length of screws

[paul la france]

ok, i know i sound stupid when i say this, but 1, i am a newbie to wood working, and 2 i just bought a new kreg jig. i am trying to make a night stand out of 1 1/2" wood that i got from old pallets that i get from the dealer who sells riding lawn mowers. i got my jig depth set up right to drill 1 1/2" but when i went to use the 1 1/2" screws they were not long enough to screw both boards (same size boards) together. the screws barely went out of the holes and not that far into the other boards and it fell all apart, then i went and used 2 1/2" screws and it worked fine. am i suppose to use screws bigger than the hole i am drilling ??? how am i suppose to know how long of screws i am suppose to use when i go and build something else ?? i want my work to look really good, and not have it look like some newbie put it together.  i really do hope that some one can help me with this. if any one lives in or around joplin mo. and is willing to freely come over and help teach me how to use it properly and how to build stuff, then i would greatly appreciate it. by the way,  i am building this stupid night stand for my wife for our 6th anniversary.

[John Schaben]

Hi Paul - Wouldn't say stupid, you got here and asked a question. Stupid just keeps doin the same thing expecting different results:)

There should be a screw length chart in the instructions with your jig, If not, they should be available on this website or the Kreg tool website.

To more directly answer the question, 2-1/2" screws are recommended for joining two 1-1/2" sticks:)

BTW, glad to see Joplin pulling out of that tornado disaster. Hats off to all of ya. I graduated from JHS in 61.

[James Waller]

This is the chart John  is referring too, it only shows joining material of the same size.

To learn how to join material of different sizes take a look at this video.

Kreg Screws - How To Choose

[Jay Boutwell]

Paul, John is correct, we all started at woodworking at some point in time and knew nothing or knew very little. It is by trial and error and learning from mistakes and asking a lot oF questions that we learned.  You have came to the right site to learn as there are many many here that will help teach you to become a very accomplished wood worker.  Ask a lot of questions and you will find gals and guys here who will be able to answer them and help you understand the things you need to know.

A good example is James.   James is very good at seeking out answers and helping to solve problems and always willing to help.

Remember this though, "the only stupid questions is the ones you don't ask." So please ask.

Glad to see you here as a member willing to learn and share.

[Chad Bussey]

Thanks for posting the Select screw sizes>

[paul la france]

i would like to thank the really nice people on here who helped me out on this. yesterday i went to work on the night stand that i am building for my wife, and the two boards i was working on are 1" think, so i used a screw that is 1 1/2" but for some reason, the screws all came out of the board that i was screwing the first board to, well, i went and used screws that are 1 1/4" and they worked just fine. 

[John Schaben]

One of two things may have happened to you here. First, 1" stock (as advertised) is generally only 3/4" thick. Always measure the stock, especially plywood as it is seldom what is advertised. The second could be your drill collar was set to high allowing the pocket to be drilled a bit deeper than it should have been.

paul la france said:

i would like to thank the really nice people on here who helped me out on this. yesterday i went to work on the night stand that i am building for my wife, and the two boards i was working on are 1" think, so i used a screw that is 1 1/2" but for some reason, the screws all came out of the board that i was screwing the first board to, well, i went and used screws that are 1 1/4" and they worked just fine. 

[paul la france]

i measured it twice so i would have to drill only once, but it still came out.

[James Waller]

Like John  said, wood is a different actual size than it's stated nominal size. Below is a chart of wood sizes...

...so a 2x4 is actually 1½" x 3½".

[Ken Darga]

Paul,

Peruse this info

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6-cTMmEsa8

http://www.kregtool.com/files//Newsletters/KregPlus/Images/february...

Make a copy or this chart, and file it with your Kreg jig tools.