Kreg Owners' Community

I am pretty upset about this and need some help figuring out what is wrong. I am using the jig according to instructions.  I have 3/4 think material, have the jig set at 3/4 and the drill set at 3/4 but nonetheless the screws are showing through.  

Views: 5484

Attachments:

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Hi John, if I am reading your post correct your pocket holes are located on the side panels of the cabinets.  The better way is to drill the pocket holes in the top and bottom pieces.  This way you hide the visibility by placing the pocket holes on the outside of the cabinets.  For the top part of the cabinet turn the piece so that the pocket holes are on the top side and for the bottom piece of the cabinet the pocket holes should be on the outside and down.  This hides the screw pocket holes for the most part because they are out of view because of the placement of the screws.  On a upper cabinet you will have to bend down and look upward to see the screws.  If this a face framed cabinet and it you do not wish to see them from this angle cut a piece of 1/4 "or thinner plywood to fit under the bottom of the cabinet and glue or brad nail the plywood to cover the screws.  Because the screws are higher that your view they will also be out of sight unless you are looking down from the top.

On occasions where I have to put the pocket in differently I will lighten up on the pocket hole depth by changing the setting on the stop block.  Something I also do that many will argue about is that I use the fine thread screw even in plywood.  It will allow you to have better control of the screw.  Since the thread pitch is more aggressive so is the speed in which it will screw into your plywood.   If your pocket hole is drilled correctly and the screw is the correct length and they are not being over torqued, then you should have no problem with tread exposure out the ends or sides.  I do not use or depend on a clutch setting of a drill or drill driver for tightening a screw but I use the feel of and sound of the screw as it enters the wood and seats into its final depth.  Too many keep driving waiting for the clutch to release when the screw has long seated into the bottom of the pocket.  The continued driving then forces the screw in deeper and then you have a screw point sticking out.  Many times screws will drive faster and give less resistance to the turning and this is the down fall of depending on a clutch.  The results are stripped threads and over driven screws.

This is my method of pocket hole joinery and it is gained from over 25 years of building custom cabinets and woodwork  using the Kreg Jig.  I started when Kreg was first introduced and it has been my method of choice.

Realistically the only reasons for a screw to extend out of the work is #1. The pocket hole is cut too deep. #2 the screw is too long for the wood being used. #3. The screw is over driven.

I hope this may be of some help to you.

Hi John;

The first thing that comes to mind is checking the *true* thickness of the wood panels you're using. Shop and veneer plywoods that sell as 34" or 5/8" are rarely EXACTLY that measurement, and usually a little bit less. What I'd suggest is get the exact measurement of the wood you're screwing together, and use that as your setting. Since I got my Kreg jig I've built several cabinets using MDF, and an entire kitchen using veneer plywood, and often screwed from the inside out without problems.

I built one small cabinet using 1/2" baltic birch, and ran into problems, and it was the same issue; the baltic birch was actually about 7/16", and the minimum settings on the Kreg are for 1/2". Realistically that's about the thinnest material you SHOULD try and pocket-join.

John Stoltzfus said:

I run into this problem too.  When assembling a shop cabinet the side panels had the pocket holes drilled on each end.  I attempted at first to orient the holes so they would not show and were on

After looking at your pictures I think that maybe you might have been over driving your screws, It looked like you are driving the screws into poplar, that is a realitive soft wood also I would use 1 1/4'' screws for this application.

Reply to Discussion

RSS

Need Help?

For Technical Support, please call 800-447-8638 or send a message. Reps are available Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm CST. 

Videos

  • Add Videos
  • View All

Forum

Jig settings for 2 ¾ x 1 ½ boards with 30 degree miters?

I making a hex ring out of 2x4s ripped to 2 ¾ inches wide with 30 degree miters.  What setting on the Jig should I used? 1 ½ is too much.  Thanks.Continue

Started by Patrick Halinski in Kreg Jig® Operation Dec 30, 2023.

40mm Cup Hinge Jig Question

Hi All.....I have the 35mm Kreg Jig hinge drill guide. The guide is great for 35mm Hinge Cups, but I have a speciality 40MM hinge cup to drill.Has anyone adapted the Kreg guide to work with 40mm Forsner drill bits? Or have a guide that works…Continue

Started by Ed Anderson in Beginners' Zone Oct 3, 2023.

Product Reviews

New Kreg 720Pro

I saw the video Kreg put out for this new jig and had high hopes for it.

I purchased one today and am very disappointed with it.

First the docking station is extremely cheap. The plastic is pathetic. A Lego has more…

Continue

Posted by Duke Leon on February 15, 2021 at 9:00pm

Not Pleased With Pocket Hole Construction

Several months ago, I purchased the Kreg K4MS so that I could build the Lego Table as outlined on the companion "buildsomething" web site which exclusively uses pocket hole construction.  I have considerable experience with conventional…

Continue

Posted by Robert Ringel on September 17, 2020 at 1:48pm — 9 Comments

© 2024   Created by KregRep.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Privacy Policy  |  Terms of Service

_