Help! My Cabinet Hinge Holes Are Messed Up – What Can I Do?
Asked by uC4bb1n3tF1x3r
I have a bunch of particleboard cabinets, and the screw holes for the hinges are completely messed up. I found some hinge repair plates to fix this issue, but it turns out the holes on these plates are way too small for the screws I need. Did I make a mistake ordering them, or is there something I'm overlooking?
Answers
As a cabinet maker, I’d suggest a couple of solutions. You could reposition the hinges and redrill new holes, but that’s a bit more work. Alternatively, plug the messed-up holes with toothpicks and wood glue, or use dowels that fit the holes. Once those are set, you can drill new holes for the hinges! You can also use different screws for better grip if needed.
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Make sure to check if the repair plates came with screws. If they did, just use those! They don’t have to be the same screws as the original hinges. A standard screw that fits with the plate should work just fine.
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You could try drilling out the holes on the repair plates so they match the screw size you have. Just be careful not to make them too big, or you might end up with a loose fit. I’ve done this before!
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uHardwareHacker: Yeah, but if you drill them too big, won't that defeat the purpose? The screws need to be able to grip the plate.