Alternative to kreg screws

[Jonathan Trousdale]

I just finished my first Kreg jig project. I am an American living in Sarajevo, Bosnia, and there is no access to kreg products here. My wife shipped the jig and some clamps through an embassy connection as a fathers day present.

So, I only had the kreg screws that came with the jig, and needless to say, I ran out before i finished my project. So I experimented, and found that regular Roundhead wood screws seem to work well for kreg pocket holes.

I found that I absolutely must use clamps, of course, and after the initial moment when the screw enters the wood, it draws both pieces together nicely. I was using mostly 1 1/4 inch kreg screws, and When I ran out I switched to using 4 x 25 cm wood screws. I am constantly afraid that the screws will be too long, so I got 25cm and 30cm screws, and when the 25cm screws seemed to work, I continued with them.

The main characteristic I was looking for was the flat bottom to the head of the screw, which the Roundhead screws have. The threads do go all the way up the shaft, but it doesn't seem to force the two pieces of wood apart, like I thought it would.

[James Waller]

Hi Jonathan,

Glad you were able to get a jig and found screws that work. Be sure to send some images (if you can) of your projects. BTW, what's the weather like in Bosnia? I live in Florida and it's been raining the past few days.

[Jonathan Trousdale]

When I was living in Florida, it rained every day at the same time.  You could almost set your watch to it -- something like 4pm or so.  

We have had an unbelievably cool summer here, with a lot of rain and very unpredictable swings in temperature.  Usually the weather is just like being in the mountains in Georgia or NC -- cool most of the year, but very hot and humid in the summer for about 2 months.  It usually gets over 100 for a couple of weeks each summer.  But this summer has been like nothing I've ever seen.  This week it was down in the low 60s.  

[Jonathan Trousdale]

[DPat]

I haven't tried my suggestion, but maybe putting screw through metal washers or such that could serve as the "flat"?

Also if the design/purpose of project doesn't require much strenghth maybe drywall screws with the circular thingie?

[Ken Darga]

Make a close comparison of the screw you suggest, before proceeding.

a.  screw head style/shape

b.  thread pitch

c.  thread point

Drywall screws feature a ''bugle flat head''.

The bugle shape with cause the wood to separate, and can result in splitting.

Use the screws KREG recommends.

Save yourself the trouble.

[Ken Darga]

drywall screw---coarse thread

drywall screw ---fine thread

Note the ''bugle shape'' head.

[Ken Darga]

coarse thread screws that feature a washer head.

Note:  the point does not have a ''thread cutting" feature, which may cause the wood to split, during some assemblies.

[Ken Darga]

broken screw head

a common occurance when using drywall screws

[Ken Darga]

a "jig" for testing clamping pressure of screws

[Ken Darga]

another use for drywall screws