Woodscrews into melamine faced chipboard?

[Lord Kitchener]

I don't normally use MFC, but a situation has cropped up where I need to use it, and the hardware I need to attach to it is too thick to allow 5mm system screws, and I'm screwing into the side of 18mm boards. I'd like to end up with as sturdy a fixing as I would get into plywood of a similar thickness, if possible.

I'd be interested to know whether anyone has faced this situation and come up with a good solution. I'm thinking something along the lines of rawlplugs perhaps? Something else?

I would prefer to use 4mm or 8 gauge screws, BTW

 

[CHJ]

In the past when doing repairs I've drilled and PVA glued in dowels to about 50mm depth and pilot holed and screwed into those.
Plugs will just expand and split the chipboard.

 

[Lord Kitchener]

My apologies, I meant the face of 18mm MFC, rather than the edge. So the soluton needs to be less than 18mm long.

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

Not sure what your issue is but if it's a hole to wide then I normally put epoxy in the hole.

 

[Lord Kitchener]

Not sure what your issue is but if it's a hole to wide then I normally put epoxy in the hole.

My issue is that chipboard doesn't take screws as well as, for instance, plywood. So I'm looking to get the strongest possible fixing in MFC using woodscrews that I can get. There are no holes at present, this is not a repair situation.

 

[CHJ]

If the back face is not visible can you use machine fixing screws and an insert nut on the rear, something like this.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I'd use a good screw such as screwfix turbo gold and forget the pilot hole, and maybe a 3 1/2mm rather than a four - it won't blow the chipboard as much.

 

[Benchwayze]

Plug cutter?
Drill the right sized holes in the MFC as deep into the face as is advisable, and then glue in a plug. Trim down to size when the glue's dry.
HTH

PS.
I suppose you might be able to sink a decent length dowel in from the edge, and line screws up, so they pass through the MFC and the dowel. Depends on the actual job you are doing I suppose.

 

[Elapid]

Decent woodscrews hold fine in chipboard. I knocked up a temporary vivarium when I moved house for 2 15ft reticulated pythons. It's literally just 8ft lengths top and bottom with 4ft sides, ply backing and 6mm safety glass front held with just screws. It's still temporary after two years and if it wasn't strong they would have stretched their way out in no time. They crush every bone in a lamb to pieces when they eat.

They are probably 10 times as strong as me and easily 5 times as strong as anyone else that has posted in this thread.

 

[Benchwayze]

I don't think I like being compared to a snake! :mrgreen: