Glueing screws?

[Eric The Viking]

This is really a DIY question, but you never know...

... At some point in the past, in a moment of madness, I must have reached for a box of double-start screws to fix a hinge on our cloakroom door (four panel, circa 1905).

Predictably, the screws are now loose in the door frame, and I need a permanent fix that doesn't involve fitting a new frame in the opening (or letting in large pieces of wood). I last tightened them up at Easter, and now they're loose again, so that it's becoming urgent. I really don't want to re-fit the hinges somewhere else on the door either - it'll look terrible. To make things worse, the frame is butted up to a wall, so there's only the thickness of the casing proud of the wall.

Has anyone got a clever idea (glueing the screws in with some gunge or possibly dowel-pegs or something), to enable me to redo it with single-start screws properly?

It's just possible it wasn't me that did it. I'm clinging to that.

I daren't cling to the door handle - the door'll probably fall off.

:-(

E.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Countersink the hinge to take a larger gauge of screw?

 

[oakfield]

How about taking the screws out and glueing in as many matchsticks as you can tap into the holes, wait for glue to set and then cut off flush and screw into the fresh wood.

Or drill through into the brick wall and use longer screws and rawl plugs?

 

[marcros]

my mate bought some putty like glue that they claimed could be used on submarines, or was used on them. it stuck in my mind because it was such a ridiculous claim but it was supposed to be drillable afterwards. It was from focus or a diy place, so may be worth a look. I would probably go with matchsticks if not.

It was probably similar to http://www.everbuild.co.uk/index.php?ro ... uct_id=441 epoxy putty

 

[Dangermouse]

Bang a rawl plug into the hole and that will take the screw again, expand and grip the door post wood.

 

[carlb40]

2 options here.

When i was on maintenance the quickest option was to shave a piece of timber to create a peg and glue it into the oversize hole. Then pilot and refix.
2nd option will be to drill and dowel through the face of the frame so the screw isn't going into end grain like my one above.

 

[carlb40]

Bang a rawl plug into the hole and that will take the screw again, expand and grip the door post wood.

I would not advise that, i have had to splice too many frames where that bodge was done. The result - the plug expands and splits the frame.

 

[xy mosian]

B&D used to sell a glue slug, for their hot melt glue gun, that was used for filling oversized holes in brickwork prior to driving in a screw. Have you any hot melt glue to do a test run with. Having said that Carls point above might come into play.
Perhaps a crossgrain dowel?
xy

 

[toysandboats]

+1 for a pair of matchsticks in each hole - no glue needed,

David

 

[Dodge]

I have used Miller Dowels to solve this problem with excellent results! HTH

 

[Jacob]

...... the quickest option was to shave a piece of timber to create a peg and glue it into the oversize hole. Then pilot and refix.
......

That's it, though you don't need to glue. The work of seconds - just split the end of an off-cut until you have something a bit tapered and bigger than the hole. Section shape doesn't matter too much, square, triangular etc OK. Knock it in and trim it off.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

If you go down that route, I would glue them - I've re-hung dozens of doors that have already been repaired with matchsticks and wedges alone and they always seem to work loose again eventually, sometimes because of forces on the hinge that caused the problem in the first place - the door binding, twisting, or just being badly fitted in the first place.

 

[Paul Chapman]

I've always found the best method is to drill out the hole and glue in one of the old-style fibre Rawlplugs. They have stopped making fibre Rawlplugs but you can sometimes find some old stock in hardware shops (although there are not many of them left either ).

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[No skills]

As per Jacob and Phil, quick and painless - if you dont ever want the screw to come out again use a cheapo two part epoxy glue instead of pva. The frame will go first

 

[JakeS]

my mate bought some putty like glue that they claimed could be used on submarines, or was used on them. it stuck in my mind because it was such a ridiculous claim but it was supposed to be drillable afterwards. It was from focus or a diy place, so may be worth a look. I would probably go with matchsticks if not.

One thing to be careful of here is the consistency/hardness/etc. of the putty once cured. Some go hard like a rock - quite literally, having a sandstone or terracotta feel - and some end up in this semi-soft rubbery form which is absolutely no good for holding screws in. Some are somewhere in between! I get the impression that the stuff that's sold for plumbing applications is the stuff to avoid if you want to do anything useful with it other than seal leaks; check whether the packet says it can be machined after curing.

(Still, when I've had this problem I've gone for the same glue-and-matchsticks approach as above and never had any issues with it.)

 

[twothumbs]

I posted yesterday but it got lost somehow! Operator error!
As per all above.....Replace say two screws at a time on top hinge...don’t do them all at once, then plug, trim, and then refit hinge using the other screws. Chose the loosest to do first so that the best pull the hinge back into its original position. Centre drill and fit screws. Then do it again replacing all the final screws using the first new ones to stop pulling hinge out of position. You don’t want to disturb the set or hanging. Re wedge or support the door and then do the bottom one ...if it needs it. I use pva glue but don’t bang the wooded plugs in to tight to split the frames, and a do check with a nail or drill bit the depth of old holes so that you make a plug about the same length as the hole (may not be the same) . You will need to cut end of the plug short so that it doesn’t bottom as you hammer it in. Best wishes.
PS This is an industry standard way of doing things and so not DIY. Is there a reason for a cupboard door to pull on the screws. ie closer or catching the facings, screws to small, or being thrown open?

 

[carlb40]

I've always found the best method is to drill out the hole and glue in one of the old-style fibre Rawlplugs. They have stopped making fibre Rawlplugs but you can sometimes find some old stock in hardware shops (although there are not many of them left either ).

Cheers :wink:

Paul

Seems there are a few on ebay if you are running short.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RARE-VINTAGE- ... 3ccc7a1fdf

Plus some others which can't be linked to

 

[Eric The Viking]

Thanks all.

I'm probably going to cross-dowel them, after reading everything and thinking about it for a while.

I've tried wooden plugs in the past. Yes, it does work, but end-grain fixings are never as good, and all the casings in this house are severely beaten up, so there is some risk of splitting the wood (a builder we had in a while back did exactly that, leaving me with an awkward repair).

I think I can get an 8mm or possibly even 10mm dowel in at a slight angle from the inside edge of the frame (it's hard up against the wall), glue it in, and flush trim. It should be pretty strong if I drill a pilot carefully using the existing screw holes as guides. Happily, there's no architrave on the hinge side, just the casing.

Thanks again,

E.