Stained Mouldings in a steel framed house

[pja]

I posted this question in the renovation forum but since it is really a finishing question I will post it here as well.

I am about to start installing architraves and skirtings in my new home which has a steel frame.

I purchased (a long time ago) Pacific maple mouldings in a colonial style with a view to a stain and varnish finish.

Problem is fixing the mouldings to the steel frame without the screw heads showing.

I did fit wood blocks into the bottom plate channel to fix the skirts and likewise around the door frames where possible so I could shoot fix with a nail gun. However in some places the door frames are solid steel RHS tube and the only way to fix to this is using drill point screws.

Even using screws with the small 'trim type' heads means rather large holes to fill which show up under the stained finish. I have also experimented with using wood plugs to cover the screw holes but find these still leave a distinct circle outline where the stain has penetrated the grain at the edge of the hole.

Can anyone suggest a method of fixing that would not show through the stain and varnish finish or should I give up and just paint.

I really prefer the appearance of stain but if I can't hide the screw holes the whole effect would look cheap and shoddy. Any ideas ?

[Master Splinter]

Make the plugs a feature rather than trying to hide them. Contrasting timber, slightly proud of the surface, that sort of thing. Don't even need to be plugs, fake it with a decorative 'cover' glued over the top of the screw hole.

Could look ok (could look crap, too, but it's an idea)

[durwood]

What about the old liquid nails or better still silicone. if you can clamp it that would work ( sometimes better than a poor nail job)

Here is a couple of ways of doing it, depending on how keen you are to have the wood stain finish.

Drill a small hole about 1/8 inch in the steel where you want to fix to.
make a sharp point up to place in the hole out of a slightly larger diameter nail or similar and file/grind it down so it will jamb with a point sticking out in the hole.

Place the timber in the position it will be when fixed and press the timber onto the nail to mark where it will be on the back of the wood.

There are a few way to go from here but what you need to do is fix onto the back of the wood something which will fix the timber to the steel.

* You could place a flat head nail fixed by placing it in a piece of sheet metal and then screwing the sheet metal into the back of the wood.

Get a small piece of sheet metal (aluminium would be good but steel painted Ok as well.) Drill a small hole the size of the nail you are going to use place it over the mark the nail made in the back of the wood. Mark and screw the metal in its correct place and and then remove it place the nail pointing out into the sheet metal bit and screw it on.

Drill out the 1/8 inch hole and place one of the many types of [plastic wall plugs onto this hole ( one with a shoulder to stop it going in side the steel would work best.)

You can then place the timber in position and using a rubber mallet or a block of wood and a hammer bang it home.


I had to do a similar thing with a aluminium moulding on a car, I used nails with ribs on them so they would be harder to remove than smooth ones.

You could also do somthing similar by getting a thin flat stap of timber drilling and fixing it with countersunk screws and the routing out the back of your moulding to accept it . It could then be nailed or glued to the strip.

I'm sure there are a few more ways and someone will come up with them as well.

[astrid]

I like mastersplinters idea,
If you cant countersink fill and finish to match.
(admittedly a skilled job) then cover your hole with tinber plugs.
you willhave to drill these larger than the holes you used to fix your timber,
about 1cm across otherwise they wont look like a feature.
leave them about half a ml proud this is a technique used in old cabinat making and country furniture and i assure you it looks good.
antique fakers also use it to fake really old stuff .
just make sure you smooth off the protrouding end of your peg so thay the finish looks good.
astrid

[Dirty Doogie]

I have seen lovely wood skirting, picture rails, and Kickboards put on with silicone in similiar situations. You need a few helpers though! Whoever works the caulking gun should never touch the timber moulding.

I have also seen Kickboard held on with velcro tabs set into the machining channel on the back of the moulding (if there is one) - the grey circles they sell for industrial use with a 150kg separation force.