A pocket screw is a specialty screw that has a wide flat underside to its head. This is critical for pocket hole joinery to work. If you are happy with the final product and you enjoy using pocket screws, all the power to you! It requires the woodworkers to drill a pilot hole between the two boards. long square driver bit until the joint is snug. Drive the pocket screws into the holes with the 6-in. Additionally, the material thickness is the base of its self-adjusting clamp which possesses an automatic regulation element. DIY Outdoor Bar / Potting Bench – Build a simple gathering area for your next party with this outdoor bar that uses only $70 in lumber. Looks like the screw in your image has it too. Remember, joinery can be just as much about taste and opinion as it is about strength and utility. I bought some washer head Spax screws from HD that look similar, but the washer head is slightly larger in diameter. Pocket-hole Joint. I've tried using regular wood screws before in 1x material, and ended up splitting the wood. Have you had success using other brand screws with your Kreg pocket holes? However, if you don’t have access to Kreg screws, you can try using regular wood screws, but they would have to have a flat-bottomed screw head. But the pocket hole is just half of the equation. You really should use Kreg screws in the pocket holes that your Kreg jig creates. This is the part that sits in that flat bottomed pocket. Or you can use it as a potting bench! Alternative to pocket hole screws. Important – These joints require the 2-½â€³ pocket hole screws. Pocket holes are perfect for things where the holes themselves are always and forever concealed. GRK sells a line of "Cabinet Screws" at HD that also have a washer head. Screw away my friend! I have used pocket screws in the past when I could get away with it. 4. Hi all, I'm wondering what some alternatives to pocket hole joinery there is? – Doresoom Jun 8 '15 at 17:05 It's a huge pain to drill a pilot hole at the same angle, so self-tapping is just about the only way to keep thinner material from splitting when using pocket holes. Now, concerning pocket hole screws. The PORTER-CABLE 560 QUIKJIG Pocket-Hole Joinery System stands out from the crowd when you come to pocket hole joinery. Specifically, pocket hole screws vs regular screws. In addition to the people using pocket hole screws to assemble a tabletop, I often come across people attaching breadboards to those tables with pocket hole screws, as well. The other half is the pocket screw. Square Drive Round Head Zinc Coarse Pocket-Hole Screw (250-Pack) Pocket Kreg screws. 17 Ideas for Storing All Kinds of Tools. They are specifically designed for Kreg pocket holes. Usually, the holes are drilled at a 15-degree angle. Kreg #8 x 1-1/4 in. Pocket-hole joinery is where a basic butt joint is fastened using screws that are at an angle. You can easily modify the material thickness to use the right screw length with the aid of the screw length gauge. Pocket screws have special heads and … Be sure to use Blue-Kote Weather Resistant Pocket Hole Screws for these projects! Now for my opinion. I don't have a pocket hole jig, and I didn't plan on buying one, mainly because I've read that it's hard to get the right screws in Australia (meaning I'd have to buy them online from an American site, which could be pretty expensive, not to mention the waiting time for them to arrive). I assume they have seen a table somewhere that they want to duplicate, and they set out to build one without really knowing the construction purpose for each part of a table. Adjust the clutch on your drill to avoid overdriving the screw. The two pieces get connected with a screw to create a durable, flat surface for the wood. Pocket hole screws are a wonderful way of joining to prices of wood, as long as you don't mind the hole it leaves, and you don't mind the gaps that can easily appear through the growing and shrinking of wood. I do a lot of pocket hole construction for a number of reasons: it is easy and quick, good for beginners, and it works well. Step 5.