Smith Corona 03A3

[RickM]

Well she is mostly back together. Do need advice though. The top screw on the buttplate will not bite the wood. What should I use. Wood putty, wood glue? fill the hole and then run the screw? Also the screw for the bayonet sleeve will not bite it is running in a bit high and I cant get it to come down enough to bite into the hole. Anyhow pending advice here is a photo

Information

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[Doug Rammel]

What I do for a stripped screw hole is put a couple of short pieces of toothpick in the hole. I add a little wood glue to the pieces of toothpick then put the screw in. The screw will force the tooth picks to "bite" into the stock wood. After the glue dries the screw can be removed if you need to take the butt plate off. It works for me.



Doug

[Don W]

I use pieces of wooden tooth picks also, or matches.

DW

[Super Dave]

purchasing a hardwood dowel rod, drill out the screw hole to the size of the dowel and glue it in. After it dries, redrill for the screw, permanent fix.

[Jim Tarleton]

That toothpick idea is great. How come I never thought of that? Duh.

Jim

[Emri]

That toothpick idea is great. How come I never thought of that? Duh.

Jim

I've used that fix for many years on buttplate and other type wood screws.
A good tip is to place the wood shim (toothpick) toward one side or the other of the hole, depending on which way you might want the plate to move.
I've seen my previous "temporary" repairs still holding MANY years after doing it the first time. (Longtime/repeat customers)

FWIW,

Emri

[irishsteve]

Great picture ! The tooth pick/wooden match trick ought to do it.Worst case,drill the hole larger,and glue in a dowel.Then redrill to correct size.I had a 1917 with the upper band/bayonet screw problem.I used the next size larger drill,and opened each side of the stock about 1/4 inch down.This left the center the correct size so the band will still be tight,yet allowed the screw to lean up,or down a bit to catch the thread.C stocks are nice.It should have been the original stock from the get go on 03"s.

[Mike Haas]

Irish - You can buy the Walnut "Fluted" woodscrew hole plugs. Most woodworking shops that restore antigue furniture have them and they'd likely give you one or two. You want the fluted style because it gives the excess glue a place to go. I used a small amount of Gorilla Glue on the 1st half if the pin and drive it in about 1/32 below flush with the stock. Whe you drill the stock be sure to stay plum and square to the original hole. The pin should be 1.5X diameter of screw shank.
Redrill the pin for the screw with a tapered wood screw bit for the buttplate screw and your done. Less than $10.00 and done absoultely right and permanant unless 'King Kong' tightens the screw again.

[irishsteve]

Mike, thanks for the fluted plug tip.Your right about glue needing some where to go.

[RickM]

Toothpicks and wood glue worked great, it's tight as. . . well never mind. It worked great . Thanks guys!