Cabinet with Pocket Screws

[Mike R]

Hi.  My son and I am building some cabinets to hold some band instruments for the local school (an Eagle Scout project).  We are using 3/4" baltic birch plywood (60" x 60" pieces) and Kreg pocket screws (we have the DB210 foreman).  Here is a link to a drawing for the first of 6 cabinets. 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/u4cojaa3k92ag30/cabinet 5 - Pub.pdf?dl=0

This one just has three cubbies.  Some others will have more.  On this one, everything is cut and most pocket screws and biscuits cut/drilled as well and we are near ready for assembly.  We are going to glue the tops and bottoms to the sides and back.  We are debating on gluing the sides to the back or just keeping that dry with the pocket screws.

Assembly sequence is to assemble the lower cabinet by laying the back down flat and then start to assemble all with clamps, screw the sides to the back, then we can unclamp and glue and screw the top and bottom on.  The middle shelf will go in with the sides.  No biscuits on this.  Just screws and some glue.

After the lower cabinet is done, we will then assemble the upper cabinet in a similar way and then once that is assembled, screw the upper cabinet to the lower cabinet.

Note  we have an upper and lower cabinet since the baltic birch we can get is 60" square.  There will be no face frame and we will slightly round over the inner edges.  I have done that on another project and end of the baltic birch looked good.  We may add a little platform in the room to raise the cabinets off the ground.

The drawing shows the spacing of the pocket screws.  From the front, the first one in will be 2" from the edge. 

However, since the top of the lower cabinet and bottom of the upper cabinet share the top/bottom, I think we need to offset the pocket screws and any biscuits.  We are looking at making the first one 1.5" from the edge so the upper and lower cabinet screws are off set.  This is noted in the yellow text box in the drawing.

Question 1: is the first pocket screw at 1.5" from the front too close to the edge?  This is connecting the upper cabinet to the lower.  This provides a 1/2" offset of the lower and upper pocket screws.  I tried on some scrap baltic birch and seemed ok.  Is 1/2" offset enough?

Question 2: Any issues with pocket screws going into a glued biscuit (after glue is set up)?  I assume not but figured I would ask.

Question 3: In that shared piece (top/bottom), on the sides and back, we will have two biscuits connecting the lower side and one on the opposite side but offset connecting the upper side.  I am assuming since since we are gluing the biscuits in, that is not an issue and not too many biscuits.

thanks,

Mike

[KregRep]

Hi Mike,

Please contact our team at 800-447-8638 or kregtool.com/help - They will be happy to advise you with this.

Thanks!

[Mike R]

I tried the kregtool.com/help and also emailed several times a few weeks ago and no response.  I will try and call.