On 14 May 2013 09:02:03 -0400, (David Combs) wrote:

The plastic "fit in hole" shelf-supports come out too easily, with the
result that if someone bumps it,the shelf falls out, along with
everything on it.

Each support works by pushing (inserting) its 1/3-inch-long cylinder
part into the predrilled hole; four such holes, each with one of these
plastic inserts, support the four corners of a shelf.


One way to keep a support from slipping out of its hole would
be to glue the cylinder part into the hole.

Disadvantage: you can never get it out again, should you
want to change the spacing between the shelves.

Question: is there some kind of a WEAK glue that will hold up to a
point, but then will break its bond, allowing you to remove the
plastic support?

Yes. Ambroid Cement is what I use when I want a glue I can break
later. It also has a lot of other advantages. It sticks to most
things and dries quickly. A tube will last until you've finished it.
If you put the cap on firmly, it will not harden in the tube. I
boughgt two large tubes once, because they were all beat up and were
for sale cheap, and the second one was 20 years old when I finally
used the last of it.

But it's not sold in hardware stores or HD. You have to go to a hobby
store, and at the hobby store, it seemed expensive, so I only bought
the small tube. But I use it for lots of things so I should have
bought the big one.

Even with this stuff, I would try one pin first, although I don't know
why. I'm sure it will break from the plastic. It may not break from
the particle board, or worse yet, it may take too much board with it
when it does, if the cohesion of the board is less than the adhesion
of the glue to the board and the glue to the plastic.

You can also buy some rectangular (not round) tooth picks and use
slivers from the picks to get the supports to go in more tightly.

Thanks!

David