Oops, I need to sand after drilling pilot pocket holes

[OakTablen00b]

Hello fellow posters.  I am very new to woodworking, with limited tools and know-how, but a lot of initiative.  I'm in the process of making a solid-oak coffee table.  I'm using 5/4 x 6" boards on the tabletop, so the thickness if a full 1".  The tabletop consists of five 5/4 x 6" boards and two end breadboards of the same dimension.  For that reason, when joining the boards I'm using the 1 1/2" fine Kreg screws as suggested.

Last night predrilled my pocket holes using the Kreg Jig on two of the boards, only then I realized afterwards that I cut them about 1/16"-1/8" too long.  Therefore, I must saw (or at least sand) that last bit off before joining to the breadboard.  So my question is, if I sand that extra 1/16th off, should I still use the 1 1/2" fine screws, or will those be too long now since I shaved the surface.  I'm guessing that if I take too much off, I'll expose the pilot hole, but is that a major problem?  I certainly don't want to split any boards once I get to that stage.  Should I use the 1 1/4" fine screws just to be safe.

Thank you everybody in advance!

[Rita B.]

I think most recommended screw sizes are to be used as a reference.  When making adjustments, the only way to be certain what is going to work best in certain applications is to do a practice piece of the same dimensions.  It can be time consuming but it is better than starting over on your finished piece.  Have fun with it and looking forward to seeing the finished product!

[KregRep]

Exposing the pilot hole isn't a big deal. As far as the screw length, I agree that it's better to find out by experimenting, but there's an easy way:

After you shorten your pieces, simply drive the screws fully into the pockets so that they stick out the ends of boards. You'll be able to see where the tips end up. You can even hold the breadboard up close and see what it looks like, too. If the screws come too close for your comfort, switch to the next shorter screw and see what that looks like.

KregRep

[Gary roofner]

If all the boards are same length all 1/16 to 1/8 I won't tell if you don't!!!!

[R. E. Woods]

Cut the tip of the screws off with a good pair of lineman pliers.

http://kregjig.ning.com/photo/s7302101?context=user

http://kregjig.ning.com/photo/s7302100?context=user

[Ken Darga]

Cutting the screw tips removes the screws integral ''thread cutting" feature.