Tried pocket hole joinery on a live edge slab and the screw blew out the side

Last week I was building a coffee table out of a 2 inch thick walnut slab in my garage in Austin, drove a 2.5 inch screw at a slight angle and it popped right through the face near the bark edge. Is there a trick to pre-drilling or clamping when the grain runs wild like that, or should I just stick to dowels on live edge stuff?

2 comments

2 Comments

alice33623d agoMost Upvoted

Honestly, that "slight angle" is probably your whole problem, I drill pocket holes dead straight on live edge all the time and never have that issue. Maybe the real trick is to stop blaming the wood and start blaming your drill technique, dowels won't save you from bad setup either.

the_paul23d ago

Straight bit, steady hands, and you're good every time.