Hello there
I am wondering what is the opinion around pocket hole jointery ? I am thinking about buying a jig to try but wondering if it is even worth it ?
I usually mortise/T my joints, but wondering if that pocket hole joint helper can make my life easier and good joints
Thanks in advance
Depends upon what you do in your woodworking.
For the furniture work I do there are few very applications that call for M&T joints that I would replace with pocket hole joinery, the possible exception being drawer web frames.
For the cabinet work I do, I use do pocket hole joinery almost exclusively for kitchen/bath/built-in cabinet 'face frames', where the amount of joint strength is more than sufficient for the application, particularly when gluing the face frame to the cabinet sides, top and bottom.
If some of your woodworking falls in similar categories, the Kreg jigs are excellent products, and a good investment where time, efficiency, and just the right amount of joinery strength for the application is required.
Thanks
do you know of any place I can order a mortise chisel (pigsticker) ? I looked all over the conventional stores but no luck ! internet place ?
Thanks
I have used pocket holes in furniture for years. No, it is not as strong as M&T but can be very useful if used judiciously.
I have done end tables that are essentally like any trestle table with a 4 sided apron, top and lower spreaders and a shelf to act as the trestle. I used pocket screws (only) at the aprons and under the shelf into the spreaders. For the spreaders, since the pocket screws would be exposed, I did a counter bored screw in at an angle from the underside.
I had one of these units literally get run over by a forklift during shipping with tire treads on the box to prove it. It broke the top loose from the table irons, busted a 1.75 square Oak leg, busted one Oak apron and only slightly pulled out one joint of pocket screws.
I have built several large free stand> Hello there
Pocket hole joinery has its place and makes a strong joint. There are several downsides, including the special screws needed and the oval holes created. It is very difficult to replace traditional mortise and tenon.
Kreg K2000 Pro Pack (older model) -
The upside on the weird holes created is that there are matching plugs available in various woods. Makes a nice cover up.
Those are indeed mortise chisels, but they don't look like any pigsticker chisel I've ever seen. A pigsyicker is thicker than it is wide, often to the point it looks like a thick butcher knife, and the sides are not usually square, but very slightly tapered. The best picture I could find with a quick google is on the following web page, along with a lot of other chisel types.
The only thing to watch out for is their tendency to pull things out of alignment as you start driving the screw, and if it does get in out of alignment it is difficult to make an adjustment to it. If you clamp things really well it's not an issue. If only just for slapping things together quickly for shop use they are worth having around.
-Leuf
Must be a regional thang ... the only "pigsticker" I'm familiar with is carried on a belt and would give Crocodile Dundee an inferiority complex. ;)
Very true.
The Kreg hand pocket holers make a 12 or 15 degree hole. The pro Castle and other pocket hole machines like I use do a 6 degree hole. This minimizes the lift tendancy. Regardless, you need to clamp the connections before you add the screws. I most typically use a big deep F clamp and devise a clamping scheme down to the table. You can stack spacers under some parts, like an apron and get super accurate offset, like holding the apron 1/2" in from the face of the leg. If you clamp down strongly enough you don't need lateral clamping.
Regarding the special screws. I never use them unless maybe using a soft wood, then I like those with the more coarse thread. I use standard wood screws with a good, right sized, long phillips driver, so you can lay the gun down at a real oblique angle. I also use longer screws if possible to get lots of meat. Finally, I use my impact driver so I can even drive these into white oak and walnut like buttah.
Regard> > >Hello there
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