Heard a finish carpenter trash talking pocket screws the other day and it got me thinking

I was picking up lumber at Home Depot last Tuesday and overheard two older guys near the trim aisle. One of them was going off about how pocket screws are for amateurs and real joinery uses mortise and tenon or dovetails. Ngl, I felt a little called out because I use my Kreg jig all the time for cabinet face frames and baseboard returns. But then I started thinking about the last kitchen I did where I used pocket screws for the drawer boxes and they are holding up fine after 2 years. I get that traditional joints look cleaner and probably last longer, but in a production build where the client wants it done in a week, pocket screws save my back. Has anyone else dealt with this kind of gatekeeping on the job site?

2 comments

2 Comments

kevin_sullivan14d ago

Are pocket screws really that bad or is it just old school guys being stubborn? I've seen custom cabinets built with nothing but pocket screws outlast the house they're in. If it works and holds up, who cares what method you use.

richardharris14d ago

Just a heads up, pocket screws are actually fine for most cabinet work, but drawer boxes are one place where they can cause trouble over time. The screw heads can loosen up with all the weight and the constant sliding in and out. I switched to dovetail joints for drawer boxes a few years ago after a kitchen I did had a few drawers start sagging after about 5 years. Your two year track record is solid though, your mileage might vary with heavier loads.