ᐅ What can help if BILLY cam screws strip out?

Hello everyone,

I am currently having an annoying problem with my BILLY shelf: at some connection points, the cam lock screws keep pulling out of the particle board material. This mainly happens when the shelf is loaded a bit heavier or when I try to move it quickly. I have already tried tightening the screws more firmly, but that only makes the situation worse.

My question is: what really helps when BILLY cam lock screws pull out? Are there specific techniques, repair methods, or replacement parts I can use to make the shelf permanently stable?

I know that the screws usually grip into chipboard or particle board, but are there good tricks to improve the hold anyway? Do I perhaps need to switch entirely to different fasteners, or are there proven solutions for fixing this?

I would appreciate any tips and information that help address the problem effectively.

waclaw schrieb:
What really helps when BILLY cam screws pull out?

Hello waclaw,

Unfortunately, issues like this are common with BILLY shelves and similar furniture that use particleboard connections. The cam screws engage into the particleboard, which can break out under load or from repeated assembly and disassembly.

A common recommendation is to first fill the damaged holes with wood glue and small wood chips or dowels. This reinforces the material, and once dry, the cam screws can usually be tightened firmly again.

Alternatively, you can use furniture repair kits designed specifically for such breakouts. These often contain special plastics or wood fillers that stabilize the hole.

If that doesn’t help, you can replace the screws at the affected points with longer or thicker ones, provided the drilled hole depth allows it.

Additionally, metal inserts (furniture connectors with metal threads) provide a stronger hold but are not always easy to install in every BILLY shelf.

Does this help? If you want, I can provide some specific product recommendations and step-by-step instructions. 🙂

Deandre schrieb:
The cam bolts engage in the chipboard, which can break out under load or due to repeated assembly and disassembly.

That is exactly the key point – chipboard is inexpensive and relatively stable, but it has low tensile and pull-out strength, especially where the cam bolts are located. If the bolts keep pulling out, you should plan the repair carefully.

My detailed advice:

1. First, unscrew the cam bolts and examine the damaged hole closely. If the hole is enlarged and frayed, it is recommended to fill the area with wood glue or a specialized wood filler.

2. For better results, mix wood fibers or small wood shavings (e.g., from an awl or milling chips) with the glue and use this mixture to fill the hole. Important: Let it dry for at least 24 hours at room temperature.

3. Afterwards, carefully pre-drill the cam hole with the correct diameter to minimize pull-out when reinserting the bolt.

4. There are also metal threaded inserts that can be installed into pre-drilled holes. These provide much better holding power than just chipboard and cam bolts alone.

5. If the shelf will be heavily loaded, it is advisable to use wood connectors with wood screws at critical points (instead of the original cam bolts), as these create a stronger clamping effect when tightened.

6. If none of these repair methods work, retrofitting with metal corner brackets can also be an option to improve overall stability.

Finally, a question for you: How often do you assemble and disassemble the shelf, and how heavily do you load the corresponding shelves? Frequent moving weakens the holes even further.

Hey waclaw,

I have the same BILLY issue – except my cam screws sometimes seem to rebel and want to pull out of the wall (or the panel) 😂.

What helped me is wood glue and toothpicks. Seriously! If a hole is stripped, just fill about two-thirds of it with some small toothpick pieces soaked in wood glue. Then drip a bit more glue into the hole and press the toothpick pieces firmly inside. After it dries, screw the cam lock back in – the result is surprisingly strong.

Sometimes simple tricks work better than high-tech solutions. And as long as the shelf isn’t loaded too heavily, this holds up really well. I often use this method for my IKEA furniture; it even worked for my wardrobe back then.

bapar schrieb:
There are also metal threaded inserts that you can screw into pre-drilled holes. These provide a much better hold than just chipboard and cam screws.

True, that’s a good idea, but you also have to consider the effort and cost involved. For me, the toothpick method usually does the job :-)

Good luck!

Hi waclaw,

I can totally understand how frustrating this tearing out can be. I had a similar experience about six months ago when I tried to stuff my BILLY with heavy books, and after rearranging, the screws kept slipping out.

One tip that helped me a lot: carefully enlarge the old holes a bit, then groove in and insert suitable wooden dowels with wood glue. After drying, you basically have new, solid material for the screw. It does require some patience, but it was the most stable solution I could find.

What also reassured me back then: the problem isn’t just with me, IKEA uses inexpensive materials and connection methods that have their limits under frequent load. So it’s okay to make repairs, many people here know that 🙂

If you like, I can explain in more detail how I worked with dowels and glue for the individual holes. And it’s also important not to overload the shelf to prevent this from happening in the first place.

KNUTGI schrieb:
für mich reicht meistens die Zahnstocher-Methode :-)

That method is great for minor damage, but for really stripped holes, I would recommend more robust filler solutions.

Fingers crossed it holds up for you soon!