Seeking Help With "Firming Up" A Screw

**Bill Sheehan** · 11-13-2019, 04:55 AM

Wow, thanks to all for the thoughts and input. I'm attaching a quick photo of the bracket and screw in question. I'm not sure if I have the terminology correct, but this screw seems to be more of the "machine screw" style than the "wood screw" style; in other words, it doesn't have very prominent "barbs" along its length like a wood screw might; so I'm wondering if it might be effective to just go to the hardware store and try to find an actual wood screw of similar color, length and diameter, and see if that might snug in there with greater tightness?
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**Pukulele Pete** · 11-13-2019, 05:45 AM

I'm assuming the hole is in particle board or plywood or some type of wood?
If it is , a larger wood screw might do it.

**Bill Sheehan** · 11-13-2019, 06:27 AM

Originally Posted by Pukulele Pete

I'm assuming the hole is in particle board or plywood or some type of wood?
If it is , a larger wood screw might do it.

Thanks, Pete. Yes, the material seems to be kind of a plywood; perhaps a wood screw would have a little more "lateral bite" to it.

**turf3** · 11-19-2019, 04:21 AM

Originally Posted by Bill Sheehan

Thanks, Pete. Yes, the material seems to be kind of a plywood; perhaps a wood screw would have a little more "lateral bite" to it.

Options:

1) Use the next size up wood screw.
2) Get a threaded insert (these are brass, have wood threads on the outside and machine screw threads on the inside). Drill out for the minor diameter of the exterior threads, coat the exterior with epoxy, screw in, let epoxy cure, use machine screw.
3) Riv-nut (it's like a pop rivet but when you've expanded it against the hole, it leaves you with internal machine screw threads).
4) Expanding drywall anchor.

It would be weird to screw a machine screw directly into particle board, but given the probably Far East assembly location, you can't rule anything out. If that is the case, a machine screw into "wood" will pull out. Sooner or later. Probably right at the least opportune moment. You'll want to get that fixed, and the other one too.

**Bill Sheehan** · 11-19-2019, 04:51 PM

Thanks, Turf! So far, I'm still "sitting on it" and haven't done anything one way or the other. I may run out to the hardware store tomorrow and see if I can find a couple of "next-size-up" wood screws, and see if they'll do the trick!

**Bill Sheehan** · 11-21-2019, 03:32 AM

Well, yesterday I ran out and got a couple of appropriately-sized "wood" screws, and as I prepared to insert them into the existing holes, I noticed a little glint of silver from within the holes; it appears there's a little "female sleeve" imbedded down inside each hole to receive the original "machine" screws. This came as a surprise to me, so I just put the original machine screws back in place and tightened them to the level they were at originally, and I'll probably call it a day on this and just use reasonable care in handling the unit (which I would do anyway). Thanks to all for your help and advice!