Kreg even makes a long bit designed for driving these into the pocket holes. The smaller diameter head on these screws prevents the head from standing proud of the surface in this thinner material. Also, the screw uses a square bit driver, making it easier to drive in than if it were philips. Thanks. I will go into depth about why these two parts of a pocket hole are important in just a second. With a simple jig, making a pocket-screw joint is simple: Drill a pair of stopped holes and drive two self-tapping screws to lock the joint. A screw meant to countersink into wood is not going to perform well when asked to stop at a predetermined distance. Great point Dave. Ty, I'm using a Kreg Jig K5 here, but the Kreg Jig K4 is a little cheaper and will do the same exact thing. A description of the Kreg pocket hole screws says you must use their special screws because “the wide bearing surface of the screw head will not overdrive in the bottom of the pocket. Instant joint assembly without the need to wait for glue to dry. When choosing which screws to use for your project it is important to consider what the screw was originally designed for. Like they mention on that page, your other option is to drill a different pocket hole for 1-1/8″ and use the fine thread 1-1/2″ screw. I’m not saying you can’t make this work, just that it is definitely not ideal. For example, they make a coarse threaded screw for soft woods and a fine threaded screw for hard woods. What makes it precise is the design of the pocket hole jig that guides the drill bit into the wood at a specific angle to produce an engineered hole to house the screw … We switched to pocket-holing 6-7 years ago, and we warranty our cabinets for 20 years, and we've (knock on wood) never had a cabinet-related service call. These are horizontal and vertical pieces of wood joined together in rectangular shapes. https://industrydiy.com/blog/pocket-hole-screws-vs-regular-screws Over the past decade, pocket hole joinery has enabled millions of people to make strong, great-looking furniture and other projects without years of training or experience. Large, round swiveling jaw faces prevent damage to the wood while also aligning parts before completing the joint. https://www.familyhandyman.com/project/how-to-use-pocket-screws Once the drawer pieces are lined up properly, the screws can be driven in. Two things I would do: 1. get some wax (like toilet ring wax) and coat the screw before you drive it. All Rights Reserved. The screws themselves draw the parts together tightly. I do a lot of pocket hole construction for a number of reasons: it is easy and quick, good for beginners, and it works well. The question will arise: can’t I just use regular wood screws? Step 2: Attach bottom to sides Use wood glue and 1 1/4″ pocket hole screws. This is what pocket joinery is all about. Anyone Pocket hole screws are a wonderful way of joining to prices of wood, as long as you don't mind the hole it leaves, and you don't mind the gaps that can easily appear through the growing and shrinking of wood. The box newel stair railing I made in the photo above is held together with dozens of completely hidden pocket screw joints. You can buy angled dowels made especially to plug these holes, but the results still don’t look as clean and classic as traditional wood joints. I have a full guide to that in this article about everything you need to know about using a Kreg Jig. Best use of pocket screws would be the face frame. Join us Free for weekly DIY, Homesteading, and Home Improvement tips, online courses and special content for our members. The Woodwhisper had a nice little article about wood movement that I believe to be helpful for beginners. Live Edge Desk by Lemon Thistle. One nice feature of Kreg Screws is that they are driven with a square recess bit. The pocket holes work perfectly but we do get through the drill bits. It may be the best example of how woodworking innovation makes it significantly easier for beginners to succeed. Whenever you can, restrict the use of pocket joints to areas where the holes won’t be seen after assembly. It makes things go together much quicker and easier than ever before. Before pocket hole jigs were popular, there were a few other ways that people normally Those are some plastic and wooden plugs shown above. Otherwise great article. Where do pocket joints make sense? Also, if you are looking for projects to get started on, look at my easy woodworking projects post. They’re recommended for a wide variety of indoor projects that won’t be subjected to significant amounts of moisture. You can make pocket joints without a tool like this, but it makes the job so much easier. If it starts to bind take it out and put more wax on. Drive the pocket screws home with an electric drill. I realized only after that Kreg doesn’t make / offer 2-1/2 screws that are fine threads (only coarse, which they say are only for softwoods). Can you pocket hole MDF? Bring the parts together under a clamp that aligns them. I’m in a situation where I am using a hardwood (Oak) and have already drilled my material which is pocket holes into 2×4’s that are then going to be screwed to a 4×4. This type of driving recess is also called a “Robertson” style. These serve an important purpose, although they are not commonly used in woodworking like building furniture. Pocket-Hole Screws & Plugs Kreg offers a wide selection of specialized screws and pocket-hole plugs. It simply helps standardize your materials from one task to the next. A regular screw without this self-drilling feature might split (crack) the wood when you drive the screw into the piece. Pocket hole joinery is a very simple process - it involves nothing more than drilling an angled counterbore into a piece of wood and joining it to another piece of wood with a screw. Such a seemingly small part of your project can make a huge difference in the outcome. This helps clear a path for the screw when the hole is not pre-drilled. The concept is simple, but the precisely engineered drill guide (the jig), drill bit and pocket screws are what make the … Although they are not the only ones that make this type of stuff, it is great to have it all available in one place. Don’t make the mistake of using the wrong screw for the wrong purpose. For twice that you get a model that conveniently handles anything you’ll encounter building furniture in your home workshop. You must use a 1" coarse thread pan head pocket screw for 1/2" plywood. Fine threads are meant to prevent splitting the wood and stripping of threads (and breaking of screw from too much torque). Here’s how it works in more detail: Craig Sommerfeld invented pocket joinery back in 1986, and the company he started – Kreg Tool — has been continually refining the technology ever since. These features are critical to the performance of pocket hole joinery. Using pocket holes is a great way to hide screw holes. Use coarse-thread screws for softwoods, MDF, particleboard, and plywood. I’ll address this question and a few others in this post. You can see the flange in my diagram above. This is known as a “washer”, “flange”, or “round” head. ED. Whether its indoor or outdoor applications, hardwoods or softwoods, we've got just the screw you're looking for. If you want the backs to stay flush, use a spacer to fill in the gap while you screw them together. Drill your pocket holes to the depth recommended for the thinner board, and use a screw that corresponds to that dimension. © Copyright 2021 Baileylineroad, In the example below, I'm joining a ½" board to a ¾" board, using a ¼" scrap of plywood underneath as a spacer. The joint is instant, surprisingly strong and requires no clamps. It is meant mostly for beginners, but almost anyone can benefit from reading through. You just proved an old dog is still teachable. Lets look at a pocket hole screw: From what I can tell, there are a number of different names for this type of head. First, look at a regular screw so I can point out the differences when compared with a regular screw: This is a general use wood screw that you may buy at any hardware store. Compare; Find My Store. Grab a cordless screwdriver. This is not guaranteed to work and I see where others have had this issue as well (Like HERE). The angled holes that are an unavoidable part of pocket screw joinery are pretty ugly. Also, check out all my favorite Kreg Accessories to help you with building using pocket holes and more! It helps prevent the bit from sliding out and stripping the head like can happen with a Phillips head. I typically use ¾” and 1½” thick lumber so I always have 1¼”pocket hole screws and 2½” pocket hole screws in my supplies. I’ll cover the differences between these screws and go over the different applications for each. Some wood and metal screws come with a tip that is self tapping. Combine these screws with other Kreg Tool products and you will be building things in no time. I use the Kreg pocket screws, but you might be able to substitute pan head screws. Don’t drive it all the way in at once. This is especially important in softer material such as plywoods … When using pocket hole construction you can really only pre-drill where the pocket hole drill goes. When you use pocket hole screws to attach a breadboard to the ends of a table, you are inhibiting that action. Great question, I would suggest testing out using the coarse screws on some scrap oak first. I was thinking it would be smart to have two screws, maybe even one from each side, going in opposite directions. I’ve always found the clamping action of Kreg screws to be really effective, and the detail you pointed out explains why. You can use a variety of joinery options for making face frames, including dowels, mortise-and-tenons or even small biscuits, but none of these alternatives are as fast as pocket screws. Hope it works out! Now that your jig is set, you need to set your drill bit to … Set your jig and bit up for 3/4 inch stock for the ends of the short boards. Pocket screw joints are best described as a screw version of toenailing, where boards are joined by angling a fastener through the edge of one into the other. And, what setting on the jig do I use? (the last one, I made w/ 2x3s; I thought I could use 2x4s for this one, since I'm drilling through them; they might be stronger than 2x3s.) I am sure we all have had the situation where a “drywall” screw is used and even though the head is driven in the two boards don’t always come completely together. If you notice, the shaft that is closest to the head has no threads. A pocket hole is simply a hole drilled at an angle that forms a pocket for the screw. So, you may want to check that out, too. Face frames usually define a door or shelf opening, and assembling them is the perfect application for pocket screws. For many years I held a prejudice against pocket screw joinery, but now I see that I wasn’t entirely right in that. While it’s true that pocket screws can be over-used, they do an excellent job where hidden joinery needs to be strong. If you were to use one of these in a pocket hole, then you run the risk of the joint failing in a number of ways. Otherwise, there should be no issue with using pocket screws to connect the individual boards together - it will more-or-less act like a glue joint. Set Your Drill Bit for Proper Board Thickness. This means that the end of the screw has a small blade cut into the end of the threads. DISCLOSURE: THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS, MEANING I GET A COMMISSION IF YOU DECIDE TO MAKE A PURCHASE THROUGH MY LINKS, AT NO COST TO YOU. In fact, you don’t even need glue at all, though you can go ahead and put it on if it makes you feel better. The first of two live edge DIYs I’m featuring from Colleen’s blog, … That is the curved portion underneath the flange. It wastes a bit of space in the cabinet, however, and is additional work. This is because it is the wrong screw head type and it does not have a self drilling tip. Coarse-thread pocket screws hold best in softer woods, such as pine, cedar, and poplar, as well as plywood; use fine-thread screws for hardwoods. Other uses of Kreg Jig Fixing furniture using pocket … Align them perfectly with your fingertips, then temporarily clamp them down to a workbench as a pair to immobilize them with special Vise-Grip pliers. A face frame adds surprising strength and hides the end grain of the plywood. You need the screw to stop at the right depth. I answer a common question that I have been asked many times. 74. Just push the parts together the way you want. What should I do here in terms of a 2-1/2 screw? Work it back and forth a little and then tighten it down. It has four driving edges like a “Phillips” head, but the sides are not sloping towards the middle; instead they are relatively straight. The head type on the regular screw is wrong for this situation. Zinc-Coated Kreg Pocket-Hole Screws are the ones you’ll use for most projects. They also provide a bunch of different sizes to meet the requirements of your project. There are certain features that separate the two. The screw in the picture above has a “bugle head” type. Pocket-holing, in practice, is no different than toe-nailing, except it is supported by glue, screws, cabinet and walls. If you’re building a cabinet, bookcase, set of kitchen cupboards or a wall’s worth of frame-and-panel wainscoting, your design will probably include face frames. Imagine a woodscrew driven into the back face of a simple joint at a shallow angle, connecting the two pieces of wood. Use a Kreg Jig (or other brand pocket hole jig) to drill pocket holes into the cabinet bottom. We use 19mm melamine faced MDF for our carcasses most of the time and use biscuits and pocket hole screws to attach the face frames. Since holes for pocket screws are drilled on one side of the joint only, evening up mating pieces of wood before assembly isn’t restricted in any way. You may have missed a critical difference between pocket hole screws and other types of screws that effects the clamping action. If these are located on the hidden back face of joints, that’s no problem. You mentioned that you are switching to more movement-capable fasteners to attach the table top to the base, which is good. Pocket hole construction is a quick and strong way of building projects out of wood. (I also suggest glueing these joints in addition to your screws). It is too difficult to try and drill a hole into the other piece because you don’t know exactly where it needs to be. If none of that happens then they should work. If you weren’t aware already, different boards require different depths of pocket holes, and thus, different screw sizes. If you use regular wood screws with pocket holes, they may drive all the way through, or possibly split the wood. Kreg Tool is an industry leader in this category; they make a bunch of pocket hole joinery tools and a bunch of different screws especially designed for pocket hole construction. Pocket screws are self drilling and have a wide head that grabs the flat shoulder made by drilling pocket holes. It is meant to lay flat like in this picture: The reason this is a problem in a pocket hole is because the screw needs to stop at a specific depth or it will run out the other side of the board. Use the recommended pocket hole screw size based on the thickness of the material you are using. Drive the screws home and release the clamp That’s it. Woodworking has a long history of traditional techniques that I love. Other firms have copied the pocket joint concept, but I doubt any other manufacturer can seriously claim that they’re better than Kreg. Use fine-thread screws for hardwoods. Something called the “pocket joint” is an especially important case in point. You can see this groove in the picture above. With 3/4 plywood carcases, I do not think you need the strength. Choose the length based on the workpiece thickness, as shown in the chart below. Pocket holes make the connections super quick and easy. Use a slow speed on the drill, too fast and you overheat the corners on the bit and it goes blunt. Then if you like, plug your Kreg pocket holes for a finished look with plugs in a variety of finishes and sizes. Standard wood screws may work, but you are forced between trying to center a pilot hole at the bottom of your pocket or risk splitting the piece you're screwing into. where you used pocket screws to attach the individual boards together. When using pocket hole construction you can really only pre-drill where the pocket hole drill goes. Think of it as a highly engineered toenailing technique. Then again, I use all 3/4" material, so that could be a factor. It curves down to the shank of the screw. Recent versions of pocket joinery tools make it all very affordable, too. How do I position the pocket holes in the 2x4? Ghastly, in fact. Thanks for the good tutorial. The bottom of the counterbore (the "pocket hole") sits about 1/2' back from the edge being joined and provides room for the head of the screw. Also Know, can you use regular screws in pocket holes? The problem is, it really wasn't the right tool for everything I ended up using it for. These aspects warrant the need for a specific type of screw. This is set by the drill bit when you drill the pocket hole. This is the number one reason why so many of those DIYed farmhouse tables develop cracks. It’s never been easier to succeed at woodworking, and a good part of the gains come from new ways to join pieces of wood. As you can see these have a flat flange on the head. If you have any of Kreg’s products then I’m sure you are familiar with how it works. 2. Pocket Screw. But innovations are worthy of praise sometimes, too. Pocket screws empower you to produce excellent, durable and beautiful woodwork in a fraction of the time and cost that the old favorites require. Predrill an angled hole for each screw using a special jig. There are even professional-grade pocket hole systems for trim carpenters. There are several advantages of using Kreg screws in your woodworking shop. This allows the screw to pull the two pieces of wood together. I remember the days where I would build things with drywall screws…not the best to say the least. This is especially likely if the screw location is near the end of a board. There are many different screws available to use, but I’m mostly concerned with wood screws. Specifically, pocket hole screws vs regular screws. This is meant to help countersink it into the surface when you drive it into a piece of wood. Pocket Hole #8 x 2-1/2-in Blue-kote Powder Coating Round Washer Interior/Exterior Pocket Hole Screws (250-Count) Model #SML-C250B-250. Take a look at the diagram below to see two important features of a pocket hole setup. You can even use pocket screws to join table legs and aprons on small and medium-sized designs. For less than $50 you can get their newest and simplest jig. The 1" pan head screw on the bottom has to be used for 1/2" material. Zinc-coated screws are suitable for use in kitchens and bathrooms. Be sure to use wood glue. It can result in a number of problems, including (but not limited to): poor/weak construction, splitting wood, wasted material, etc. PLEASE READ MY DISCLAIMER FOR MORE INFO. These screws hold the panel frames together from the back, as well as the main parts of the newel caps. This happens when you look down at your box and you realize you’re out of the special Kreg screws. Pocket screws are  also first-rate for building wainscoting, fireplace mantels and other architectural details where the back face of the wood is permanently hidden. IndustryDIY.com is a participant in the Amazon.com Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. https://baileylineroad.com/pocket-screws-make-woodworking-easy Refer to my post on Cabinet Building Basics for additional information on spacing. One is the fact that they have a myriad of sizes and types. The best way to clamp pocket joints during assembly is with a modified pair of locking pliers made especially for the job. When it hits the edge inside the pocket hole it will stop at that predetermined depth. Pocket screws have a special flat head that seats firmly on the shoulder left in the pocket hole by the stepped drill bit. I have a chart on that here. If you would like to dive more into woodworking tips and projects, check out my page on getting started. I’ve certainly never seen any that could. A little wood, a few ideas and you’re ready to make good things happen in your home and workshop. You can see here that regular wood screws are not the same as pocket hole screws. If you’re not ready to invest in a new drill, but you’d like a smaller option … for pricing and availability. Plus it is a traditional look.
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