Repair stripped cabinet-hinge screw holes
Restore screw purchase in sound solid wood without changing the hinge position.
Home · 1 hr + cure · Medium
Before you start
Support and remove the door before drilling. Set a positive depth stop after measuring wood thickness. Do not drill through a thin door or fit longer screws blindly. Stop if damage extends beyond a small hole.
Tools and materials
- Close-fitting hardwood dowel, wood glue and compatible hinge screws
- Drill and depth stop, matching bits, hand screwdriver, flush-cut saw, clamps, pencil and eye protection
Check the problem
Confirm the screw hole is stripped
Support the door and gently turn the mounting screw. A screw that spins without gripping differs from a loose adjustment screw or bent hinge.
Check material and safe depth
Inspect the exposed hole and measure available wood thickness. This dowel repair needs sound solid wood; choose a substrate-rated repair for crumbling composite board instead.
Steps
Remove and mark the hinge
Support the door, mark hinge position and remove it. Work on a stable padded surface where possible.
Bore a clean depth-limited hole
Choose the smallest dowel diameter that removes the damaged fibers. Clamp the work and drill square with a stop set shallower than the available thickness.
Glue in the fitted plug
Cut a dowel no deeper than the prepared hole. Coat mating surfaces with wood glue and seat it without splitting the wood. Wipe squeeze-out and wait the full load-bearing cure time.
Trim and relocate the screw
Trim any proud plug flush after cure. Reposition the hinge on its marks and mark the original screw center through the hinge hole.
Pilot and refasten
Drill a depth-limited pilot sized for the screw and wood. Refit the hinge and supported door. Tighten by hand until seated, without crushing wood or stripping the plug.
Check alignment and holding
Swing the door repeatedly and check the gaps. The hinge must sit flat without movement; stop and reassess if the screw still spins or the repair cracks.
Swing the door repeatedly and check the gaps. The hinge must sit flat without movement; stop and reassess if the screw still spins or the repair cracks.
Tips
Thin panels need a different repair
A hinge repair plate may suit composite board, but it must match the hinge and sound material.
Dry is not always ready to load
Follow the glue’s clamping and full-cure instructions.
Keep the hinge position
Moving its screw center can change how the door closes.