Everyone says use pocket screws for face frames, I quit doing that 2 years ago

I was building a set of kitchen cabinets for a client in Arlington and had a whole face frame blow apart at the joint because a pocket screw pulled out on the very last adjustment. The customer was standing right there watching. I swapped to using a domino jointer with glue only and it saved me from having to redo the whole thing on site. Took me maybe 15 minutes to fix the joint versus rebuilding a 6 foot frame piece. Anyone else ditch pocket screws for certain joints?

3 comments

3 Comments

skyler431mo ago

Dude that domino fix sounds way smoother than rebuilding a whole rail.

grant_hart1mo ago

Yeah but how long did that domino fix hold for you? I'm thinking about doing it on my old setup but I'm worried about it cracking again down the line with any real pressure. The thing with those plastic rails is they get brittle after a while, especially if they see any sun. A buddy of mine tried something similar on a older model and it worked for about six weeks before it gave out completely. What kind of gear are you running it on?

fisher.adam1mo ago

Skyler43 yeah you nailed it. Rebuilding a whole rail is a huge pain in the ass honestly. I've tore down a few of these things myself and it's never worth the time or the headache. But here's the thing about that domino fix people keep talking about. If you don't use the right plastic weld or epoxy it'll crack again in a month and you'll be right back where you started. I've seen guys use cheap super glue and wonder why it failed. You gotta prep the surface right and let it cure fully before putting any weight on it. That's the part most people skip. So yeah it's smoother than a rebuild but only if you do it right or you're just delaying the inevitable.