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help with loose door screws


Dwight Romberger

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Hi All,

Probably next week I will be rehanging the doors on my 30 Buick. Each hinge has two #14 x2" wood screws and one thru screw with a nut in the door jamb. All of the wood screws are loose. I thought I would use a 2 1/2" screw to try to tighten them up. I am afraid to use glue, in case I want to remove them at a later date. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Dwight

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Guest captbrian38

Dwight, a trick used on wooden boats for tightening loose screws was tooth picks inserted to decrease the size of the hole. Push the toothpick in as far as it will go and snap it off. two to three picks for a # 14 screw should work fine.

captbrian38, Brian

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Dwight,

I have done restoration of high end antique furniture for many years and my recommendation is very similar to Brian's. Glue in new wood (hardwood shavings are preferred but toothpicks will work in a pinch) with superglue. Fill the hole completely and press the wood in as far as you can after applying super glue to the shaving, not the hole. It may take several shavings to completely fill. Re-drill the hole with a bit considerably smaller than the original hole if necessary in order to get a good tight fit. You can always ream it out a bit if to tight.

Thanks,

Edited by michaelod
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Yes, as full as I can get it. I drive the shavings in with a hammer to insure they reach the bottom of the hole. It is really a simple operation as the superglue dries so fast that you are immediately reaching for your drill and then the screws. Only takes a couple of minutes. The key is using a small bit to drill your pilot hole as that new wood is going to compress considerably when the screws are put back in.

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Hi,

Here's a carpenter's trick for starting your new screws. Go to Lowe's and get a "self centering hinge drill bit." Lowe's stock number is Item #: 95446. Check that you get a large enough size. This neat little hollow tool has a drill bit inside a jig that centers on the holes in your hinge plates. Set your plates in their correct spot, center the tool, pull the trigger, and --voila!-- drill the hole, perfectly centered.

Here's a pic of the tool. Costs a couple of bucks.

selfcenterdrillbit.jpg

---Tom

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I also drilled out used a new hardwood dowel glued in and redrilled starter whole for the screw... sounds like alot of other good ideas out there if the hole isn't too bad.

Forty years ago on my 1931 chevy I put some plastic wood in the hole and then redrilled it has worked for forty years but it did not work on my buick that is when I doweled

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