Put a sliver of toothpick in the hole (not entirely filling it). Put a drop of superglue on the tip of the toothpick and tap it back into place with the smallest hammer you have. Use a feeler gauge under the head of the spike to set it to a depth/height that will allow you to get the string under it. Or use a piece of whatever string yoou use for your second string.

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Originally posted by Old Hickory

Put a sliver of toothpick in the hole (not entirely filling it). Put a drop of superglue on the tip of the toothpick and tap it back into place with the smallest hammer you have. Use a feeler gauge under the head of the spike to set it to a depth/height that will allow you to get the string under it. Or use a piece of whatever string yoou use for your second string.

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I do a lot of spike installs anad am fortunate to say I have never had this problem. Kens' advice seem the most straighforward. 

My 9th fret spike came loose about two weeks after a luthier installed it. It was still snug, but not enough to resist string pressure. I put a drop if tightbond in the hole, and tapped it back in using a small hammer and punch, and .012 feeler gauge. Since I was at it, I lightly tugged on the rest of the spikes… and I’ll be damned if every one didn’t pull out. So I used a drop of glue on every one. They haven’t moved since… and I’ve been doing my own spike jobs ever since.

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Originally posted by Old Hickory

Put a drop of superglue on the tip of the toothpick and tap it back into place with the smallest hammer you have. 

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Ugh. Put brain in gear before typing.

I meant put a drop of glue on the tip of the SPIKE!

I even sprung for the jeweler’s hammer from Harbor Freight, you gotta smack it square.

I don't use superglue anymore, just satin'
I like to let a drop of glue scab over and then poke the spike through there to get just the right amount of glue on the tip. Use needle nose pliers or tweezers I suppose
Always gap gages like Dean says, but I prefer .013 or .014.

then white glue cleans up much easier.

Good answers, go forth!

Yes, white glue is all that's needed. (Although super glue will work too. )

The funtion of the glue is not to make the spike adhere to the wood. Rather it is to fill up the space between the spike and the wood to increase the friction between the spike and the wood  to hold it tighter in the hole.
 

Same principle as drilling a hole smaller than the diameter of the spike -- don't need glue to hold the spike if the hole is small and the friction berween spike and wood is high. 

I have used Old Hickory's way detailed above several times over the years and never had a problem with it not working.

Bobby

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Originally posted by Alex Z

. . . increase the friction between the spike and the wood  to hold it tighter in the hole.
Same principle as drilling a hole smaller than the diameter of the spike . . .

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Yes! That's why I said the sliver of new wood shouldn't entirely fill the hole.

But I realize now the way I said it wasn't clear whether I meant not fill the hole bottom to top or side to side. Thanks for your clarification that I meant side-to-side: making the hole narrower. But not closing it up entirely, so there was still a pilot hole for starting the spike.

And yes to white glue as an alternative to superglue.