What to use to fill misplaced screw holes?

[mzancz]

While making my first attempt at mounting euro hinges, Which did not come with any documentation, measurments, etc. I am not pleased with the way they are lining up. It's ok, but not perfect. The inccorect screw holes do get covered up by the hinge plate, but I would like to fill them and start over. It's going to be stained ebony, so I am not worried about the color not matching up. But what I need is a filler that will be hard enough that if I drill a pilot hole near the filled hole, it will not just chip out and leave me with a bigger hole. Can I just use wood filler, or should I use sawdust and glue? The correct hole will proably be in between the wrong wrong hole and the sorta correct one, so the filler has to be strong.

I did practice on some scrap wood first, but for whatever reason they just did not line up even with the adjustablitly of the hinges. However, the forstner holes did come out nice on the doors!

[gsmittle]

You could drill out the screw holes a little bigger and glue in a plug of the same wood. For the cup holes, you could use a hole saw or circle cutter to cut a plug big enough for the hole.

Either of these should give you enough strength to hold the screws.

g.

[LCHIEN]

ditto on GSmittle's suggestions.
Plug cutters are inexpensive.

[leehljp]

I usually fill the hole with the round toothpicks. Sometimes it takes three but they work well from me. I have used wood glue to fill and then put toothpicks in.

[eezlock]

mispalced screw holes

Might want to try some small diameter dowels, glued and cut off flush in the holes might work. I was at a chinese resturant and saw the chopsticks they
always bring to the table ( I never use them) and thought it would make some good holes fillers or small dowels for something else on another project.
Try it should work fine. eezlock

[mschrank]

I've also had good luck with golf tees. If you can find some that aren't painted, they stick a bit better. Otherwise, sand off the paint near the tip, spread some glue on and tap it into the hole. Wait for it to dry and trim off the excess.

[cabinetman]

Some good tips so far. A putty I've tried and works well for general use if your not familiar with it is Durham's Rock Hard.

For holes near one another a solid filler like a section of wood as described earlier works good on some repairs.

[JR]

In your situation, inside the cabinet with ebony stain, any of these techniques will work fine. Particularly the ones that include wood - toothpicks, chopsticks, sawdust, dowels, etc.

If this were a visible location you'd want to use the plug cutter method. You'd want to cut the plug from the face of a matching board, not the end grain. End grain and face grain react very differently to stain and topcoat, so the difference will draw the eye to the repair.

JR

[scmhogg]

A sharpen the correct size dowel in an electric pencil sharpener. A little glue and a tap from a mallet.

Steve

[mzancz]

Dowels

Thanks guys. I drilled the holes a little bigger and cut a 5/16 dowel for each hole. It worked great! Looks liek once a finally get the hinge plate lined up correctly it will cover most or all of the dowel anyway.