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The original strike plate for the deadbolt is mounted with 2 screws on top and 2 screws on bottom. I'm replacing the whole deadbolt and the new strike plate only has 1 screw on top and 1 screw on bottom.

So if I were to screw in the new strike plate down the middle of the old holes, it will probably merge together into one big horizontal gap.

I want to fill up the holes, should I use Minwax Wood Filler for this?

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I also heard of a method to use a bunch of toothpicks with wood glue to fill the hole. Which method would be stronger?

Tester101
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Jack
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1 Answers1

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Wood filler alone may not fill the entire depth of the screw holes. I would use a piece of dowel, toothpicks, golf tee, or a carved piece of wood covered in wood glue and fitted tightly into the holes. Using the wood and glue method will give you a nice dense fill so the new screw will not split the remaining original casing.

Daniel Griscom
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shirlock homes
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  • Do you recommend using toothpicks or going to the hardware store to get some dowels? – Jack Mar 10 '13 at 10:02
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    since deadbolts tend to have fairly large screws, I would use a dowel that fits snugly as my first choice. you can slightly sharpen the end of the dowel so it goes in easier. Put some glue in the hole and on the dowel. Make sure the dowel is longer than the hole. Tap it in gently with a hammer. After it is dry, cut off excess. – shirlock homes Mar 10 '13 at 10:09
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    +1 for dowels. I've used them before to patch a hole in a furniture and it worked perfectly. – Maxime Morin Mar 10 '13 at 12:09
  • I remember seeing an ad once for a conical drill bit whose taper matches that of a standard pencil sharpener. You'd use the drill to ream out the old screw hole, and then sharpen the end of a dowel to make a matching plug. Unfortunately, I can't find this product anywhere now, and I can't even figure out what to search for. – Edward Falk Nov 12 '17 at 22:10