Further to the last bit I typed about screw holes, below, taken from the comments on that, is an absolute beauty of a tip from the good Ripper which I’m sure will chime with any of you who indulge in a little/lot of DIY.
Note to self: Bin large collection of plastic plugs.
How to fix a screw hole in wood: I've been using this technique for years, not only to re-fix screws in wood where the thread is buggered and the hole has got too large, but also to fill and hide screw holes.
Start by drilling the screw hole out to 8mm. You've seen those 8mm fluted dowels that they use in flat pack furniture? Take one of those and coat in wood glue (Evo Stik Resin W is good stuff, stronger than the joint itself). Tap the glue coated dowel into the drilled out screw hole. Any dowel left sticking out can be cut off flush with a wood chisel and a sharp tap from a hammer. Drill your new holes. This trick is also good for door hinges with worn out screw holes that keep coming loose.
Its worth keeping a bag of those dowels around, you can get a bag of 100 very cheap and they make amazingly strong rawlplugs too in brick, taking around 3 times the force to pull out as the conventional rawlplug.
Things getting smaller: Manufacturing cost is a factor, but in the engineering world there has always existed the mentality that using more material than is needed is wasteful in more ways than one. For example, why use 3mm thick plate to do a job when 2mm has more than adequate strength for the task? Ask yourself if the 1/8 of an inch missing from your handles was actually needed in order for them to do their job. It is in this way that things (edible items aside) become leaner, better, faster etc. The cost saving is a bonus that makes the company more competitive so in a sense that saving is passed to you.
To put things in perspective, an optimist would say that their glass is half full, a pessimist would say that their glass is half empty. An engineer would say that their glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
Okay Ripper, here’s a tune by way of a thank you for that top tip that relates to your last paragraph – somewhat. Please note the usual Timidadian ‘Don’t click, just look away NOW’ warning. Enjoy.
Quote; Napoleon Hill.
“It takes half your life before you discover life is a do-it-yourself project.”
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