Cracked Styles/Rails

[Darrell Kimball]

Hello All,

I built a simple bookshelf style cabinet for my entertainment center and faced it off with 1x2 (.75x1.5) oak. Long story short, using the correct 3/4" depth setting and 1-1/4" fine thread screws, I cracked nearly all the joints, or the screw came out the side of the oak.

What did I do wrong?

Thanks,

D

[Darrell Kimball]

Good question, Jens. I set the collar initially but I didn't check it after I started incurring the problem. And thanks to KregRep for the tips. All in all it wasn't a costly mistake so I'll just do it again. One tip I noticed was to use Kreg hardware, I am using pocket hole screws but they are generic from a large warehouse type chain store.

Thanks again everybody!

[KregRep]

Tips to Avoid Wood Splitting

[Jens Jensen]

Did the collar slip up the shaft a little bit???

[Darrell Kimball]

Thanks for your help everybody.

I seem to have done everything as you all have stated. One area though is where the rail meets the shelf front, I drilled my pocket holes on the underside of the shelf and screwed into the rail and nearly all points cracked.

[DAVID CZUPRYN]

Make sure the drilled holes are in the "rail" section,not in the "style".Drill all the holes,with the grain,so the "holding part"ends up in the end grain of the style. Adjust the stop collar down:it's too high,that's why the screw exits the side of the style. Hope this helps you out. Good luck!

[Jens Jensen]

Are both pieces same thickness or is one 3/4 and the other 1/2.I had same problem they did not hold

[Hugh Clare]

The "correct" 3/4" setting is a starting point. Sounds like you drilled just a bit too deep. You can adjust the collar on the bit accordingly. Also be sure the jig was set for 3/4". Check your setup on some scrap before drilling and fastening your finished piece. As for splitting the oak, were you using fine thread screws as called out? How close were you to the end of the oak? That will have a bearing on splitting the wood.