How to Repair a Stripped Screw Hole with a Hardwood Dowel

Choose a straight hardwood dowel just wider than the damaged screw hole, with enough sound wood around it. Mark and carefully drill a straight, round hole to the dowel's actual diameter, using a wood bit and depth stop. Protect the opposite side of the workpiece: never drill through a thin panel by accident. Clamp portable work securely, wear eye protection, and keep hands clear of the bit. Stop if you reach a void, split, concealed fixing or unexpected material. Remove loose shavings and dry-fit the dowel; it should be snug without force or splitting the wood.

Remove the dry-fitted dowel. Apply wood glue rated for the timber and intended conditions to the sides of the hole and the dowel, following the glue maker's instructions. Press the dowel in so it seats fully without excessive force; align the grain where practical. Wipe away squeeze-out with a cloth. Do not load or redrill the repair until the adhesive has cured for the time and conditions specified on its label.

Once the glue has fully cured, cut any protruding dowel flush with a fine-tooth saw. Support the surrounding finish with a protective shim if necessary and sand lightly in the direction of the wood grain. Avoid removing sound surrounding wood or damaging the fitting's seating surface. Check that the dowel is solid, flush and free of cracks; if it lifts, spins or splits, stop and redo the repair rather than mounting hardware.

For more guidance on gently smoothing the cured dowel, see How to Sand Wood by Hand.

Mark the screw location in the centre of the repaired dowel. Choose the pilot-bit diameter for the screw's root diameter and the wood species, using screw manufacturer guidance; avoid a hole as wide as the screw's outer threads. Drill straight with a depth stop, keeping within the sound timber and away from any concealed services or the back face. Reposition the lightweight fitting and drive the correct wood screw by hand until snug; do not overtighten. Check it holds firmly under only its intended light-duty use. If it turns freely again or the wood splits, do not use the fixing.