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How to fix loose wardrobe shelf pins?

Hi all

Would anyone know what would be the quickest and easiest way to fix / install new shelf pins for a wardrobe? One of the shelf pins keeps popping out and the other side is starting to get loose.

It appears that the previous owner tried to create another hole in the wardrobe, to only find the shelf is starting to fall slightly.

I only have a drill and some screw drivers But I don't have the particular drill bits to drill new clean holes for these shelf pins.

Any suggestions and assistance would be greatly welcomed and appreciated.

Thank you.

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Jay_11

From the photo below, I bought two packs that are larger than the standard 5mm and for better security but they are too big to fit into the hole.

I bought the standard 5mm pack to try giving that a go in case the new Shelf pins have better grab but the same issue happened.

What I have done to get around it for now is wrapped a thin electrical tape around the new 5mm shelf pins and it seems to be holding well. It will have to do for the mean time, just not sure how long it will last for one of the holes as it's worse than the other side of the wardrobe wall.

JacobZ

Hi @Jay_11,

Your solution with the electrical tape should be fine for now, but if you want to do something more permanent, you can just grab a drill bit in the corresponding size for whichever pin you use and drill new holes 25-30mm to the side of the old hole.

You can wrap some masking tape around the drill bit to act as a depth gauge so that you don't drill too deep. Place the drill bit next to the pin so you can see how deep you need to go, then wrap your tape.

You can then fill the old holes with some filler, give it a light sand to smooth it out, and then apply a coat of paint to match the surrounding areas.

Let me know what you think and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob

Jay_11

Hi Jacob,

Thanks for responding and for the tips.

Is it best to use Brad Point drill bits for this?

I found an item on Bunnings here that I may have to get but I think it only has up to 6mm

https://www.bunnings.com.au/ryobi-40-piece-specialty-metric-drill-and-drive-set_p0354519

JacobZ

Hi @Jay_11,

Being made of chipboard, which is a soft timber product, your type of drill bit isn't hugely important as long as it is sharp.

In saying this, this 6mm brad point bit in the Ryobi 40 Piece Specialty Metric Drill And Drive Set would work perfectly fine.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

Jay_11

Hi Jacob,

I meant a drill bit that would make the cleanest hole for this particular job as other drill bits could make it uneven etc

I wouldn't be able to take apart the wardrobe cupboards and the amount room / angle to drill the hole perfectly straight is going to be a bit of a challenge. There is about 46cm in width of room between the walls.

If I wanted to drill the existing hole and make it larger to make it even, can you please double check if I would need to drill a hole with an 8mm bit for this product:

https://www.bunnings.com.au/taskmaster-8mm-brass-metal-pin-shelf-support-and-socket-12-pack_p0290590

In the photo gallery it measures 5mm but I'm guessing that's for the Shelf pin and not for the socket correct? Just trying to avoid any issues.

The electrical tape worked very well for one hole as the shelf pin has really stabilized, but not for the other hole as it didn't hold up.

Would a particular glue sold at Bunnings suffice in keeping the Shelf Pin secured for years?

JacobZ

Hi @Jay_11,

You might like to consider using a Ryobi 2-Piece Right Angle Drill Adaptor so that you can get your hole lined up perfectly. If you were to use this, you would need to use an impact drill bit like those in this Ryobi 50 - Piece Impact Drill and Drive Set. These are not brad point bits, but being new, they will be sharp, which means you will get a clean hole.

If you used the Taskmaster 8mm Brass Metal Pin Shelf Support and Socket, you would need to drill an 8mm hole, which you would tap the socket into. The shelf support pin will then slot into the socket.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

Jay_11

Thanks, Jacob. I'll look further into these options. Appreciate the help

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