I found a chest of drawers that I really like, but it needs some work. A lot of work.
The parts that don’t show are made of particleboard, and I am going to need to put many screws in it. But I’m having a very hard time doing that, at least by hand.
Is particleboard inherently difficult to put screws into? If I borrow some sort of rotating shaft power tool from a friend, will I be able to do it? Because I have noticed that the dresser was originally put together with these weird plastic insert things rather than screwed or nailed.
Thanks, johnpost. Is it practical to expect to fix this thing? The drawers are fine, & they’ve got really nice hardware (runners, etc.) but the entire frame is askew and there are no screws in it at all, just the plastic thingies. Will the composite board even accept screws in the right way for them to hold?
Before you screw anything together, you should always drill pilot holes. Pilot holes should be no larger than the shaft of the screw, minus the threads. If possible, apply wood glue to the edges which will be joined. Screws, nails, staples, etc. are not what will hold your furniture together; that’s what glue is for.
If you can, remove the caps from the frame and apply glue to the frame edge. Set the cap on the frame edge, clamp it in place, and drill a pilot hole. Put your first screw in. Now the cap can’t wander, it can only shift. Now you can work your way around the frame, keeping it square as you go.
Particle board furniture will hold up very well as long as it’s glued together. I have a shelf unit that my mother bought me at Target that has survived 3 moves over 13 years in part because I glued all surfaces when assembling it.
In addition, make sure the profile of your pilot hole matches your screws. I’m specifically thinking about the screwhead - regular flathead screws have a flat surface (where you use your screwdriver) and the underside of the head has about an 82 degree angle (basically cone-shaped). If you’re using flathead screws, make sure to get a proper countersink bit for your drill - this will create a hole for the head of the screw so that when you drive the screw in, the underside of the head does not act as a wedge and split the wood.
If you are using screws with domed head and a flat underside (often called panhead, sheetmetal or washerhead) you won’t need the countersink since the flat underside will bear flush against the particleboard. The downside is that the head of the screw will be above the surface so it’s better in areas like the back of a cabinet where it isn’t noticed.
Finally, check what you are fastening together - oftentimes the back of a cabinet is thin material (something like 1/4" hardboard) and you want to make sure that the screwhead doesn’t go through that. With a thin back I’d use a panhead screw (or glue and brad nails but that’s not what you asked about).
McFeely’s has a ton of info about this, online, here’s a place to start: