Help with jewellery box mishap...

[Mike77]

Hi everyone...

Been reading the forum for a while and picked up loads of useful tips.

Almost completed my first project which is a jewellery box made with oak and a pinkish hardwood, not too sure what that is.

It was all going well until I screwed the hinges down. Don't know how, but I've drilled the pilot holes for the hinge a couple of mils out on one side. The result is that the lid is out of square with the body of the box.

Unfortunately, the holes only need to move a touch so the drill bit will slip in to the old pilot holes.

I am wondering if there is something available to fill the old holes which is hard enough to accept a screw?

Will try and work out how to post a couple of photos...

 

[Sportique]

Pare some slivers from a waste piece of the original material (oak?), glue and press them into the holes - one sliver for each hole to be filled, wait for the glue to dry. Then mark the position of the new holes with a sharp centre punch, and drill with pilot drill (preferably using drillpress and light pressure.

Dave

 

[Mike77]

http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af28 ... G_0143.jpg

http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af28 ... G_0145.jpg

http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af28 ... G_0144.jpg

 

[Sportique]

Mike

you've been caught by the anti-spammer!! You will be able to post pics when you have made a few more posts. Someone on here may be able to help you in the meantime

Dave

 

[Mike77]

Thanks Sportique, thats sounds like a good idea. I was thinking of mixing some sawdust with glue and filling the hole with that, but I guess a sliver of oak would be stronger.

 

[Travis]

I know this don't help now, but in the future some of these really help.
http://www.harborfreight.com/3-piece-hinge-drill-bit-set-41907.html

I'm sure some of your tool stores carry these.
Travis

 

[devonwoody]

Thanks for that link Travis, I will start a new post and see if anyone here wants to join a bulk order for that item.

 

[billw]

They look useful, I'll happily add my name to an order.

 

[wizer]

you can get them in the UK

 

[Benchwayze]

Mike.

If you have a router, and a cutter that's less than the width of the hinge mortice:

Pack the box with a temporary filler strip to take the router base. Rout out the misplaced holes and then glue in a small piece of the original timber and cramp it. When dry trim it off and start your screws afresh into 'virgin' timber. If no router, just do it by hand with a chisel.

Or you could put a contrasting timber all the way around the box and lid, and call it a design feature!

HTH

John

 

[Anonymous]

i find the best way is to use 1 or 2 matchsticks to fill the hole with a touch of PVA glue to hold them in. or if you some times you maybe able to use a bradawl to shift the hole over.

 

[Mike77]

Thanks for all the advice chaps. I found some small hardwood dowels which I sanded down to the right size to fit nicely in the holes and glued them in.

Should have used the drill press in the first place but was being lazy and used the leccy hand drill. I think the bit slipped over a bit with it being a bit flexible.

 

[Philly]

Those drill bits are called vix or self-centering drill bits. Here's a link, they are not expensive..

http://www.cnspowertools.co.uk/accessor ... e-set.aspx


Cheers
Philly

 

[StevieB]

PostPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 8:30 am Post subject:
Those drill bits are called vix or self-centering drill bits. Here's a link, they are not expensive

They are big though - not sure I would want to put a No. 8 screw into a jewellery box hinge :shock: Unless you are building one to hold the crown jewels obviously

Steve

 

[Mike77]

I finished the box today...

Plugging the mis-drilled holes with dowels worked a treat so the lid is now square with the rest of the box.

It looks nice finished with boiled linseed oil, but I noticed the top is warping.

I'm thinking the lid might be too thin which has caused the warping. Or should I have kept the timber indoors for a while to let it dry out?

 

[devonwoody]

I suspect the oak was airdried timber, IMO these sort of boxes need kiln dried seasoned wood which can be more reliable.
After all air dried most probably never gets below 13% or might be even higher.