stripped screw hole, best fix?

[papasmerf]

slingshot hypermiler, has the typical plastic inserts and stainless screws (not machine thread,, just like a typical screw with a pointy tip) i was thinking of sqirting super glue down into it and then drilling it out a bit,,, or use a thicker screw,, any good advice from someone who did the wrong thing and then did the right thing later?

[tkaraszewski]

You're talking about a footstrap hole, right? Use a size bigger screw and see if that holds.

[cglazier]

Measure the depth of the hole and be sure any new screw is not too long, but of course it must have several turns to hold well. I often file down the pointed tip of screws until they are blunt so I can get a little more useful screw depth. Try to choose a screw length where you get at least three or four full rotations of your screwdriver.. the more the better as long as you don't hit bottom.

Usually where a plastic insert in a board has failed it is because the screw was not in deep enough (the screw was too short).

[Trent hink]

Measure the depth of the hole and be sure any new screw is not too long, but of course it must have several turns to hold well. I often file down the pointed tip of screws until they are blunt so I can get a little more useful screw depth. Try to choose a screw length where you get at least three or four full rotations of your screwdriver.. the more the better as long as you don't hit bottom.

Usually where a plastic insert in a board has failed it is because the screw was not in deep enough (the screw was too short).

Plastic inserts are fine for one-time installation, and they usually last at least until the warranty runs out. The problems come only if you frequently want to remove and reinstall the screw.

If your replacement screw is too long you risk water getting into the core. In many board constructions that means the board will suck water like a sponge.

I could swear that there were special screws for these plastic inserts, where the threads stick out father than normal from the shaft...

Don't use super glue. Use a good epoxy.... Not that five-minute crap.

And don't plan on regularly removing and reinstalling once you've done this.

[Foil]

fillers don't work, a larger self tap screw with blunted point works, but! the best way and easy fix is to use a small nylon rawlplug, of a size you need to use to have to hammer tap into place, use the standard type for brickwork, not the plaster board ones, tap down level and trim off any excess with a sharp wood chisel or similar.
The rawlplug has a tiny hole to reinsert your screw, but if its a super pointy sharp item just blunt it down a bit.
I have heard of slingshot foot screw problems before, best to get a tight locked in fit and leave it alone, I never remove mine, even for air travel.
rawlplugs are normally made of a hard nylon type plastic, and are ideal, dont smooth out the hole leave it with any of the thread that's left, but remove any torn plastic thread.

[drsurf]

Get a proper footstrap screw such as this https://www.surfsailaustralia.com.au/pr ... apper-28mm

These screws are designed for plastic inserts which are common on windsurf boards and have a special coarse thread which won't pull out and a blunt tip for maximum depth.