More years ago than I can remember I came across a little kit for restoring
screw holes. It was particularly handy for moving a strike plate for a door
latch. The kit had a tapered bit to drill a hole that accepted a plug shaped
like the sharpened end of a pencil. (it also included a pencil shaped piece
of wood that could be sharpened in a pencil sharpener and used as a plug.)
I've lost it, looked in all the catalogs I have and am beginning to wonder
if I dreamed it.
Anyone familiar with the device?

Max

On Sep 21, 3:47*pm, "Max" wrote:
More years ago than I can remember I came across a little kit for restoring
screw holes. *It was particularly handy for moving a strike plate for a door
latch. The kit had a tapered bit to drill a hole that accepted a plug shaped
like the sharpened end of a pencil. *(it also included a pencil shaped piece
of wood that could be sharpened in a pencil sharpener and used as a plug.)
I've lost it, looked in all the catalogs I have and am beginning to wonder
if I dreamed it.
Anyone familiar with the device?

Max

I've never seen that kit, but one can do pretty much the same thing by
drilling a hole with a brad point wood bit, and then gluing in a piece
of dowel.

Marty

Toothpicks and glue.

"Max" wrote in message
...
More years ago than I can remember I came across a little kit for restoring
screw holes. It was particularly handy for moving a strike plate for a door
latch. The kit had a tapered bit to drill a hole that accepted a plug shaped
like the sharpened end of a pencil. (it also included a pencil shaped piece
of wood that could be sharpened in a pencil sharpener and used as a plug.)
I've lost it, looked in all the catalogs I have and am beginning to wonder
if I dreamed it.
Anyone familiar with the device?

Max

"Marty" wrote in message
...
On Sep 21, 3:47 pm, "Max" wrote:
More years ago than I can remember I came across a little kit for
restoring
screw holes. It was particularly handy for moving a strike plate for a
door
latch. The kit had a tapered bit to drill a hole that accepted a plug
shaped
like the sharpened end of a pencil. (it also included a pencil shaped
piece
of wood that could be sharpened in a pencil sharpener and used as a plug.)
I've lost it, looked in all the catalogs I have and am beginning to wonder
if I dreamed it.
Anyone familiar with the device?

Max

I've never seen that kit, but one can do pretty much the same thing by
drilling a hole with a brad point wood bit, and then gluing in a piece
of dowel.

Marty

You're right, of course, and I've thought of that, even used that but I'm
wondering if the kit is still available or if the market disappeared because
everyone thought like you and me.

Max

"Max" wrote in message
...
More years ago than I can remember I came across a little kit for
restoring screw holes. It was particularly handy for moving a strike
plate for a door latch. The kit had a tapered bit to drill a hole that
accepted a plug shaped like the sharpened end of a pencil. (it also
included a pencil shaped piece of wood that could be sharpened in a pencil
sharpener and used as a plug.)
I've lost it, looked in all the catalogs I have and am beginning to wonder
if I dreamed it.
Anyone familiar with the device?


You're not dreaming. I've still got one. It came from Garrett Wade on a
visit to New York (I think Woodcraft Supply used to carry them too?). It
works OK but the plug is end grain so not particularly strong. I tend to
reach for a couple of matchsticks (or use a plastic wall plug).



Lee Valley does the kit:



http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/pag...80,42240,53317

"Norman Billingham" norman.at.tumulus.org.uk wrote in message
...

"Max" wrote in message
...
More years ago than I can remember I came across a little kit for
restoring screw holes. It was particularly handy for moving a strike
plate for a door latch. The kit had a tapered bit to drill a hole that
accepted a plug shaped like the sharpened end of a pencil. (it also
included a pencil shaped piece of wood that could be sharpened in a
pencil sharpener and used as a plug.)
I've lost it, looked in all the catalogs I have and am beginning to
wonder if I dreamed it.
Anyone familiar with the device?


You're not dreaming. I've still got one. It came from Garrett Wade on a
visit to New York (I think Woodcraft Supply used to carry them too?). It
works OK but the plug is end grain so not particularly strong. I tend to
reach for a couple of matchsticks (or use a plastic wall plug).



Lee Valley does the kit:



http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/pag...80,42240,53317

Bingo. That's it. I must have missed it in my LV catalog. Thanks.

Max

Toothpicks and glue.

WINNER!!!!!

Max wrote the following:
"Norman Billingham" norman.at.tumulus.org.uk wrote in message
...

"Max" wrote in message
...
More years ago than I can remember I came across a little kit for
restoring screw holes. It was particularly handy for moving a
strike plate for a door latch. The kit had a tapered bit to drill a
hole that accepted a plug shaped like the sharpened end of a
pencil. (it also included a pencil shaped piece of wood that could
be sharpened in a pencil sharpener and used as a plug.)
I've lost it, looked in all the catalogs I have and am beginning to
wonder if I dreamed it.
Anyone familiar with the device?


You're not dreaming. I've still got one. It came from Garrett Wade
on a visit to New York (I think Woodcraft Supply used to carry them
too?). It works OK but the plug is end grain so not particularly
strong. I tend to reach for a couple of matchsticks (or use a
plastic wall plug).



Lee Valley does the kit:



http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/pag...80,42240,53317

Bingo. That's it. I must have missed it in my LV catalog. Thanks.

Max

That looks weaker than a unsharpened dowel glued into a regularly
drilled hole.
You use the drills you already have and you don't need a pencil sharpener.
You save $20 + shipping too.

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
In the original Orange County. Est. 1683
To email, remove the double zeroes after @

"willshak" wrote in message
m...
Max wrote the following:
"Norman Billingham" norman.at.tumulus.org.uk wrote in message
...

"Max" wrote in message
...
More years ago than I can remember I came across a little kit for
restoring screw holes. It was particularly handy for moving a strike
plate for a door latch. The kit had a tapered bit to drill a hole that
accepted a plug shaped like the sharpened end of a pencil. (it also
included a pencil shaped piece of wood that could be sharpened in a
pencil sharpener and used as a plug.)
I've lost it, looked in all the catalogs I have and am beginning to
wonder if I dreamed it.
Anyone familiar with the device?


You're not dreaming. I've still got one. It came from Garrett Wade on
a visit to New York (I think Woodcraft Supply used to carry them too?).
It works OK but the plug is end grain so not particularly strong. I
tend to reach for a couple of matchsticks (or use a plastic wall plug).



Lee Valley does the kit:



http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/pag...80,42240,53317

Bingo. That's it. I must have missed it in my LV catalog. Thanks.

Max

That looks weaker than a unsharpened dowel glued into a regularly drilled
hole.
You use the drills you already have and you don't need a pencil sharpener.
You save $20 + shipping too.

--

Bill

You're right, of course, and I've thought of that, even used that but I'm
wondering if the kit is still available or if the market disappeared because
everyone thought like you and me.

Max

"willshak" wrote in message
m...
Max wrote the following:
"Norman Billingham" norman.at.tumulus.org.uk wrote in message
...

"Max" wrote in message
...
More years ago than I can remember I came across a little kit for
restoring screw holes. It was particularly handy for moving a

chop


http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/pag...80,42240,53317

Bingo. That's it. I must have missed it in my LV catalog. Thanks.

Max

That looks weaker than a unsharpened dowel glued into a regularly drilled
hole.
You use the drills you already have and you don't need a pencil sharpener.
You save $20 + shipping too.

I'm thinking that in theory you are getting a little close to a long-grain
to long-grain glue joint with this tool but there is still the issue of
having end grain into which to drive screws... This sort of suggests to me
that a flat bottom hole with plugs is the strongest hole fixer as you'd have
a long-grain to long-grain glue joint on the bottom and would be screwing
into long grain.

Let the theory debate being!

John

On Tue, 21 Sep 2010 14:47:43 -0600, "Max"
wrote:

More years ago than I can remember I came across a little kit for restoring
screw holes. It was particularly handy for moving a strike plate for a door
latch. The kit had a tapered bit to drill a hole that accepted a plug shaped
like the sharpened end of a pencil. (it also included a pencil shaped piece
of wood that could be sharpened in a pencil sharpener and used as a plug.)
I've lost it, looked in all the catalogs I have and am beginning to wonder
if I dreamed it.
Anyone familiar with the device?

Max

What's the advantage of the tapered hole/plug? Seems to me a straight
hole/plug would work as well or better. I ask in ernest.

-Zz

"Max" wrote in message
...
More years ago than I can remember I came across a little kit for
restoring screw holes. It was particularly handy for moving a strike
plate for a door latch. The kit had a tapered bit to drill a hole that
accepted a plug shaped like the sharpened end of a pencil. (it also
included a pencil shaped piece of wood that could be sharpened in a pencil
sharpener and used as a plug.)
I've lost it, looked in all the catalogs I have and am beginning to wonder
if I dreamed it.
Anyone familiar with the device?

Max

Lee Valley.

In ,
Josepi spewed forth:
Toothpicks and glue.

"Max" wrote in message
...
More years ago than I can remember I came across a little kit for
restoring screw holes. It was particularly handy for moving a strike
plate for a door latch. The kit had a tapered bit to drill a hole
that accepted a plug shaped like the sharpened end of a pencil. (it
also included a pencil shaped piece of wood that could be sharpened
in a pencil sharpener and used as a plug.) I've lost it, looked in
all the catalogs I have and am beginning to wonder if I dreamed it.
Anyone familiar with the device?

Max

I find that a wooden skewer works as well and is a bit quicker.
YMMV

On Sep 21, 7:34*pm, "Josepi" wrote:
I have often thought about using epoxy but always feared the scrwws would
not be able to penetrate it after hardening.

I have fallen in love with System Three T-88 structural epoxy. It
sands and drills like hardwood and you can easily drop a screw in it
with a pilot hole. I did a major repair to a pine blanket chest I
built 20 years ago and had epoxy in cracks, filling missing chunks and
all over the area with hinges attached and it went back together like
it was all wood.

I like the color it dries, it looks like pine sap and blends well with
aged pine. I also repaired a badly designed oak side table and it
blended well with the typical red oak orangish brown stain too.

Single blown out screw hole still gets tooth;picks, but maybe all use
epoxy with the picks.

On Tue, 21 Sep 2010 14:47:43 -0600, "Max"
wrote:

More years ago than I can remember I came across a little kit for restoring
screw holes. It was particularly handy for moving a strike plate for a door
latch. The kit had a tapered bit to drill a hole that accepted a plug shaped
like the sharpened end of a pencil. (it also included a pencil shaped piece
of wood that could be sharpened in a pencil sharpener and used as a plug.)
I've lost it, looked in all the catalogs I have and am beginning to wonder
if I dreamed it.
Anyone familiar with the device?

Yeah, they were OK, but they didn't work any better than doweling.

I keep a length of 1/4" dowel in the truck and use that when I need to
repair a client jamb. 1/4" drill, spot of TiteBond II, tap it in,
flushcut it, drill a new screwhole, insert screw. 10 minutes for a
permanent, professional fix.

For those clients who wish me to think of them in a Chinese curse, I
keep a short length of 3/8" dowel in the truck, too.

They're the type who think "Maybe a couple thousand more revolutions
with my Crapsman drill and a 3" drywall screw will make it catch."

--
Some people hear voices. Some see invisible people.
Others have no imagination whatsoever.

Zz Yzx wrote:
On Tue, 21 Sep 2010 14:47:43 -0600,
wrote:

More years ago than I can remember I came across a little kit for restoring
screw holes. It was particularly handy for moving a strike plate for a door
latch. The kit had a tapered bit to drill a hole that accepted a plug shaped
like the sharpened end of a pencil. (it also included a pencil shaped piece
of wood that could be sharpened in a pencil sharpener and used as a plug.)
I've lost it, looked in all the catalogs I have and am beginning to wonder
if I dreamed it.
Anyone familiar with the device?

Max

What's the advantage of the tapered hole/plug? Seems to me a straight
hole/plug would work as well or better. I ask in ernest.

-Zz

I think it is not so much the tapered plug as the pointed reamer that
will follow a screw-hole much easier than a drill bit. I think a drill
bit with a conical tip would have been more ideal but harder to make.

--
Gerald Ross
Cochran, GA

Acting without thinking can be awfully
entertaining.

On 9/22/2010 7:08 AM, Gerald Ross wrote:
Zz Yzx wrote:
On Tue, 21 Sep 2010 14:47:43 -0600,
wrote:

More years ago than I can remember I came across a little kit for
restoring
screw holes. It was particularly handy for moving a strike plate for
a door
latch. The kit had a tapered bit to drill a hole that accepted a plug
shaped
like the sharpened end of a pencil. (it also included a pencil shaped
piece
of wood that could be sharpened in a pencil sharpener and used as a
plug.)
I've lost it, looked in all the catalogs I have and am beginning to
wonder
if I dreamed it.
Anyone familiar with the device?

Max

What's the advantage of the tapered hole/plug? Seems to me a straight
hole/plug would work as well or better. I ask in ernest.

-Zz

I think it is not so much the tapered plug as the pointed reamer that
will follow a screw-hole much easier than a drill bit. I think a drill
bit with a conical tip would have been more ideal but harder to make.

Any twist-drill has a conical tip. There are also the special tapered
bits intended for old-fashioned wood screws.

"Norman Billingham" norman.at.tumulus.org.uk wrote in message
...

"Max" wrote in message
...
More years ago than I can remember I came across a little kit for
restoring screw holes. It was particularly handy for moving a strike
plate for a door latch. The kit had a tapered bit to drill a hole that
accepted a plug shaped like the sharpened end of a pencil. (it also
included a pencil shaped piece of wood that could be sharpened in a
pencil sharpener and used as a plug.)
I've lost it, looked in all the catalogs I have and am beginning to
wonder if I dreamed it.
Anyone familiar with the device?


You're not dreaming. I've still got one. It came from Garrett Wade on a
visit to New York (I think Woodcraft Supply used to carry them too?). It
works OK but the plug is end grain so not particularly strong. I tend to
reach for a couple of matchsticks (or use a plastic wall plug).



Lee Valley does the kit:

Plastic wall plug? Now that is something I will try. I have always used a
birch dowel and glue. Also drilled center of dowel to avoid cracking it. WW



http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/pag...80,42240,53317

On Sep 21, 5:38*pm, Zz Yzx wrote:

What's the advantage of the tapered hole/plug? *Seems to me a straight
hole/plug would work as well or better. *I ask in ernest.

It's a 'locking taper'; pressing the plug self-clamps it when you glue
it into
place. The hole, too, is going to be a more accurate shape than
with a standard twist drill doing a cylindrical hole. The conical
cutter isn't as quick, doesn't pull chips out as fast, but it makes
an accurate mating surface and is insensitive to the guidance
of the drill. Center drills for machining metal are likewise more
accurate in hole shape than twist drills.