My old boss in St. Louis told me to never use pocket holes for face frames

He said they'd always show movement and look bad after a year. I ignored him on a big kitchen job and used them anyway to save time. Sure enough, after one winter, I had three doors that wouldn't close right. Anyone have a better method they trust for face frames besides mortise and tenon?

3 comments

3 Comments

kelly.dylan2mo ago

Yeah, I was totally in the "pocket holes are fine for face frames" camp for a long time. Used them on a few built-ins and swore by the speed. Then I had the exact same thing happen with a dresser. Wood moves, and those screws just don't let it. Now I only use dominoes or loose tenons for that kind of joinery. It's a bit more work up front, but it stays put. Glue and a real mechanical lock is the only way to go.

wade_lewis2mo ago

My buddy learned that lesson the hard way on a big bookcase project. He used pocket screws everywhere on the oak face frame, thinking it was solid. Next summer, every single joint had opened up a hairline crack. The wood just shrank and pulled those screws right out of place. He had to take the whole thing apart and redo it with mortise and tenon joints. Now he swears by using a router and some simple floating tenons for any face frame work. The extra glue surface makes all the difference for keeping things tight.

tarac161mo ago

Wait, are you telling me my pocket-hole-only face frame technique from last summer is gonna betray me when the seasons change? I'm just picturing my kitchen cabinets developing those little cracks and thinking "remember that time we told you those screws weren't enough?" Guess I'll be investing in a domino joiner and learning to accept my fate as a slower but less embarrassed woodworker.