68 rear storage door repair

[Patrick N.]

The doors on my rear storage compartment are the MDF unpainted style. The door panels no longer have enough material for the screws to hold the plastic trim and hinges securely. I'm planning to grind up some scrap MDF, mixed with glue and refill the holes and then screw the parts back in. Has anyone had a similar issue and used a different method to fix?

Thanks
Pat

[Don L.]

Re: 68 rear storage door repair

Patrick,

FWIW, I filled my screw holes with a wood filler, then used longer length screws, having the same exact head that I bought from a specialty fastener shop near me. I think the new screws might be as much as an inch long. Worked fine. The screws have a solid bite into the door panels now.

[Dale C.]

Re: 68 rear storage door repair

Pat. That sounds good but the trouble I found was where new meets the old. The new holds and then the adjoining old gives way later. Here is what I did. On the door edge plastic, the screws wouldn't hold, so one edge at a time I put the door in a vice with the side I would work on up. Cushion the door face, in the vice, from press marks. Then I took two pieces of wood and put the door edge loosely between the wood strips, with wood clamps, so the glue could penetrate. Let that glue run down the soft fiber, fill the screw holes good, and then squeeze down to dry. Be careful not to let the glue get on the two form boards, so you can get the door out. I also pulled the carpet back, as a precaution, so as not to let the glue have a chance to get near the carpet. Then when that edge was dry it had expanded but was hard as a rock so I, drimel, ground it back to correct shape and size. Later, I noticed it had worked good where the glue was but the old continued to deteriorate. The old smaller screws were reused. I can't remember the most important fact, what kind of glue, super or wood glue. Maybe you can come up with a better solution for what kind would be better. Good luck. Dale

[Patrick N.]

Re: 68 rear storage door repair

thanks guys- two good approaches. One door in particular is fairly bad and may be a good candidate for Dons method. Dale, I think I will try your approach on the two other doors as the holes are bad, but noticeably, the materiel appears "swollen" where the screws go in. I think clamping plus the glue may be a good idea.
Tks
Pat

[Jeffrey S.]

Re: 68 rear storage door repair

I also have dealt with this repair. I used regular wood glue and pressed it into the bulged edge. I pushed wood toothpicks and glue into the screw holes. I clamped the flats between pieces of wood as described by Dale and let dry. When dry, I clamped the plastic frame to the door to compress the carpet and drilled pilot holes using self centering pilot bit (available at any woodworking store, Home Depot, etc.). I have always used the toothpick trick to re-do holes for cabinet hinges, etc. that were of by half a hole or when putting a new hole very close to an old one. That's the cabinet maker in me. Hope this helps.
Jeff

[Dale C.]

Re: 68 rear storage door repair

Also watch out about drilling in the holes to clear excess glue out. I snagged some carpet on the bit and before I could stop the drill I pull a bunch of carpet out. Dale

[Patrick N.]

Re: 68 rear storage door repair

Thanks again guys, I will be doing this tomorrow and will post some before and afters.
pat