Garage Door Hinge holes = stripped MDF

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  • Snap Marc
    Established Member
    • Sep 2004
    • 167
    • Atlanta, GA, USA.
    • Jet ProSHOP Full Cast Iron Hybrid

    Garage Door Hinge holes = stripped MDF

    Sort of a general question. My garage door, a double size door, has three hinges that have pulled out due to the bolt threads stripping the MDF. I have three new hinge/rollers that I want to install, but wonder what the best method would be.

    One option is to simply use larger diameter bolts.

    Other option is to fill holes with putty or wood plug, or some sort of epoxy filler and then using the existing bolts.

    Anyone have any suggestions on how to best attach these garage door hinges to a MDF garage door?
    --
    Marc
    Roswell, GA

    \"You get what you pay for.\"
  • LCHIEN
    Internet Fact Checker
    • Dec 2002
    • 20914
    • Katy, TX, USA.
    • BT3000 vintage 1999

    #2
    use a 1/4, 3/8 or 1/2" DRIL AND drill it out a couple of inches deep if ou can. Then glue a piece of hardwood dowel same size in the hole and trim flush. Make sure the glue has set completely. Now drill new holes.
    Loring in Katy, TX USA
    If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
    BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

    Comment

    • Snap Marc
      Established Member
      • Sep 2004
      • 167
      • Atlanta, GA, USA.
      • Jet ProSHOP Full Cast Iron Hybrid

      #3
      A good idea, but will the glue hold the hardwood to the MDF well enough? Should I use regular yellow wood glue? Maybe an exterior grade glue?

      I also noticed the hinges have a few extra holes in them in addition to their main holes. Maybe if I do as you suggest, and also use some extra bolts in those extra holes. Can't hurt, right?
      --
      Marc
      Roswell, GA

      \"You get what you pay for.\"

      Comment

      • LCHIEN
        Internet Fact Checker
        • Dec 2002
        • 20914
        • Katy, TX, USA.
        • BT3000 vintage 1999

        #4
        yellow wood glues bond really well to long grain of the dowel sides and MDF> The cured joint should be as strong as solid wood - make sure the joint is well wetted.
        If it gets wet you should use a waterproof wood glue.
        Loring in Katy, TX USA
        If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
        BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

        Comment

        • Snap Marc
          Established Member
          • Sep 2004
          • 167
          • Atlanta, GA, USA.
          • Jet ProSHOP Full Cast Iron Hybrid

          #5
          Do you mean "well wetted" with glue?

          Thanks again for the advise.
          --
          Marc
          Roswell, GA

          \"You get what you pay for.\"

          Comment

          • cabinetman
            Gone but not Forgotten RIP
            • Jun 2006
            • 15218
            • So. Florida
            • Delta

            #6
            What would help is a better description, like how thick is the door, and what kind of "bolts" stripped out. Were they lag type that just screwed into the MDF?

            Drilling out and gluing a dowel as Loring described will give you a new source for the bolts. What would be better is to through drill and use nuts and bolts with fender washers. That would disperse the stresses better than just threading into the MDF. Screw type threads in MDF that disperse side loads can crush (further compress) the MDF to allow the fastener to pull out.
            .

            Comment

            • Snap Marc
              Established Member
              • Sep 2004
              • 167
              • Atlanta, GA, USA.
              • Jet ProSHOP Full Cast Iron Hybrid

              #7
              The door is 1.5" thick made of MDF. On the outside of the door is a .75" cheapo white wood that's painted the color of the house.

              So, based on LCHIEN's suggestion, I would drill 1" deep and plug with oak dowel. I just picked up some 1.25" oak dowel at HD. Once the yellow glue dries and cures, I'll screw into that with .25" x 1" lag screws. I guess it's okay to screw into the dowel's end grain, right?

              I'd like nothing more to drill through and bolt, but unfortunately the front of our garage door is smooth wood panels and we can't have ugly bolts showing.

              Hopefully by drilling and filling with hardwood in addition to screwing with new hinge holes, that should be enough.

              What do you think?
              --
              Marc
              Roswell, GA

              \"You get what you pay for.\"

              Comment

              • LCHIEN
                Internet Fact Checker
                • Dec 2002
                • 20914
                • Katy, TX, USA.
                • BT3000 vintage 1999

                #8
                Originally posted by Snap Marc
                The door is 1.5" thick made of MDF. On the outside of the door is a .75" cheapo white wood that's painted the color of the house.

                So, based on LCHIEN's suggestion, I would drill 1" deep and plug with oak dowel. I just picked up some 1.25" oak dowel at HD. Once the yellow glue dries and cures, I'll screw into that with .25" x 1" lag screws. I guess it's okay to screw into the dowel's end grain, right?

                I'd like nothing more to drill through and bolt, but unfortunately the front of our garage door is smooth wood panels and we can't have ugly bolts showing.

                Hopefully by drilling and filling with hardwood in addition to screwing with new hinge holes, that should be enough.

                What do you think?

                i meant wetted with glue, yes.
                Sccrew into end grain will work, make sure you have a good pilot hole.
                And if there's holes for more lag screws, use them. Must have been marginal with set used.
                Loring in Katy, TX USA
                If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
                BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

                Comment

                • Snap Marc
                  Established Member
                  • Sep 2004
                  • 167
                  • Atlanta, GA, USA.
                  • Jet ProSHOP Full Cast Iron Hybrid

                  #9
                  I bought 1.25" oak dowell. I figured I drill with a 1.25" forstner bit, drill 1" deep. Maybe even 1.25" deep. The door is 1.75" thick.

                  How deep would you drill? It won't show through due to the outer .75" of white wood on the exterior of the door.
                  Last edited by Snap Marc; 01-24-2009, 05:37 PM.
                  --
                  Marc
                  Roswell, GA

                  \"You get what you pay for.\"

                  Comment

                  • Bruce Cohen
                    Veteran Member
                    • May 2003
                    • 2698
                    • Nanuet, NY, USA.
                    • BT3100

                    #10
                    Marc,

                    Here's my 2 cents. Use carriage bolts, but counter sink them and then fill the holes with filler. Sand and paint to match.

                    Bruce
                    "Western civilization didn't make all men equal,
                    Samuel Colt did"

                    Comment

                    • LCHIEN
                      Internet Fact Checker
                      • Dec 2002
                      • 20914
                      • Katy, TX, USA.
                      • BT3000 vintage 1999

                      #11
                      1.5 dowel? That's bigger than I would have thought to use, I would have used maybe 1/2" at the most. The main reason i can think of is that the tolerances on the bigger dowel may not be that good, you might have trouble with the dowel to fit either too tight or too loose and resulting glue issues.

                      I like Bruces's idea, countersink the carriage head bolts and hide them with plugs?
                      Loring in Katy, TX USA
                      If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
                      BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

                      Comment

                      • cabinetman
                        Gone but not Forgotten RIP
                        • Jun 2006
                        • 15218
                        • So. Florida
                        • Delta

                        #12
                        Here's another thought. The flat washer part of the head of a carriage bolt doesn't offer too much surface. It may be enough though.

                        Sleeve bolts expand inside a hole to offer continuous surface contact for the sleeve, and are available in many sizes:
                        .

                        .
                        Or a fitted threaded anchor like this:

                        .

                        Comment

                        • Dutchman46
                          Forum Newbie
                          • Aug 2006
                          • 56
                          • Holland Michigan
                          • BT3000

                          #13
                          Garage Door Hinge holes = stripped MDF

                          If you have stripped material , you don't know how good the surrounding MDF is. If you have room, i would drill from the end, and add the dowel about 4 " LONG. then frill a hole where the bolt needs to go. Repair the inside of the door with JB WELD, and glue in the dowel in place with the same JB weld. On the inside door damage, add some wood fiber into the glue for added strength. That allows you to drill through the grain, and you will get better holding power and be able to hide the repair

                          Comment

                          • sscherin
                            Senior Member
                            • Dec 2003
                            • 772
                            • Kennewick, WA, USA.

                            #14
                            I'd use a threaded brass insert and matching bolt 1/4-20 might do it or 5/16-18.



                            As a side note.. a Holley Jet tool is perfect for installing the 1/4-20 inserts..
                            Or just thread in a bolt with a jam nut and turn it in with a ratchet or hand driver...

                            Get em at Lowes, They are in the specialty bolt bins.
                            Last edited by sscherin; 01-26-2009, 04:23 PM.
                            William's Law--
                            There is no mechanical problem so difficult that it
                            cannot be solved by brute strength and ignorance.

                            Comment

                            • Snap Marc
                              Established Member
                              • Sep 2004
                              • 167
                              • Atlanta, GA, USA.
                              • Jet ProSHOP Full Cast Iron Hybrid

                              #15
                              Problem Fixed

                              Here are some pics from during and after the repair. The belt sander left some scuffs on the door, but these hinges aren't going anywhere. The larger dowel fit like a glove.

                              Oh yeah, I forgot to mention I added some lag screws where ever possible. These new hinges have extra holes, so I figured, why not?

                              This is a rock solid repair. So thanks to all of you who helped me with this idea. It's all about having the right tools.

                              Here they are...
                              Attached Files
                              Last edited by Snap Marc; 01-28-2009, 09:43 AM.
                              --
                              Marc
                              Roswell, GA

                              \"You get what you pay for.\"

                              Comment

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