What screws are best for pocket holes?

i've seen plenty of videos and articles full of tips for effective pocket hole joinery but one of the most neglected parts of the subject is perhaps the most important to successful joints the screws that you use in this video i'll give you some tips for choosing the right screws for your next pocket hole project now technically you may be able to use any screw in a pocket hole so why do most manufacturers of pocket hole cutters recommend specific screws because screws that are specifically designed for pocket hole joinery have certain features that can help you better align your work pieces avoid splits and increase the overall strength of your joint let's start with the shape of the screw head screws made for driving into pockets have heads that are designed to properly seat against the end of that pocket the most common styles are washer head and fillister head which are sometimes called cheese head the compact shape of a fillister head slightly compresses the fibers at the bottom of the pocket as it's driven home this helps prevent stripping as compared to a washer head with its larger flat underside that provides little room for air when you're tightening it in place washer head screws are easier to strip within a hole than fillister head screws are on the other hand the larger diameter of a washer head provides more surface area which some claim creates a stronger joint in materials such as particleboard and melamine a washer head though does require a larger pocket than a fillister head screw and its shape is more suited to jigs that create drilled pockets than those that cut routed pockets coarse threads are often recommended for soft woods because they provide a little more grip in those softer fibers fine threads are designed for hardwoods because they displace less material within the hole and are therefore less prone to splitting the best of both worlds though is a high low screw thread which features a combination between coarse and fine threads and may therefore be used in both hard and soft wood as well as a variety of manufactured materials perhaps what most sets a proper pocket screw apart from a regular screw is the self-drilling tip which bores its own pilot hole while it's driven in place this type of tip is essential due to the fact that a pocket hole jig only bores a pilot hole in one of the two work pieces to be joined if you were to drive a regular wood or construction screw into a pocket hole joint you might split your mating work piece therefore i believe that self-drilling tip that's found on a proper pocket screw is essential choosing the proper screw length for the job can be a little confusing as there are a lot of choices available an inch and a quarter long screw is ideal for most woodworking that's done with three quarter inch thick stock if you work with a lot of half inch thick material you may require some shorter one inch screws on hand and perhaps you'll also want some longer inch and a half screws for when you work with thicker materials every pocket hole jig manufacturer has some sort of chart to tell you what length of screw you may need based upon the thickness of the material you're using but it's still always a good idea to do an eyeball test just to be sure you have the right screw for the job it's worth pointing out that castle pocket hole cutting machines in particular allow you to adjust the distance between the pocket and to the end of the board so you may use one screw length with a wide variety of material thicknesses this is a handy feature that i think is unique to that machine it's very useful phillips head screws are a poor choice for pocket hole joinery because the bit will easily cam out of the screw head when you're driving at an angle for this reason pocket screws are typically found with torque star-shaped heads or with nicholson's square-shaped heads both are less likely to slip and strip than phillips heads when you're driving them in but which is the best choice it may depend on how you load your screws if you typically slip the screw into the pocket and then you place the bit on the screw then you may find a torx head best because it's least likely to slip even if the driver is not perfectly aligned on the other hand if you like to pre-load the screw onto the driver and then insert it into the pocket you may find a square head stays on the tool better as you're putting it in that said the angle of the screw pocket itself can also be a factor in choosing the correct drive for example this machine cuts a pocket at a very shallow three degrees there are a lot of benefits to a three degree pocket but some folks tend to hold their driver at steeper angles perhaps six or seven degrees is more comfortable a square drive tends to keep your screw aligned with the driver whatever angle you're holding it at so you may inadvertently change the angle at which the screw enters the mating piece and that could reduce the benefits of your shallow pocket in that case a torx drive would be a better choice because it gives the screw a little more freedom to follow the pilot hole rather than the angle of the driver other jigs bore pockets at a steeper 15 degree angle which is compatible with any type of driver though you lose the benefits of the shallow angled pocket most of the time glue is not necessary with pocket hole joinery that's one of its benefits that you may be able to disassemble the project later this is great for shop furniture such as cabinets and benches because you can easily make alterations as your needs change but sometimes you may want glue in addition to the screws for example a joint that will be visible such as where the rail meets a style in a face frame this will benefit from some glue to secure the fibers together and ensure the seam always remains tight and gap free pocket screws are also sometimes used for the specific purpose of just holding a glue joint together as it dries eliminating the need for clamps i personally prefer a phylister head screw with the torx drive i work with a lot of three quarter inch stock so i use a lot of inch and a quarter long screws and i like the high low thread that's compatible with all types of materials i'll put a link to the specific screws i used below this video if you want to check them out i hope this answers your questions and helps make your next pocket hole project a success see you next time castle usa makes the best pocket hole cutters i've ever used they cut clean pockets with no tear out and they cut at an ultra low angle that creates an easier to assemble joint which is better aligned for greater strength check out their machines at the link below the video and you may never look at pocket hole joinery in the same way again wait don't go yet if you're new here please subscribe and remember to ring the bell i would really appreciate that give us a thumbs up or better yet leave us a comment i always read them and be sure to check out 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Channel: Stumpy Nubs

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Keywords: woodworking, stumpy nubs, tips, workbench, table saw, scroll saw, drill press, quick tip, band saw, bandsaw, lumber, hack, hand plane, sharpening, tormek, worksharp, diamond stone, water stone, wood turning, bowls, lathe

Id: RbUNKbjnjHY

Length: 7min 3sec (423 seconds)

Published: Fri May 28 2021