Rant: Stop using pocket screws for face frames that will show

I've been fixing cabinets in three different houses this month where the previous guys used pocket screws on the inside of the face frame corners and they're all popping through the front. You can see the little dimples in the wood where the screw tip pushed out. It happens because they didn't account for the angle of the screw driver bit or they just sent the screw in too deep. I know it's faster than using dowels or biscuits but if your client is paying for a high end kitchen those little marks are gonna get noticed. Have you guys ever had to fill and sand those marks or do you just avoid pocket screws altogether for exposed frames?

2 comments

2 Comments

derek9399d ago

Honestly, that "popping through the front" bit got me. Last summer I was helping a buddy with his kitchen and we found a spot where the screw tip came clean out the other side, looked like a tiny bullet hole in his cherry frame. We ended up using wood filler and sanding it three times before the finish looked right, but I still think pocket screws have their place if you're real careful with the depth stop.

anthony_fox908d ago

Yeah the "tiny bullet hole" thing is exactly what I'm talking about. I've had to fix that on three different jobs now and honestly it's not worth the headache if the frame is gonna be seen. Here's the thing though - if you absolutely have to use pocket screws on a visible face frame, back the depth stop off by like a full turn and test it on scrap first. Most guys just send it and don't realize how much that screw angle changes once you get close to the front edge. The dimples are even worse than a full blowout because they're shallow and wood filler never seems to stay in them right, it always shrinks back after a week. I switched back to dowels for any frame that's getting stain or clear coat and pocket screws only for painted stuff where I can hide the marks with putty and primer.