How best to fill stripped/incorrect screw hole for rescrew?

[Matt Walton]

Hi all,

What is a good way to repair a stripped or slightly offset screw hole for a retry? For context, I'm hanging up guitar hangers in the house, and I made a couple of boo-boos (blocks aren't quite level), so I want to fill and redrill the holes. It needs to be strong enough to hold a guitar without concern.

My first thought was Timbermate, but I realized it might not be load-bearing, so to speak, so I've shied away from that. If in fact it would work fine, that'd be great; I have a syringe that I can fill up with filler just wet enough to be able to squeeze into the hole, let it dry, and good to go.

My next thought was drill out 3/8" hole, glue in a hardwood (oak) dowel, redrill the screw hole, and call it a day. I'm sure this would work, but it'd be nice to find a solution that might be less noticeable should the hangers ever come down.

Thanks!

[Bill Jobe]

Might try ca glue and baking soda. It would probably take 2 or 3 layers, but I've read about that combination and a demonstration by, ironically, a guitar repairman.
Now, whether or not you can drill another hole right next to it I don't know. You would probably have to move away from it a bit.

[Bohdan Drozdowskyj]

If the hole is in wood just fill the hole with PVA glue and hammer in one or two wooden matches. When the glue has dried trim off the excess match with a chisel and mark the new hole location with a spike and drill the new screw hole. Same as fitting a 3/8 dowel just smaller.

If the screw is going to have to go between the match and the wall you don't need to wait for the glue to go off.

[Wayne Lomman]

Yes, Bohdan's method is the way to go. Use matches or any handy sliver of timber and whatever glue you regularly use. Been working for me for years and I don't need a special separate product for the job. Cheers

[Lee Schierer]

I use 1/8" dowel and sharpen it with a pencil sharpener. I coat the ed with pva glue and tap it into the hole. Let the glue set up and trim it flush. Re-drill your hole and you are all set. I find that wood match sticks are (#1) hard to find and #2) are too soft to provide a strong grip or enough resistance to allow the hole to be moved.

[roger wiegand]

Cross grain plugs provide the best looking and strongest method for stripped screw holes. Use a tapered plug cutter to make plugs from the same species of wood-- make bunch at once so you have them on hand for the next time. Drill out the hole with the appropriate size drill for the plugs, find a plug that matches the grain well and insert it with glue, matching up the grain orientation. Pound it in, and then plane off the excess when the glue has set up-- 10-20 min is usually plenty. Re-drill to set your screw into a hole in new wood.

Dowels don't hold up because the grain direction is wrong, you are screwing into end grain, which has only the fraction the strength and holding power. Matchsticks give you almost nothing in the way of holding power, at least use hardwood slivers and CA glue if you must go this route.

I'be spent years fixing old things where various halfway methods have been used to get screws to bite, at least for a short while, most of which make the problem worse in the long run. Once you have jars with pre-cut plugs on the shelf this method is both fast and easy, granted it takes an extra 10 min the first time to make the plugs.

[George Bokros]

If you are going to re-drill the hole use golf tees. Hardwood and works well in larger holes

[glenn bradley]

Sounds like you are drilling into 2x4's. Hardwood dowels or hard fillers like Durham's make re-drilling awkward as the drill wants to wander off track into the softer material. Soft fillers like Timbermate will crumble under load. I agree that a couple of match sticks, roughly whittled little spike of 2x4 or the like and some glue are quick and easy. Leave it overnight, come back and re-drill and move on. Just my 2 cents.

[Matt Walton]

Thanks guys, I actually happen to have a stash of wooden matchsticks, so I'll go ahead and use those with wood glue (after breaking the heads off!).

[andy bessette]

Match sticks are too soft. 3/8" wood plugs are too big; don't make a bigger mess after the first screw-up. If you're remounting something over the repaired hole there's no need to match the grain.

For small holes use round wooden toothpicks. For larger holes use small wedge-shaped fillers cut on the bandsaw; these may be shaped a bit using a chisel.

[Allan Dozier]

Listen to Roger, cross grain plugs are the best answer. I keep a supply of left over plugs of different woods from 1/4" on up. Most of the time it seems the repair is covered by a hinge or a knob, especially the 1/4" ones, but with care choosing the wood and grain direction they can be surprisingly inapparent.

[Matt Walton]

I think there might be a bit of confusion on what I'm trying to fill. This is a screw hole in a wall, so it's about 1.5" deep, but it's only a #6 or #8 screw, with the outside being drywall. So I think it's the wrong dimensions to use a cross-grain plug, not to mention that I don't have a plug cutter.

Should I maybe just drill an 1/8" hole, use an 1/8" dowel, and inset it a little bit to use spackle/wood filler on the outside (for better reference at the beginning of drilling)? I know that it'll be endgrain, but since it's surrounded by a stud, would that keep it "compressed" and stay strong? I also imagine the wood glue would offer a bit of structural integrity. Would it be best to use oak or pine? I know the oak is stronger, but since I'm drilling into a stud, the pine would probably keep the bit from drifting.

[Bill Jobe]

If the hole is where you want it but stripped out, why not just tap a plastic wall anchor in it. Perhaps bump it up to a 2" screw if you want.

[andy bessette]

"Should I maybe just drill an 1/8" hole, use an 1/8" dowel"

Fine.

[Curt Harms]

If the hole is where you want it but stripped out, why not just tap a plastic wall anchor in it. Perhaps bump it up to a 2" screw if you want.

I think that'd be my choice. Plastic anchors are really intended for masonry but they do better than I expected in drywall and the like. And they don't make the hole much bigger.

[Matt Walton]

Oops, I guess I forgot to mention in the original post: most of the problem holes are slightly offset.

[Jim Becker]

Core it out with a sharp brad point or forstner bit and put in a plug of identical wood, taking care to match grain as color as best as you can. Filling with wood is the strongest and best looking method for this...even if you will be painting.

[mark mcfarlane]

If I am following this correctly, your problem hole is through wallboard, then into a stud. Are there 2 such screws per guitar hanger, side by side? Do they both go into the same stud?

If it were me, I'd fill the hole with wallboard compound, then wipe it off with a wet rag so you'll end up with only the small hole to paint over and you won't mess up the surrounding texture. Wipe off all the drywall compound from the texture around the hole with the wet rag. No sanding, just use a wet rag.

Now redrill both holes (assuming two) for the guitar hanger.

I have hung my guitars directly on the wallboard (not into studs) using something like these (https://www.amazon.com/Hillman-Group-375317-Number-8-Wallboard/dp/B009YNXBGO). You can get them rated up to 75 pounds.

How to use the anchors: Drive a screw into the wall board first to determine if you hit a stud or not. If you hit a stud, just use the screw. If you don't hit a stud, use one of the wallboard anchors.

If your guitar hangers have 2 screws, you could fill one hole as I suggested above with drywall compound (or toothpaste if you are in a jam) and then just drill a new hole on the other side (i.e. move the hanger over an inch or two, using one of the holes).

[Keith Hankins]

If the hole is in wood just fill the hole with PVA glue and hammer in one or two wooden matches. When the glue has dried trim off the excess match with a chisel and mark the new hole location with a spike and drill the new screw hole. Same as fitting a 3/8 dowel just smaller.

If the screw is going to have to go between the match and the wall you don't need to wait for the glue to go off.

Variation I use all the time, is toothpicks. Fill the hole with wood gluee and shove as many toothpicks in as I can get and tap with hammer. Sand smooth and go at it a second time.

If real load issue drill it out. Get a plug cutter and cut mathing grain plug and go that route. You will not notice that like a dowel.

[Roger Marty]

I had good results with PC Woody wood filler

[lowell holmes]

I do it like Lee does it. I have a pencil sharpener mounted next to my bench, When I need a plug, I sharpen a cone on a dowel, cut a 1" plug, and drive it in the
hole with glue in the conical plug. I've never had a failure with this system. I finish it with a flush cut saw.

[Floyd Mah]

Toothpicks and wood glue work well. The reason I am putting in my two cents at this late date, knowing that you have probably already tackled the problem is that most people have acknowledged that starting the replacement hole can be a problem. The best way is to use double stick tape (carpet tape works well) to fasten down a guide block with a hole for the new hole. The guide block will keep the drill bit from wandering, also you can mark it and reference it to other holes that you may have for your guitar hanger, as well as use a level. Be aware that strong double stick tape can disrupt the surface you are sticking it to, so you might want to test it in an inconspicuous place first.

[Chris Fournier]

Jam a couple of wooden toothpicks into the hole and re=screw. Done. Hold any guitar made forever.

[Todd Willhoit]

Toothpicks or part of a golf tee.