Hi there,

My van has a Meranti Frame & over the years she has got a few Screws Loose, particularly around the Windows.

The Screws are around 3.25 MM Diameter.

The Fix:-

Remove the Screw & drill the hole 3 mm Diameter, the depth of the Screw.

Push a 3 mm Diameter Bamboo Skewer into the hole & snap it off.

Replace the Screw.

A nice Tight Fitting Screw again.

Skewers from the “Cheap Shop” for $2 – 3-00 a pack of about 50.

A “Cheap & Easy Fix”.

Tar Trekka.

Any day above the ground is a great day.

Yep an oldy but a goody.
I can’t say about bamboo but I don’t even drill any thing, just stick in a piece of match and break it of.

ty trekka ill look into that. I use matches as DT .Cheers Rod

TT, bamboo sounds like a good idea if the bamboo’s hole suits the screw size

Yes…. generally I use a match, or better still a hardwood toothpick, broken off in the hole. For a permanent screw I also fill the hole with PVA glue to bond the match/toothpick and damaged orginal wood fibres.

dieseltojo wrote:Yep an oldy but a goody.
I can’t say about bamboo but I don’t even drill any thing, just stick in a piece of match and break it of.

My dear old departed pappy showed me that trick




the pva glue sounds like a plan too OT

Hi there,

I used Match Sticks for many years, however I found them to be too soft.

Bamboo Skewers seem to work better, as they have long fibres along their length.

It seems to provide a better bite for the Screw.

The best way is to drill the hole & Araldite a Plastic Plug into it.

Unfortunately the Window needs to be removed to install the Plastic Plug.

I used that method on the Door Handles & other bits on my 1929 Chev to stop the screws continually working loose in the Timber Frame.

The Chev has been replaced with a 1968 MGB Mk 2 Roadster.

Much more “Driver & Traffic Friendly”

Tar Trekka.

Any day above the ground is a great day.

Good tip tar trekka, especially in caravans with loose door hinges on cupboards etc.