Cruisers Forum
Main Forum => Tips and Tricks => Topic started by: 2 Frazzled on January 12, 2018, 05:59:45 am
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John pulled out our pantry yesterday and a screw dropped out. After a bit of rooting around we found that it secures the bottom glide rail to the wooden shelving unit. ALL our bottom screws have come out so the pantry doesn't align and swings. I remember we found a screw in the step well a while back but never figured out where it came from... Now we know. We'll be doing repairs before the free swinging does damage. This is just a heads up for those with pantries to check and tighten those hidden screws. We have over 30,000 bouncy, swervy miles on the Phoenix now so I'm not surprised we managed to shake things loose. You have to pull out the pantry and look up at the bottom from the floor to get to the screws.
This reminded me that I need to get it in gear and secure our plumbing connections with rescue tape before we rattle those loose. We had to tighten the water supply line to the toilet recently so I figure a little preventive maintenance is due.
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We had the same problem after re-configuring our galley base cabinet. I concluded the extra weight in the drawers loosened the original 3 existing screws per drawer rail. I resolved the issue by adding 6 screws per rail. So if you can add more screws, that might solve your problem.
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Just to once again prove how ignorant I am of repair projects, is there something I should put in the holes before fixing it since the screws were pulled out instead of unscrewed? I don't want the screws in there permanently but a bit more secure would be nice. We load that pantry up so it needs to be secure.
Ron, I'll check but I don't think there were extra holes in the rail and I'm not sure I'm up to drilling through the metal, assuming I can even get under there without taking it all apart.
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A small amount of wood putty. You can stick the screw into the wood putty to cover the threads or push a very small amount into each hole. The end of a wooden toothpick will do the same thing. Just stick it into the hole, start the screw then break off the toothpick. Tighten the screw. 2o2
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I use toothpicks as Tom suggested. I do use Titebond wood glue (Elmers is another option) when inserting the toothpicks. I use as many toothpicks as needed to fill the hole. If you are not able to break the toothpicks off flush sometimes a wood chisel is needed.
I do a lot of woodworking and have used this method successfully for years. In new construction if holes are drilled slightly off center the method allows one to adjust the center and for repair as in your case it is my “go to” method.
Thanks for your reminder to check for loose and/or missing screws which I did. Fortunately everything looked in order. We carry a lot of heavy canned goods so securing the slides is critical.
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2 Frazzled,
I missed it that the screws actually pulled out. I thought they loosened themselves to the point of falling out.
I feel the best method for your pulled-out wood screws is to install slightly fatter ones to create new threads into the wood. Fatter wood screws will also hold better than the original ones did before they pulled out.
When locating more holes to add more screws, if your rails are like our rails, you will need to slide the rail in and out to see possibilities through tiny openings of opportunities that come and go as the rail moves along. It is easiest if you separate the rail halves to expose every opportunity at once.
Some wood screws have thin/shallow threads. Other wood screws have deeper aggressive threads. Try to find slightly fatter screws with deeper threads.
Here is a shallow-thread screw.
(https://images.homedepot-static.com/productImages/a0ccb716-3608-41cb-9036-c30086f10153/svn/constructor-drywall-screws-con-dws-b09-64_400_compressed.jpg)
Here is a deep-thread screw which "bites" deeper into the wood and retains more wood to prevent the screw from stripping out.
(http://image.made-in-china.com/43f34j00EZVQANmdGwkf/Hot-Sale-Drywall-Screws-Gypsum-Screws-for-Wood-Screws-3-5X25mm-.jpg)
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"loctite", either red or blue will work also.