Screw plugs - odd size needed

[Lincoln Myers]

Hi All,

I have some screw holes that need plugs. I have drilled and assembled some bed rails for an upper bunk bed and realized that when I drilled the 3/8" countersink hole using a spade bit in my drill press, the resulting hole ended up larger than 3/8" because the spade bit had more 'wobble' in it than I thought.

My delimma now is the 3/8" plugs I bought are too small for the holes, they fall right into the hole.

I think the 1/2" plugs will be too big. Is there an 'in-between' size plug or plug cutter that will work here? Or another suggestion from the collective wisdom of the creek?

Thanks a lot for your help.

-Linc

[Gary Keedwell]

Linc,


What if you make the hole bigger with a 1/2" forstner bit with the flat bottom and use a 1/2" plug?

Gary K.

[Hoa Dinh]

Use it as an excuse to place an order with Lee Valley.

Veritas® Tapered Snug-Plug® Cutters (http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=32320&cat=1,180,42288).

http://www.leevalley.com/images/item/woodworking/drilling/05j0501s2b.jpg

http://www.leevalley.com/images/item/woodworking/drilling/05j0501d2.jpg

[Bruce Page]

You could also use a lathe or your DP to turn down a 1/2" plug to fit.

[Frank Fusco]

You could also use a lathe or your DP to turn down a 1/2" plug to fit.

I wasn't going to suggest that. It seems so obvious, I was concerned I might insult him.:o Thanks for doing it for me. ;)

[Frank Fusco]

Or, you could do the old square plug in a round hole technique. Mill a couple square blanks from soft wood slightly larger than your hole and seat with a mallet. Neanderthal method.

[Bruce Page]

I wasn't going to suggest that. It seems so obvious, I was concerned I might insult him.:o Thanks for doing it for me. ;)
Link looks like a young man. He probably doesn't have as much ‘sperience fixing screw-ups as us older farts!

[Lincoln Myers]

Thanks for the tips guys. I've got several options to try now, think one of 'em will do the trick.

And you're right Bruce, it hadn't occured to me to turn a larger plug down to the size I'd need. Don't have a lathe and I keep forgetting to use the drill press like that.

Thanks again guys.

-Linc

[Gail O'Rourke]

Someone may have already meant this - pick up a 1/2 inch dowel - then sand the end down, gives more length to work at a time and then cut off as you go, one plug at a time.

[Eddie Darby]

Have you considered a change of tactics, such as black epoxy filler for all plug holes?

[Larry Norton]

Using a 1/2in. forstner bit or a brad point bit, drill a hole through a block of wood. Center the hole you have drilled over the enlarged hole that was drilled originally. Clamp the block so it won't move. Then put the 1/2in. bit in the 1/2in. hole and drill the hole into the enlarged hole. Then use 1/2in. plugs in the hole. Sounds complicated, but takes just a few minutes.

Don't try to drill the bigger holes without the block. The drill will just wander all around the hole.

[Lincoln Myers]

Using a 1/2in. forstner bit or a brad point bit, drill a hole through a block of wood. Center the hole you have drilled over the enlarged hole that was drilled originally. Clamp the block so it won't move. Then put the 1/2in. bit in the 1/2in. hole and drill the hole into the enlarged hole. Then use 1/2in. plugs in the hole. Sounds complicated, but takes just a few minutes.

Don't try to drill the bigger holes without the block. The drill will just wander all around the hole.

This is what I did. Combination of Gary's suggestion and Larry's technique got me there. Woked out quite well using a 1/2" forstner bit through a scap piece of oak, then centered and clamped this over the hole to enlarge it. 1/2" plugs fit in quite nicely then.

I originally planned to use the drill press turning the 1/2" plug down a little to fit the original hole, but couldn't figure out how to attach the plug to something to put it into the chuck. I thought of using double-sided tape or glue or ? While pondering this, I thought the above technique would be quicker.

Thanks again all.

-Linc