Hot take: Most people are over-tightening their pocket hole screws

I was helping a friend build a cabinet in his garage and watched him crank down every joint until the screw head was flush with the wood. That crushes the fibers and weakens the hold, something my mentor pointed out during my first year. How many turns past snug do you all aim for?

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3 Comments

sarah_patel257mo ago

I learned that the hard way too, just a quarter turn past snug is perfect.

10

christopher9437mo ago

Honestly that quarter turn thing is a myth. Seen way too many stripped threads from people following that advice. Gotta go by feel every time.

7

nancycooper7mo ago

Sarah's comment about the quarter turn being perfect really hits home. I used to crank them down tight too, thinking it made things stronger. Then I watched a joint fail on a bookshelf I built, the wood just crushed under the screw head. Now I stop the second I feel real resistance, maybe a tiny bit more. The clamp does the holding, the screw just keeps it there.

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