Pocket hole joints are no newcomers to furniture construction. For decades, commercial manufacturers have relied on pocket holes for super-quick and efficient assembly. Next time you\u2019re at your local furniture store, take a peek at the inside of a cabinet or under the frame of a table. Chances are you\u2019ll see pocket hole joints at every corner.<\/p>\n
More recently, pocket hole joinery is finding its way into home wood shops. That\u2019s largely due to the pocket hole jig, which is now available in just about any store that sells woodworking or building supplies.<\/p>\n
At first glance, a pocket hole joint resembles a simple butt joint \u2013 no grooves, dados, rabbets, or other fancy joinery \u2013 just two boards stuck together end-to-end. However, a butt joint by itself is a relatively weak woodworking joint,<\/a> and usually requires some type of hardware or fasteners to make it work. That\u2019s where pocket hole joints come in. Using a special pocket hole jig, builders drive a \u201cpocket screw\u201d through the edge of one board and into another (usually at 15 degree angle). This creates a surprisingly strong and durable joint between two project pieces, and in many cases, doesn\u2019t require glue.<\/p>\n In addition to its remarkable strength, a pocket hole joint also offers the following great benefits:<\/p>\n –No complicated joinery skills. <\/strong> –No fancy woodworking tools.<\/strong> –No glue required.<\/strong> –No exposed joints<\/strong> Pocket Hole Basics: The Tools You’ll Need<\/strong><\/p>\n Pocket Hole Jig (kit) About Pocket Hole Kits<\/strong> About Pocket Hole Screws<\/strong> When shopping for pocket hole screws, you\u2019ll have a few choices to make in which style and size to buy.<\/p>\n Thread \u2013 Fine vs Coarse<\/strong> Breaking screws is not so much an issue with softwoods and plywood, so use coarse-threaded screws for these types of materials. Coarse-threaded screws drive in much faster, and are easier to use overall. However, be careful to avoid driving the screws in too far.<\/p>\n Head Style<\/strong> Screw Length<\/strong> Outdoor Pocket Hole Screws<\/strong> Clamp, Drill, & Drive: Pocket Hole Joinery in 3 Easy Steps.<\/strong><\/p>\n The best part about pocket hole joinery is the easy process, which can be narrowed down to three simple steps.<\/p>\n 1. Clamp the Jig<\/strong> 2. Drill the Pilot Hole<\/strong> The bit should also feature an adjustable stop collar, which controls the depth of the pilot hole. Be sure to check your instructions to find out how to set this ring to match your board thickness. Keep in mind that with pocket holes, the pilot hole does not need to extend into the adjoining board. I like to drill my pilot holes just deep enough for the bit to slightly pierce the end of the board \u2013 just enough for me to see if I drilled the hole properly.<\/p>\n But Which Board Gets the Pilot Hole? 3. Drive the Screw<\/strong> Which Bit to Use?<\/strong> Keeping Everything Square<\/strong> No Glue? Pocket hole joints are no newcomers to furniture construction. For decades, commercial manufacturers have relied on pocket holes for super-quick and efficient assembly. Next time you\u2019re at your local furniture store, take a peek at the inside of a cabinet Continue reading
\nPocket hole joints are simple butt joints that even beginners can tackle with confidence.<\/p>\n
\nAll you need is an inexpensive power drill\/driver and a pocket hole jig.<\/p>\n
\nWith most projects, a pocket hole joint is strong enough to leave as is without gluing.<\/p>\n
\nPocket holes can be easily hidden with pre-made plugs that you later glue into place to cover the screws.<\/p>\n
\nPocket Hole Drill Bit
\nPower Drill\/Driver
\n6\u201d Square-head drive (#2)
\nPocket Hole Screws
\nWood Clamps<\/p>\n
\nSome pocket hole jig kits include several of the items listed above, particularly the special drill bit and the square head drive for your drill. Some kits also include clamps, although I prefer using my own. Kits might also include some wood plugs for concealing the joint, but usually not enough to complete a large project.<\/p>\n
\nPocket screws have two unique features that typical wood screws don\u2019t \u2013 (1) a self-tapping auger point, which eliminates the need for a separate pilot hole<\/a> into the board you are joining, (2) a flat, washer-style head that seats firmly in the bottom of the pocket.<\/p>\n
\nAs a general rule of thumb, use fine-threaded screws for hardwoods like oak, cherry, and maple \u2013 and coarse-threaded screws for softwood like pine and poplar. A fine thread means the screw goes in slower, which makes the screw less prone to break. Plus, the shank is also thicker, which also helps prevent a broken screw.<\/p>\n
\nUse pan head screws for hardwoods, and washer head screws for plywood and pine.<\/p>\n
\nThe right pocket screw length depends on thickness of the boards you are joining. The most common use of pocket screws is with \u00be\u201d-thick lumber(1x4s, 1x6s), so you\u2019ll always find a good supply of 1 \u00bc\u201d pocket hole screws on the shelf. However, other sizes are available for different size boards (Kregtool offers nine different lengths of pocket hole screws).<\/p>\n
\nFor outdoor projects, you\u2019ll need pocket screws that are treated with a protective coating, something similar to what you\u2019ll find in the Kreg SK03B Blue-Kote Pocket-Hole Screw Kit.<\/p>\n
\nYour first job is to align the jig on a board (where the screws will be located) and clamp it in place. Most pocket hole jigs include adjustable guides and runners to help you get the jig aligned exactly where it needs to be for a particular size board.<\/p>\n
\nMost pocket hole jig kits include a special bit for drilling the pilot holes (an ordinary drill bit won\u2019t work). The unique design allows the bit to leave a small \u201cpocket\u201d at the start of the hole, where the head of the screw will rest after completing the joint.<\/p>\n
\nBecause of the self-tapping feature of pocket screws, we only need a pilot hole in only one of the boards we are joining. So which board gets the pilot hole? As a general rule, it\u2019s better to drive screws into the side of a board (against the grain), rather into the end of a board (with the grain). This is especially true for self-tapping woodscrews (like pocket screws), which have a tendency to split boards if they are driven into the end grain. After you\u2019ve decided how you want to assemble your project, note where the edges and ends come together and plan your pilot hole locations appropriately.<\/p>\n
\nAfter drilling the pilot hole, unclamp and remove the pocket hole jig from the board. Then take a quick look to see if the pocket holes are the right depth, and in the right position. This is also a good time to clean up any rough edges the bit might have left behind.
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\nWhich Drill to Use?<\/strong>
\nAs tempted as I am to use my cordless drill\/driver for everything I do in the shop, my standard corded drill is much better choice for pocket hole joinery. If you haven\u2019t already discovered it, pocket hole joinery demands a good chunk of power from a drill, which can quickly deplete the battery on a cordless tool.<\/p>\n
\nPocket hole joinery requires a special drill bit for creating a unique type of pilot hole. A typical drill bit just won\u2019t work. Most pocket hole kits include this bit as part of the package.<\/p>\n
\nBefore driving the pocket holes in place, you\u2019ll need to clamp both boards down on a level surface, making sure both pieces butted firmly together and are flush across the top surface. To make sure this happens, I like to clamp a small piece of scrap wood over the top of the boards I want to join. This keeps both pieces from accidentally shifting around while I drive the screw.<\/p>\n
\nAs I mentioned earlier, most projects built with pocket hole joinery can easily get by without using any glue in the joint. The joinery is just that strong. However, because of how easy it is to simply dab a little glue on between the boards, most times I go ahead and do it anyway.<\/p>\n\n