screwing into fiberglass

[jmp]

Some time, some where I read about a way to fix the problem where the screw holes in fiberglass get too worn out to hold the screws. The fix was simply to do what you'd do with drywall: insert and anchor and screw into that. Has anybody done this and do you use just any drywall anchor?

 

[Tom Bryant]

I saw these inserts in one of the catalogs once but not sure which one. I'll look around. Another way is to brush a little resin into the hole and then be careful not to overtighten the screw. This doesn't seem to last forever though.

Tom

 

[JohnZ]

The little plastic drywall anchors work fine as screw hole repairs for most attachments - have used them for years. If it's a higher-stress attachment like door pulls, Corvette Central has a "Mount Hole Repair Kit" which has 1/2"x 1-1/4" steel plates you pop-rivet in place on the back side of the fiberglass panel (the rivet holes are pre-pierced in the plates), then drill the right size hole for the screw in the plate - they work great when the hole is really wallowed-out.

 

[Big Fish]

Your local NAPA store can set you up with some expanding rubber anchors. These things are inserted in the hole and then expand out from behind when the screws are tightened. The hole size required is about 11/16 for the 1/4-20 size if I remember correctly. They are not pricey.