rabbets and screw length

[Mitchell Wilson]

I plan on attaching kick plates to the front and back of a TV cabinet I'm building.  The sides of the carcase are 3/4" plywood with solid cherry edging and the kick plates are 3/4" cherry.  The ends of the kick plates are going to have rabbets that are 3/8" deep and overlap/cover the edge of the plywood.  I was planning on using the Micro-Jig and 1" screws but am uncertain as to what height to set the jig at.  I fear setting it to 3/4" will result in screws protruding through the face of the kick plate (the pocket screw holes are going in to the inside face of the plywood).  So, am I better off using the 5/8" setting or the 1/2" setting?  I really don't feel like going through a trial run on scrap wood.

Mitch Wilson

[Jeff Burchett]

Hi, If your measurments are correct then the ply and the face frame have only and inch and a quarter of thickness. I would use the half inch setting on the jig with the one inch screws. But i would never make my work piece the test piece. I would strongly suggest a scrap piece first. In my opinion with the rabbit joint the chances of splitting are greater because of the rabbit it self. So i might would predrill first..

[Jeff Burchett]

Im sorry i failed math in school LOL it is an inch and one eighth in thinness.

[Mitchell Wilson]

Thanks for both responses, Jeff. I had your math figured out already. Actually, the only critical measurement is the 3/8" thickness. The question becomes how far a 1" screw will go using the Micro-Jig. The instructions that come with the standard jig package indicate something like 0.421" penetration with a 1" screw, which is greater than 3/8" (0.375"-sorry, but my undergraduate degree was in math), but they don't tell you with the instructions for the Micro-Jig how far that screw is going out. You're technically correct and that I should do a test run, but I'm just a lazy SOB. Maybe the Kreg Rep can answer the question.
Mitch