I need to replace some butt hinges. The holes will slightly displaced from the old screw holes. What’s the best way to fill the old holes before drilling pilots for the new screws?
Lou
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I generally whittle down a piece of wood to sort of a tapered/screw shape, coat it with glue, and hammer it into the hole. Cut flush.
Lou
Like Dan, on the job and all I have are cedar shims-I'll come up about an inch from the bottom, slice across the shim, both sides. Come up another inch-slice it again-both sides. Snap off that pc in the middle, then "rip" the widths of the screw hole out of that pc. Squirt glue in the hole, stuff it in. Cut them flush with a sharp chisel. Let the glue dry if you can-use a Vix bit and the new hinge as a guide.
or
Don't forget you've been carrying a 3/16ths (or eighth inch) dowel in the van and use that as it's harder wood and less chance of your bit wandering.
Centering the new hole is the key-shims and even the dowel is no guarantee you'll not wander when you drill.
Vix bit with hinge helps, if no Vix bit-use an eighth inch. bit and run it backwards first where you want to drill, then change direction and complete the hole. The backwards gives a depression before the bit grabs and wanders off.
another one of those simple things that isn't that easy to do right. There's a million of them.