jim evans wrote:
On Mon, 29 Nov 2004 21:52:09 -0500, willshak
wrote:

On 11/29/2004 9:03 PM US(ET), jim evans took fingers to keys, and
typed the following:

I need to screw something to the bottom of a desktop made of 1"
particle board (the upper surface is wood veneer). It will
experience a fair amount of load, so I need the screws to hold
securely. If it were solid wood or plywood I would be confident
it would hold, but my experience is particle board does not hold
screws well -- they crumble out.

So, my question is, how can I put screws in the particle board
such that they will hold securely?

jim


A *lot* of L brackets?

The thing I'm attaching is sort of like two metal slides and each
slide only provides for 3 screws.

Not a good situation. However, make your pilot holes, insert your
screws not quite all the way then back them out. Turn the desk over
and fill the holes with cyanoacrylic glue; if it isn't all absorbed by
the particle board within a minute or two, wick out the excess with a
paper towel. Let it harden for several hours then attach your
hardware.

The glue will have penetrated, hardened and welded the particle board
together around the holes, works pretty well. However, depending on
the load, I'd still be more comfortable gluing and screwing hardwood
strips under the desk - even 1/4" ones but 3/4 is better - and then
attaching the brackets to those.
--
dadiOH
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