I know everyone loves pocket screws for face frames, but I switched to dowels for a big built-in project

The pocket screws on my last job started to telegraph through the paint after a few months. I used a JessEm doweling jig on this one and the alignment is just perfect, no movement at all. Has anyone else made the switch and noticed a difference in long-term stability?

4 comments

4 Comments

lucast811mo ago

My buddy Mark built a set of kitchen cabinets for his own house about three years ago. He used pocket screws on the face frames because it was fast. Every single one of those doors is out of square now, just enough to be annoying. He showed me the gaps last week and said he should have taken the extra time for dowels or even loose tenons. Seeing that mess in person made me a believer.

sean_barnes242d ago

That's exactly what I was worried about when I started my own kitchen project a few months back. I actually read this whole breakdown online about how pocket holes don't give you much holding power once humidity changes and things start shifting around. The guy who wrote it said he regretted using them on his own cabinets within two years, and here's your buddy Mark proving it right again. Dowels or loose tenons at least lock the joint together in a way that resists twisting, you know? It's like the difference between a cheap clamp and a proper one - both hold for a minute, but one gives out when you need it most.

alice_allen51mo ago

Yeah, glue with those pocket screws at least locks it in.

emma4551mo ago

Told you so (about pocket screws).