Wooden (oak) screw covers

[cpowell]

I had to screw through the 1/2 ply back of my cabinet to fasten an interior wood member. I don't really want exposed screws, even in the back, but I think the ply is too thin to countersink and plug. Thought of dowels but don't see how they do much structural good when glued into plywood.

It seems like I've seen wooden covers somewhere before which will hide the screw head. Would those be a good option and where might I find them?

Chuck

[mshel]

Originally Posted by cpowell

I had to screw through the 1/2 ply back of my cabinet to fasten an interior wood member. I don't really want exposed screws, even in the back, but I think the ply is too thin to countersink and plug. Thought of dowels but don't see how they do much structural good when glued into plywood.

It seems like I've seen wooden covers somewhere before which will hide the screw head. Would those be a good option and where might I find them?

Chuck

Try Lowes, you can get different sizes but you will still need to countersink the screws to use them. Wish I had known today while you were at the shop, we could have made some plugs.

Mike

[michaelgarner]

you could try miller dowels. Acts like a screw/dowel/plug all at the same time

Miller Dowel Company | Welcome

[DaveO]

What about the Fast Cap products? They are self-adhesive wood veneer disks that can be used to cover countersunk screw heads and then finished to match the piece.

http://www.fastcap.com/fastcaps.asp?page=unfinished

You would probably have to order those on-line, I don't know anywhere local to buy them.
Or you could take a section of copper pipe in the dia. of the screw head you wanted to cover, sharpen the rim with a file and cut round disks of commercial veneer and CA glue them in place.

Dave

[cpowell]

I have a decent tapered plug cutter set. I guess I was hoping to avoid countersinking and plugging in ply. I generally leave the plug just a tad proud of the surface then sand the plug flush with a ROS. Pretty easy to sand right through ply veneer. Is there an easier method?

Dave, thanks for the copper pipe trick. That's a pretty cool idea and cheap. Sounds like something Bruce or Mshel would come up with (emphasis on CHEAP)!

Chuck

[cpowell]

Thanks to all for the ideas. In the end I just cut tapered plugs and carefully drilled out the screw holes with a 3/8 bit just deep enough to establish a surface for the 3/8 forstner bit to countersink to depth. Cleaned with sharp chisel and touched up with ROS. Note to self...drill countersink BEFORE drilling holes for screws.

I also have seen firsthand that cab grade ply has a veneer surface that is thick enough to withstand sanding without cutting through the veneer. I had to rotate the ROS and apply pressure to sand through. So long as the sandpaper is parallel with the face, no problem with touchup sanding.

Dave, I will keep in mind the copper pipe trick and CA glue. That is a great idea for shallow filling, and it's simple to make resawed veneers for plugs. I marvel at the simple, effective solutions offered on this forum.


Chuck