Stop using pocket screws on face frames and calling it fine work

I see guys on here posting face frames with pocket screws every few days like that's acceptable. I took a job in Atlanta last fall where the previous guy used nothing but pocket screws on a $12,000 kitchen. Every joint had split after two seasons of humidity changes. If you can't cut a proper mortise and tenon or at least use dowels, don't call yourself a cabinetmaker. I get it for quick utility builds, but not for client work. How do you justify charging premium rates for something that'll fail in a year?

2 comments

2 Comments

singh.blair9d ago

You said "if you can't cut a proper mortise and tenon" but I think you're missing that the real problem isn't the joint type, it's the wood movement math. I've seen guys use pocket screws on face frames with MDF panels and they hold up fine for years because the MDF doesn't expand. But put them on solid wood frames with plywood panels and that's where you get the splits you're talking about. It's not that pocket screws are inherently bad, it's that nobody factors in how different materials react to humidity when they pick their joinery.

the_vera8d ago

Exactly. You nailed it. It's ALWAYS about understanding the materials, not just learning the joint. I've had the SAME thing happen with a butcher block countertop I built for a buddy's island. Used breadboard ends with glued dowels like a dummy and it split right down the middle after one humid summer. Pocket screws get a bad rap but they're just a tool, same as anything else. It's all about knowing what you're working with and how it's gonna move.