worry about cenrering them, the holes of the hinge will keep the screws going where they are supposed to go. The key is wedging as much new wood into the old screw hole as possible, THAT'S the important thing.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

neillaubenthal wrote:

Heck…that's the first thing I do is charge into their bedrooms and bathrooms to check this out…

(I got a new job as hinge screw inspector..... Extra demerits for screws not centered precisely in the chamfer.)

george19

I’ve used the toothpick approach several times. If the holes are particularly worn, I drill them out and replace with a glued dowel the same size as the drill, cut flush. Try to keep this only slightly larger than the original screw diameter.

A bit more time and effort, plus a bit more skill required, but works well.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

george19 wrote:

I’ve used the toothpick approach several times. If the holes are particularly worn, I drill them out and replace with a glued dowel the same size as the drill, cut flush. Try to keep this only slightly larger than the original screw diameter.

A bit more time and effort, plus a bit more skill required, but works well.

Yea, especially if one has to go purchase a 3 foot dowel.
But then you have 2' 11" of spare dowel for the next one(s).
Toothpicks/wooden match sticks work just fine.

Why make something more complicated than it need be.

Moondoggie Loc: Southern California

I would use tooth picks in the enlarged holes. Thus, it will drastically improve the purchase of the existing screws.

cahale Loc: San Angelo, TX

BebuLamar wrote:

I have an Earnst Dieter Hilker circa 1950's. It has a door with a piano hinge on the side. The screws came loose and the holes are kind of enlarged so I can't tighten the screws tight. I wonder what I should do? I do not want to use larger screws nor replace the hinge. Perhaps put super glue in the holes then tighten the screws?

Screw anchors if the door is deep enough. You might be able to cut part of the anchor off to accommodate if door is not deep enough.