I built a set of kitchen cabinets with pocket screws and then with mortise and tenon. The difference is night and day.

First project was a basic utility cabinet for my garage, used a Kreg jig and pocket screws for the face frame. It went together fast, maybe 3 hours. Then I built a proper cherry cabinet for my house, cutting all the mortises by hand. That frame feels rock solid, no racking at all. The pocket screw joint has a tiny bit of flex if you really push on it. For real furniture, is there any argument for pocket screws over proper joinery?

3 comments

3 Comments

grantcooper2mo ago

So you felt that flex in the pocket screw joint yourself. For that cherry cabinet, did the extra time and effort feel worth it once you saw how solid it was, or was there a moment you wished for the speed of the Kreg jig again?

anthony_lane552d ago

The first time I dry-fit a cherry cabinet with loose tenons and a little hide glue, I noticed the joints didn't budge at all when I put pressure on them. That was different from the pocket screws I did on a pine cabinet last year where I could feel a slight wiggle after a few months. For a client piece like that cherry cabinet, I think the extra hour you spend on proper joinery saves you from getting a call six months later saying a joint popped. I'd rather spend that time upfront than drive back to fix something I rushed. Have you ever had a pocket screw joint hold up fine for years, or do you see more movement over time?

parker_hunt612mo ago

Ask @grantcooper if he's ever had a joint fail later. That solid feeling beats speed every time for me, because I hate fixing things twice.

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