I have a question for a carpenter (Page 2): Yep, glue in toothpicks or on big holes, wooden matchsticks.

bikinkawboy Loc: north central Missouri

Yep, glue in toothpicks or on big holes, wooden matchsticks.

Mr. SONY Loc: LI, NY

Hinge Installation Self-Centering Steel Drill Bit Set (3-Piece)
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milescraft-Hinge-Installation-Self-Centering-Steel-Drill-Bit-Set-3-Piece-2317/206520372

Makes it easy-Peezy to drill new centered holes.

bnsf

Have you tried a larger screw that would fit in the hole?

Wallen Loc: Middle Earth

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?

As previously mentioned, a stick of wood and glue works fine. The trick is to use a softer piece of wood than the cabinet material to prevent spliting the older wood and same as with masonry, a glue that also do not become harder than the material being fixed. Think of it as a dowel ang should be shaped to fit. Cramming multiple pieces of toothpick is messing with the center. So fit the wood insert and dont snap break it but cut it flat. That way you can center the screw right into the dowel and not insert it between the fix and the old hole. Remember to keep the new material same or softer than the material you are fixing if you want to avoid new problems many years later.

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

BebuLamar wrote:

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

I don't even know what kind of item you are talking about, but It sounds expensive & your are proud of it.

BebuLamar

Manglesphoto wrote:

I don't even know what kind of item you are talking about, but It sounds expensive & your are proud of it.

It's not expensive. I paid $40 for it about 25 years ago. I put my cameras, calculators and slide rules collection in it. The door on the right is the one that has the problem. It's dark in my living room right now and I don't want to turn the light on to disturb my wife but it looks like this one.

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

BebuLamar wrote:

It's not expensive. I paid $40 for it about 25 years ago. I put my cameras, calculators and slide rules collection in it. The door on the right is the one that has the problem. It's dark in my living room right now and I don't want to turn the light on to disturb my wife but it looks like this one.

Very nice looking piece!!!
It looks like the door fits pretty snug and off set screw head could cause binding. I have tried all of the suggested methods offered and they all work to some degree. One method I have used is messy, but it worked however once finished the screws are very difficult to remove, Doing two screws at a time I filled the holes (not quite full) with epoxy let partially set and put the screw back in making sure it centered in the counter sunk hole and not quite tight,
This was done on a heavy use cabinet with a heavy door, I would use it only as a last resort!!
I will do a little research on the Screws I first suggested and get back to you.
No luck finding undersized head screws, Im guessing they disappeared with the Unicorns.
I guess filling the hole is the best fix, I would do one hole at a time if you use Gorilla glue be very careful it doe tend to expand making a mess that must be cleaned up AT ONCE, then drill a very small pilot hole to start the screw, keep the screwdriver as straight as possible while driving the screw.

philmurfin Loc: Bakewell, Derbyshire UK

I don't know if you have them in the States, but I always use match sticks.

ed3 Loc: Belton, MO

I agree with some of the other replies, use round hard wood toothpicks driven into say every other existing hole with Titebond glue. After that group of holes are repaired and glue cured, then repeat repairing the other set of holes not yet repaired.

Jimmy T Loc: Virginia

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?

Toothpicks/glue will work . . .
But a small fluted dowel (cut to proper length) and Elmers will also work wonders.
Best Wishes,
JimmyT Sends

https://www.lowes.com/pl/Dowel-pins-Dowels-dowel-pins-Moulding-millwork/4294402554?refinement=4294954946

Bultaco Loc: Aiken, SC

Longshadow wrote:

How enlarged???

I put a toothpick (or two, or three) in the hole, break it off flush with the hinge, replace the screw.
Tighten snugly.
I would NOT use superglue.

This works VERY well!

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Manglesphoto wrote:

You need a Cabinet Maker not a Carpenter
If you do a search for screws of one size larger with the same sized head you may find something I have used screws like this years ago or maybe not
Example: #10 screw with a #8 head.
Otherwise the old tooth pick and a good wood glue will work nicely but keeping the screws centers can be a bitch!!

The problem with using larger screws is that they are likely to have a larger head, which will stick out a bit from the hinge. The toothpick route has the possibility of producing a slanted hole but that will only make one side of the head stick out and a little grinding could take care of that. Using three toothpicks could help, as the toothpicks will straddle the shaft of the screw more symmetrically. (And round toothpicks are preferable to flat toothpicks).

If the hole is too large, none of the above remedies will work well.

bikinkawboy Loc: north central Missouri

That cabinet looks like it will serve as a coffin on the big day. Racing stripes or flames painted on the sides would also add a bit of flair. Might not match the rest of the furniture though.

My neighbor was unfortunate enough to have ALS and he kept an oak casket in his barn. Kind of morbid but unfortunately he knew his end wasn’t going to be peaceful since many of those afflicted choke to death due to paralysis of the throat muscles.

Canisdirus

Mixture of sawdust and wood glue...jam it in there...screw it down.

nervous2 Loc: Provo, Utah

In my experience, round toothpicks can move the screw to one side so it will not center as well as it did before. I would use either two or three flat toothpicks opposite each other (two) or in a triangle (three) and then reinsert the screw. This arrangement will provide for a more secure tightening and it will keep the screw centered where it was before. Good luck.