Tried pocket hole screws on a hardwood table and regretted it instantly

Last month I was building a walnut coffee table for a client in Denver and thought I'd speed things up with pocket hole joinery on the apron. I've used it on pine and plywood without issues, but walnut is a whole different beast. The screws just wouldn't seat right, ended up stripping three holes and cracking one piece near the edge. I had to scrap that apron and start over with mortise and tenon joints like I should have done from the start. Lesson learned the hard way that pocket holes don't play nice with dense hardwoods unless you predrill with the right bit. Has anyone else had similar trouble trying to cut corners on a harder wood species?

3 comments

3 Comments

jessem598d agoMost Upvoted

Heard a guy on a podcast say walnut fights back when you cheap out on joinery.

david_reed228d ago

Which podcast was it? I'm curious if they had a specific type of joint in mind where walnut's being a pain, like dovetails or something.

jordan_henderson137d ago

Yeah that tracks... cheap shortcuts always have a way of haunting you later.