I can't believe the toothpicks don't work, did you try breaking off about 1/4" of the tip and throwing it away and use the fatter part, put as many toothpicks in as you can.

That is a truss head screw available at ace hardware.I suspect you put the screw you need in another hole.

Some toothpicks can be pretty soft. I like to use bamboo skewers instead. The grain runs the length of the skewer and tends to give the screw threads something a little stronger to bite into.

Clean all the loose wood out of the hole. Cut a skewer to length, then cut it lengthwise into narrower pieces. Wet each piece of skewer with wood glue and put it into the hole, filling it up most but not all of the way. Leave a much smaller hole in the middle of the original hole. Then drive the screw through a post and into the hole and leave it there overnight while the glue dries. Only once the glue has hardened should you put the pressure of a ring on the post. The combination of harder skewer wood and hardened wood glue clamps down pretty well on the screw if you don't move it.

Patching the other holes and using a longer screw wouldn't hurt either. Drilling all the way through the playfield and using a T nut and machine screw instead of a wood screw is another option.

/Mark

That red post your showing in the above photo is a tall post. As a rule, the short post on games took either an # 6 x 1 1/2 or 1 5/8 screw. The 1 5/8 is no longer available. As for the tall post, they were usually 1 3/4 and have also recently been discontinued by manufactures. Your might find some old stock at your local mom and pop hardware store or somewhere in line.

You may not be letting the glue dry long enough. The toothpick just adds some mass to the fix, but you need the glue to set firmly before you put the screw back in.

If you want a #6 1 1/2 inch Phillips head screw Pinball Resource has them.

Part number: HDW-WH-6X1.5

Similar topic, but different problem.

Stripped this one and I have 2 screws broken off. One a little nub left, but the other broken off in the hole.

What's the trick here to get these out to put new ones in?

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Small vice-grips and go slow. If I were doing this, I would get some cardboard (cereal box thickness) and punch a hole in the cardboard so the screw nub sticks through. Then your vice grip is not likely to scratch your playfield.

Re the original question about fixing stripped wood screw holes in the playfield. I wasn't picky about the screw head appearance so I substituted machine screws and T nuts.

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Somewhat related is to try and use the original hardware as much as possible. I have found in the last few playfield swaps I have done the Chinese fasteners are very soft and very prone to breaking off as you insert them into the new playfield. Its tempting to use all new shiny hardware but its not worth the risk when they break and you have to dig into your new playfield.

The toothpick and glue trick has always worked for me

If the nub is tall enough try the vise grip approach. If there isn't enough nub, you can try cutting a screwdriver slot on the end of the nub with a dremel and diamond disc/wheel. These discs are available at Harbor Freight and they are razor thin. After you cut the slot you can use a small screwdriver. Another approach I've used is drilling the end of the nub with a small left handed drill bit. Left handed bits work great for removing broken screws. Sometimes you just touch the broken screw with the spinning bit and the screw quickly backs out.

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Still helping me out from the left coast! Thanks jethroP! Good to see you again!

I’ll try these tips. Gotta help!

I would drill that whole mess out and put a wood plug in, or at least get them deep enough to be able to get solid wood in there.

Got the “nub” out ! But the one broken off into the playfield will need some work. Ugh!

I think I can just drill and attach it just above the original hole. It’s a stand alone post

(And sorry to Hi-jack this thread. Same item - different problem. )

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