Best filler for worn out woodscrew holes

[chris95040]

Hi Folks,

I have a complicated teak hatch with a zillion fastener holes that are worn out. Woodscrew threads only engage at the very end, no room for longer screws, larger diameter won't work because of required head geometry. The holes are for all manner of bronze googaw that cannot be relocated either.

I guess I'll fill the holes with thickened epoxy and redrill pilot holes, but it always seems like the epoxy is just shattering to smithereens when I do that. Figured I'd check if anyone had better ideas for what to use. Skinny little dowel?

[Bowdrie]

Originally Posted by chris95040

Hi Folks,

I have a complicated teak hatch with a zillion fastener holes that are worn out. Woodscrew threads only engage at the very end, no room for longer screws, larger diameter won't work because of required head geometry. The holes are for all manner of bronze googaw that cannot be relocated either.

I guess I'll fill the holes with thickened epoxy and redrill pilot holes, but it always seems like the epoxy is just shattering to smithereens when I do that. Figured I'd check if anyone had better ideas for what to use. Skinny little dowel?

Yeah, epoxy, (depending upon fastener size/type,) usually ends up needing a larger sized pilot hole that wood does.
The hardened epoxy doesn't "flow" around the threads like wood.
Your idea of using dowels, (glued in with epoxy,) is a much-used procedure for re-fastening screws in many applications in wooden boat repair.
Because of the grain difference you need to be careful with pilot hole location, as the drill bit can tend to wander, but good results can be obtained.
The use of "Brad point" drill bits work much better than the common twist drill for this type of work.

[dougweibel]

For spots that don't show, like cabinet hinge screws, I've used toothpicks and wood glue. Just paint the toothpicks with wood glue, tap as many as you can into the hole to fill it, and cut whatever sticks out flush. When you put the new screw in you usually do not need a pilot hole as the toothpicks are pretty soft wood.

I don't know that I'd want to do this somewhere that shows unless you are sure the fastener heads will cover it.

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by chris95040

Hi Folks,

I have a complicated teak hatch with a zillion fastener holes that are worn out. Woodscrew threads only engage at the very end, no room for longer screws, larger diameter won't work because of required head geometry. The holes are for all manner of bronze googaw that cannot be relocated either.

I guess I'll fill the holes with thickened epoxy and redrill pilot holes, but it always seems like the epoxy is just shattering to smithereens when I do that. Figured I'd check if anyone had better ideas for what to use. Skinny little dowel?

You could try slivers of timber driven in with a little polyurethane or epoxy glue, in essence reconstructing the timber so the screws will hold. Thickened epoxy will only shatter when you use wood screws into it.

[JPA Cate]

Drill the holes to 1/4" (6 mm). use a small (1/4") hole saw to make plugs in a teak plank. (or buy them) Chisel out all the plugs you need. paint them with varnish, and tap them in. You can align the grain if you like. When the epoxy has cured, chisel them flat, then tap the new teak. If all the teak wants varnishing, now's the time to do it. If you like, you can dip the screws in a tiny bit of sealant when you put them in.
Only screw them in snug, do NOT overtighten. All you need is snug.


Ann

[Celestialsailor]

If you are concerned about the epoxy "shattering to smithereens", add mill fibers with cabo-sil...easy peasy.

[Nord Sal]

I'm just finishing repairing my teak hatch frame. I had several screws shear on removal which left half the screw still in the frame. After I drilled them out, I redrilled the hole to make it nice and plugged it with teak plugs I made from scrap with a plug cutter. I used epoxy thickened with wood flour to set the plugs and then trimmed the plug flush once the epoxy cured. Worked and looks great!

[winschwab]

Definitely best to use plugs. Screwing into end grain (e.g. dowels/toothpicks) gives a weaker hold than straight grain and is easier to drill where you want. Not that I haven't used both dowels and toothpicks on occasion

[RiverRat37]

Read West System recommendations. See page 32 in this:
https://www.westsystem.com/wp-conten...anual-2015.pdf

Be sure if you use epoxy and you want to remove the fastenings in the future that you wax the fastening threads before fastening them.

[Cheechako]

Thread-serts and machine screws?
Redrill, screw in, done!
I prefer the hex drive type, these are slot head drive brass:
https://www.amazon.com/Z-400-006-Thr...NsaWNrPXRydWU=

[MJH]

Originally Posted by chris95040

Hi Folks,

I have a complicated teak hatch with a zillion fastener holes that are worn out. Woodscrew threads only engage at the very end, no room for longer screws, larger diameter won't work because of required head geometry. The holes are for all manner of bronze googaw that cannot be relocated either.

I guess I'll fill the holes with thickened epoxy and redrill pilot holes, but it always seems like the epoxy is just shattering to smithereens when I do that. Figured I'd check if anyone had better ideas for what to use. Skinny little dowel?

I had some old empty holes in the cockpit that I just overdrill and then inserted a short glued dowell.

If I need to reuse the same hole I'll tap some small wood pieces into the hole and then use the same screw...works every time.

[dadster3]

Get some wooden dowel rod of an appropriate size. Drill out the old hole, then glue the dowels into the resized holes. Sand them flush and then redrill the screw holes. If you can match the wood or stain and it will look great too. You can find dowels like mahogany and teak in woodworking stores. The cheapest and most common dowels are poplar, which takes stain well. You can make it look like almost any wood.

[Simi 60]

If it doesn't need to come apart again I would drill oversize holes down to where the screw starts to grip.
Fill hole with thickened but injectable epoxy
Screws back in while epoxy is liquid.

I have done many fittings like this over the years in timber
Never had a fail or rot.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Thread-serts and machine screws?
Redrill, screw in, done!
I prefer the hex drive type, these are slot head drive brass:
https://www.amazon.com/Z-400-006-Thr...NsaWNrPXRydWU=

Really like this idea.

[Motorsailer4me]

A quick fix that holds is to put a short piece of heavy monofiliment line in the hole to take up slack around the original screw. I have done this many times as a "temporary" fix and it's still there.