How to fix stripped wood screw threads

Sometimes you just run out of times you can re-tighten a wood screw. Or sometimes you want to move a screw just a tiny bit, and other times a screw is just in the wrong place and you want to start over. Fortunately the solution to fix all of the above is simple and quick. Essentially you’re going to fill in the existing screw hole with new wood and start over. (Incidentally, if your particular screw is just a bit loose, you can pop a matchstick/ cocktail stick/ toothpick or two into the hole and reinsert the screw. Oftentimes this is enough to get a half decent tightness on the screw).

I want to move some old screws holding a bead tight (or not very actually) up to a rubber glazing seal…

I was replacing screws holding the beads onto the 30 year old rubber seals on some windows I am restoring. Experience tells me that reusing the existing screw holes doesn’t pull the bead tight enough onto the new rubber. I needed the screw to sit a fraction closer to the glass. Impossible to achieve by re-using the existing holes. My choices are, move the screw to the side (which leaves a hole in the bead) or fill in the hole in the window frame and start over (better).

Glue a small wooden splinter or peg of wood into the enlarged hole…

First up you need to remove the existing screw, exposing the enlarged, (or wrongly placed) hole. Next up is to find a piece of wood a similar size to the screw you’ve just removed. Most times there are plenty of off-cuts of wood around and you and chip a big ‘splinter’ off one corner with your knife or chisel.

Shape the wooden splinter to roughly the same shape as the screw you’ve just removed

Shape up the wooden splinter until it resembles the shape of the screw. It’s not super critical, but not too small or it’ll be loose, and not too big or you risk splitting the work piece. Then squirt a little wood glue onto the tip (or into a small receptacle if you’ve got loads to do…), and push it into the hole. A little tap with a small hammer and you’re good to go.

A quick and dirty way to do this is to use matchsticks, cocktail sticks or toothpicks, as above, simply dip the ends in wood glue and push or tap them into the hole until it’s full. You can snap each one off and go in again if you like. I even kept one or two wooden chopsticks in the tool bag as they are a pretty good size for this job (and they are hardwood).

I often use an old hacksaw blade to cut off the protruding wood…

Once the glue has set (you mostly don’t need to wait if your in a hurry), saw off the bit that’s sticking out and you’re back to a fresh piece of wood with no holes.

As good as new and ready for new screw positions…

It’s important to re-drill your pilot holes (read more about pilot holes here…) before you put the screws back in, or you risk splitting the work piece. Aim for a similar size drill bit to the screws shank (or just a little bigger than half the screws diameter as a very rough guide).

The method described above is a bastardisation of the ‘proper’ way to do this type of repair, which is to drill out the enlarged screw hole and glue in a section of dowel. i.e. drill a 6mm (1/4") hole and then glue in a 6mm (1/4") dowel. A method which would be a bit tricky so close to the glass in my case above.

There you go, I hope that was useful for you!
Stay well
Ian

P.S. If you’re quick, you can head over to an amazon near you and grab a free copy of my latest eBook Home Maintenance Checklist: Complete DIY Guide for Homeowners: 101 Ways to Save Money and Look After Your Home Kindle Edition… Available free until Sunday.

Originally published at handycrowd.com.