Repair stripped screw holes in my bamboo sunglasses.

October 1, 2016 7:20 AM

I own a pair of bamboo wood sunglasses. Both of the screws that hold the hinges in place on the rim have come loose from the wood, and the threaded holes on the rim aren't threaded anymore and they screws are not really screwed in anymore, just sort of stuck into them. How can I tighten them up?

If you pull gently on the temples, the hinges detach from the rim completely. If you put them back in and put the sunglasses on, the temples are wobbly and the sunglasses move around a lot, even falling off after a while.
These are the sunglasses.
I thought of using some sort of glue to glue the hinges to the rim, or maybe even try to fill the holes with sugru and screw into that.

posted by signal to Technology (15 answers total)

I'd just replace the screw with a slightly larger one, the screw can thread itself.
posted by FallowKing at 7:27 AM on October 1, 2016

Response by poster: But then the screw won't fit in the hole on the hinge, should I try ti widen it a bit?
posted by signal at 7:28 AM on October 1, 2016

You could use a toothpick to put a small drop of superglue on the screw threads, or in the screw hole, then screw it together while it's still wet and let it dry.
posted by jabah at 7:38 AM on October 1, 2016 [9 favorites]

Go to the hardware store and find some machine screws that have the same diameter but are slightly longer so they stick out enough to thread a tiny nut onto the end so they stay in place.

Optional: Once the nuts are threaded on, apply a drop of super glue to bind them to the screws.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 7:47 AM on October 1, 2016 [4 favorites]

Instead of super glue, use a teeny tiny bit of epoxy. Super glue bonds poorly to metal, and will degrade over time in a location like that where it will be exposed to heat, oil, and moisture. It's also brittle, and will crack under the repeated torsion and flexing forces that will be put on it; overall, not the best choice for that application.

A tiny bit of epoxy though, applied with a toothpick or a pin, will grab that sucker like a Kraken on an old-timey submarine and will never let go ever.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 7:54 AM on October 1, 2016 [3 favorites]

If you want to be extra sure, clean both the screw and the hole with rubbing alcohol before epoxying it, to remove any skin oils that might be coating them and which would prevent the glue from bonding. Just give it a few minutes to dry before you apply the glue.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 7:58 AM on October 1, 2016

I wouldn't superglue anything as future repairs will be impossible (and inevitable).

Instead disassemble the frames and fill the loose holes with a drillable wood filler (lots to choose from at your local home improvement Borg). Once the filler has hardened drill a pilot hole (I'd use a pin vice) for your screws and reinstall the arms.
posted by Mitheral at 8:07 AM on October 1, 2016 [5 favorites]

Agreed super glue and epoxy are a bad idea. The nut seems like your best option. I like the would filler idea, but you are working with such a teeny tiny diameter...


Take your glasses to and eyeglass repair place. They maybe can fix it.
posted by jbenben at 8:20 AM on October 1, 2016 [1 favorite]

The classical way to do this would be to use hide glue (like a violin maker would do). You would need very little of it. Apply inside the holes with a toothpick, but make sure not to entirely fill the holes. Just reinforce the fibers and build up some thickness.

Now, if you haven't any hide glue (I do, but I bet you don't), use gelatine from the kitchen. Soak, squeeze very thoroughly, dissolve au bain marie but don't cook; stop heating when dissolved. Apply, wait a few hours.
Try to screw the screws into place. If they're still loose, repeat the procedure.

Great thing about hide glue/gelatine: you can get rid of it with a bit of moisture and warmth so nothing is spoiled.
posted by Namlit at 8:27 AM on October 1, 2016 [4 favorites]

Put a little splinter of wood in each hole and replace the screw.
posted by Segundus at 9:11 AM on October 1, 2016 [4 favorites]

I use Hard and Nails clear nail polish. This is an acrylic spirit resin with a tiny brush in the cap for easy application. I apply the nail polish to the threads, insert the screw, let it dry, apply two thin coats to the outside to reinforce the wood fiber and make it watertight, and hold the screw in place from the outside. It has sealed the screws tight for years with some very heavy wear. Key is to apply adhesive in thin layers and allow to dry completely between applications for a good seal.
posted by effluvia at 9:13 AM on October 1, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'm not sure whether it's okay for wood, but I have recently discovered the magic that is fastener adhesive. It's like putting superglue on a screw, but it is made to be able to break the seal if repairs need to be made. Loctite makes one, but there are others at the hardware store too.
posted by cecic at 11:16 AM on October 1, 2016

Do what Segundus said, but also add a little bit of wood glue (white or yellow glue). Wood glue won't stick well to the screw (which is what you really want) but will anchor the wood splinter securely and make the remaining thread bits a little stronger. You add the wood and glue, then screw it all together; wait 30 minutes and remove any extra glue; after 24 hours you trim any extra bits sticking out or just wear them.
posted by flimflam at 2:49 PM on October 1, 2016

Put a little splinter of wood in each hole and replace the screw.

Doesn't even have to be a wood splinter, could try with a paper (tissue, printer, whatever) sliver wrapped around the threads and see if that works. Doubly so if used in conjunction with the wood filler or hide glue options, which I both think sound promising.

I'd avoid superglue or epoxy unless this was the LAST time you planned on doing this repair as I feel like you'd be working yourself into a neat little, and by no means permanently fixed, corner.

But you probably don't have hide glue (I do, it's not expensive btw), so I wonder if simple white/Elmer's glue would be ok since we're not talking period authentic restoration or classic cabinet making or anything fancy. Maybe someone with more experience on that front can comment.
posted by RolandOfEld at 7:35 PM on October 1, 2016

I have had this problem with a pair of metal frames I took them to the local eyeglass shop and they fixed it for free. this is a common problem and they have special screws.

Since this is on the hinge I would be afraid of the glue idea. The glue could run into the hinge a then you would be unable fold the glasses.
posted by tman99 at 8:59 AM on October 3, 2016