Pockethole "beards"

[Glen]

I am very new to the Kreg experience having purchased my k4ms just a few weeks ago. I wish that I had discovered this fine product earlier in my life.

One thing that annoys me a little is the "beard" that is left when I have drilled my pocket hole. Is there a way to prevent this ?

I'll be grateful for any advice.

[Glen]

I have taken all your advice on board (not a pun) and now I am more aware of being "Up to speed" before drilling and cutting. It's like I have been told by Obe Wan Kanobi to use the Force haha.

Thanks for your advice.

[Russ Haynes]

I've found that material and drill RPM make a difference with this.  Hardwoods generally cut cleaner.  The worst is pine or birch plywood.  It's worth the time to understand what your drill(s) are capable of.  There are charts out there, made mostly for variable speed drill press applications, that tell you the proper RPMs by wood type/species.  It helps to keep your cordless drill work in the general range also.  For example, I have Festool, DeWalt, and Craftsman cordless drills, and a corded Bosch that I use for heavy-duty work.  On hardwoods, the lower speed setting on my Festool works best.  For plywood and pine, the high-speed setting on my old Craftsman seems to work the best.

If I'm going to plug the holes, then I generally don't smooth out the pocket below the surface of the workpiece because the rougher it is in there, the better the plug seems to take.  If I'm not going to plug the hole, then the pocket is generally in some place where no one is going to see it or touch it anyway, so I sand the surface and forget the rough hole.  My tool of choice for cleaning one up when required is a sanding star chucked into a drill.