How do I fix a stripped screw hole in wooden stock?

[Davo]

One of the buttplate screws on my K31 has stripped out. I was thinking of drilling out the hole to clean it up, and than using wood epoxy. After it dries I will redrill the correct size hole, how does this sound?

 

[LHB1]

Epoxy/redrill might work. Or perhaps a larger diameter screw?

Good shooting and be safe.
LB

 

[Otherguy Overby]

Go shopping...

Thas right, go to the store and buy some wooden dowels.

Drill out screwhole insert dowel with glue and hammer. Let dry then cut to length drill pilot hole and screw yer new hole...

Or, get some plastic screw anchors of appropriate size, counter sink the original hole a little, and tap the screw anchor into the hole... Screw some more.

Or just do l an armorer might do: carve up a sliver of wood about hole size, glue, tap in and cut to length... By now you shoulld have the screwing part down.

 

[Car Knocker]

Old woodworker's trick: Dip a toothpick in wood glue, stick it in the hole and break it off flush. Insert screw and tighten. If you're using flat toothpicks, it may take two or three.

 

[30-06 lover]

Toothpicks have worked for me too...stick them in, break 'em flush, put screw back in.

 

[Davo]

Thanks for all the tips guys...Im leaning towards chopsticks, or dowels. I have both wood glue, and epoxy here (and no chopsticks, dangit). I dont plan on taking off the butplate often, but can this be done with this repair, or will I need to do this again?

 

[Onmilo]

Do the dowel approach.
Buttplate screws take a lot of force and drilling the hole out, epoxying a dowel in place and sanding and redrilling the hole will be the longest lasting repair method.

 

[moredes]

NO chopsticks??

I:m over here in Japan right now... I should find you a pair . Or you could order some take-out somewhere:s.

Seriously though, I:d go with the dowel method as the surefire fix, though in a pinch, I:ve used toothpicks without any long-term problems. Another dirty trick is to use a golf tee; I sand the paint off the tees so the Elmer:s will stick.

 

[Nicky Santoro]

IMHO, buy a piece of dowel. Drill out stripped area in buttstock to dowel size and glue in a piece with carpenters glue (aliphatic resin). Allow to dry then sand flush. Fit buttplate and mark centerline of screw. Drill pilot hole. Install screw. Done.
I do this all the time with cabinets and have found it to give the best repair.
FWIW
YMMV

 

[Davo]

Thanks guys. I got a dowel and drilled out both old screw holes saturday, today ill drill the new ones, I used wood glue.
Oh yeah, I did end up going to get chinese on saturday-and forgot the chopsticks...I amaze even myself.

 

[Otherguy Overby]

You wouldn't dare degrade a K31 by fixing it with a chop stick, would you?

 

[Davo]