Repair Loose Screws

The screw holes in door hinges and brackets on chairs and tables can often work loose. There are several different ways that one can use glue for filling screw holes in wood. White or yellow glue can be used by making a paste with sawdust then working it into the screw hole. It takes quite a while to set so often it is best to wait until the next day before you can put the wood screws back in. Another trick that is used is to put toothpicks into the screw hole as a method of repair. I don't like this technique because I can't center the screw as precisely as I want when I am reaffixing the bracket or whatever. This is especially important when rehanging a door.

Another quicker way if you want to get it done at once and just as effectively is to use Mister Glue. Mister Glue is a commercial grade cyanoacrylate (which is the same base as Superglue) making it many times stronger with the benifit of not drying out in the bottle. So, you can get hundreds of uses out of one bottle.

Again, use some fine sawdust. Place a small amount -1/8" at the bottom of the screw hole, then a couple of drops of Mister Glue. Put in and pack down another 1/8" of sawdust and then a couple of drops of glue. You will get the idea fairly quickly how little of Mister Glue that you have to use in relation to the amount of sawdust. Build this up so that it is even with the surrounding wood then let it set. Finish your coffee or chat with the tenant. Once you have done all the screw holes in the wood then you are ready to put the screws back in. You may want to sand it even if you have added a bit much of the sawdust-glue mixture. Once this is done you can put your bracket back on your chair or table.

This method is one of the best wood hole repair techniques and when you are putting the screws back in they are incredibly firm. Mister Glue will not deteriorate like super glue or Krazy Glue which makes this a permanent fix not a temporary one.