Setting up the Kreg Pocket Hole Jig and using it to build DIY furniture is sooo easy! Despite that mistakes are easy to make, and trust me, I’ve made most of them! Today I’m sharing with you 9 pocket hole mistakes you don’t want to make.
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If you have been following for a bit you know I use my Kreg Jig for nearly every DIY furniture project I build. Over the years I’ve had a lot of pocket hole successes, but I’ve also made a few pocket hole mistakes along the way. Today I’m sharing those mistakes with you, so you don’t make them too!
9 Pocket Hole Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make
First, let’s review what a Kreg Jig does and how to properly set it up for building DIY furniture, Then, we’ll look at the pocket hole mistakes we want to avoid. The jig uses preset holes to drill angled pocket holes in a piece of wood. A pocket screw, specifically designed for use with pocket holes draws the two pieces of wood together.
The most common joints made with the Kreg Jig are a butt joint or edge joint. A butt joint joins the end of one piece of wood to the edge of another piece of wood. Common uses for butt joints are frames for side assemblies and door frames. An edge joint joins the edges of two boards. Common uses for edge joints are panels and table tops.
Kreg Jig Setup
Step 1 – Set the Drill Guide
The first step to using the Kreg Jig is to adjust the drill guide to the thickness of your board. If your board is 1-1/2″, set the jig for 1-1/2″. For this example, our board is 3/4”, so we’ll set the drill guide to 3/4”.
Step 2 – Set the Drill
The next step is to set the drill depth. Again, you’ll want to match the drill depth to the thickness of your board. For this example, our board is 3/4”. Loosen the collar with an Allen key and move the shoulder of the drill bit (or the bottom of the stepped area of the drill bit) to correspond with the 3/4” mark and tighten the collar.
Step 3 – Drill Pocket Holes
Next clamp the board in the jig to correspond with the appropriate drill holes. Chuck the drill bit in your drill and insert the drill bit into the guide block until it hits the wood. Slightly raise the drill bit and bring the drill up to full speed. Then gently lower the bit into the wood and start drilling the pocket hole. Keep drilling until the collar on the drill bit contacts the drill guide.
Pro Tip: For wood that is 1-1/2” wide, center the wood between holes B and C, and drill in holes B and C. For wood that is 2-1/2” wide, center the wood between holes A and B, and drill in holes A and B. Wood that is 3-1/2” wide, center the wood between holes A and C, an drill in holes A and C.
For all other widths of wood, make sure your pocket holes are set in a minimum of 3/4” from the edge to avoid possibly cracking the wood.
Avoid End Grain
You should only drill pocket holes into the ends of a board. Let’s say we are building the side assembly for the patio garden cabinet. The pocket holes should be drilled into the rails (horizontal pieces) not the stiles (vertical pieces).
The reason we don’t want to drill pocket holes into the edge of a board (vertical piece or stile) and screw into end grain (horizontal piece or rail) is because this would not create a strong joint. The grain of wood runs the length of the board. The end of the board is referred to as end grain. Think of the wood grain or wood fibers like a box of drinking straws. Imagine driving a screw into the end of a box of drinking straws. What would happen to the screw? That’s right, it would just spin around in the ends of the straws. Screwing into end grain does not create a strong joint.
There’s an exception to every rule, so there is a time when it’s OK to drill pocket holes into the edge of board and that’s when you are edge joining wood for table tops, etc. This joint works because the screw is driving through the edge of the wood and makes a strong joint.
Change Setup for Different Wood Thicknesses
Many furniture projects use different thicknesses of wood. It’s important to change the drill guide and the collar on the drill bit match the thickness of the wood you’re drilling pocket holes into.
Let’s say you’re drilling pocket holes into a 2×4. You’ll set the drill guide to 1-1/2″ and drill bit collar to 1-1/2″. Then let’s say after you drill the pocket holes into the 2×4 you need to drill pocket holes into 1×4 and you do that without changing the drill guide and drill bit collar. Well, you’ll drill all the way through the end of the board. Not Good! And yes, I have done this on more than one occasion!
How can you prevent this pocket hole mistake from happening? If I’m batch drilling pocket holes, I may use one of my 5 Unexpected Uses for Painter’s Tape tips and label the parts that require different depths of pocket holes.
Set Bit Shallower for Plywood
Plywood, like 3/4″ plywood is actually little thinner than 3/4″. So if you set your drill guide to 3/4″ and drill bit collar to 3/4″, then attach the two pieces of plywood with a pocket screw, the screw will actually poke through the edge of the plywood. Exposed screws are not an attractive look for DIY furniture! Yup, I’ve made this mistake too when I was building the Mid-Century Modern nightstand.
To avoid screws protruding through the edges of your plywood furniture projects set the drill guide to the thickness of the plywood, so for our example, set the drill guide to 3/4″. Then set the drill bit collar, so it’s shallower than the thickness of the wood. For our example set the drill guide between the 1/2″ and 3/4″ mark.
Replace Worn Bits
I use my Kreg Jig to drill pocket holes for nearly every furniture project I build. It only makes sense eventually the drill bit would become worn. It’s important to know the signs of a worn drill bit because worn bits drill more slowly, get hot quickly and produce a “fuzzy”, jagged looking pocket hole.
A jagged pocket hole is a particular concern if you’re going to use a pocket hole plug cutter to fill the pocket holes with plugs. With a crisp, clean pocket hole you can place the plug in the pocket hole, sand the plug flush with the surrounding wood and the pocket hole will virtually disappear. With a jagged pocket hole you can place the plug in the pocket hole, sand the plug flush with the surrounding wood, but edges of the pocket hole will still appear jagged. It’s time to replace your pocket hole drill bit if your pocket holes look fuzzy or jagged.
Use Wood Glue
Pocket hole joints don’t require wood glue, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use glue when assembling your furniture projects. When a pocket screw is screwed through an angled pocket hole it draws the two pieces of wood together tightly. The pocket holes make a strong joint, but it doesn’t take into account the wood itself. Wood is a living thing.
Wait, did I just say wood is a living thing?! Well, not exactly living, but it is hygroscopic. Wait, did I just say hygroscopic – what’s that? Simply put, hygroscopic means it absorbs moisture from the air. Wood is constantly absorbing and giving off moisture, just as it would when it was alive. Remember earlier how I described wood like a box of drinking straws. When the drinking straws, ummm wood, fills with moisture it swells and gets bigger. When it loses moisture it shrinks and gets smaller. If you build a project when it’s humid, you may notice when the air is drier that some of the joints don’t fit as well as it did when there was more moisture in the air.
I’ve noticed this joint issue when edge joining tops for furniture projects. I built my air conditioner dresser in the summer when it was humid, but I didn’t edge glue the top pieces. The top looked great in the summer, but in the cooler months the joints of the top just ever so slightly pulled away from each other. And the edge of one of the pieces even started to slightly curl up.
Can you stop wood movement? The short answer is no, but you can help reduce some of these issues by gluing the joints. If I glued the top of the air conditioner dresser it wouldn’t be moving like it does. Skate over to Mistakes with Wood Can Cause Your DIY Furniture to Crack for more details about the seasonal movement of wood.
Why didn’t I glue the top? Well, I knew I wanted to stain the piece and regular glue doesn’t accept stain. Almost all of us have had a finish ruined by glue squeeze out. The glue squeezed out, we stained the piece and the glue prevented the stain from soaking into the wood. What we’re left with is what looks like a big bleach stain on our project. Regular glue just isn’t stainable. Since then I found Elmer’s Wood Glue Max. This glue creates a strong bond, is stainable and now the only glue I use for my furniture projects! Pocket holes create a strong, lasting joint, but that joint is made better by adding wood glue.
Use Clamps
By now we know how the pocket hole joint works, right? A pocket screw is screwed through an angled pocket hole and the screw draws the two pieces of wood tightly together. Despite this, you still need to use clamps to properly align the joint before attaching it with pocket screws.
Don’t try to properly align the joints with your hands. You’ll end up with glue all over your hands (you did use glue, right?) and you’ll likely end up with misaligned joints. Nothing beats the mechanical advantage of a clamp. Your joints will be stronger and your furniture projects will look more professional.
Specifically designed pocket hole clamps are available, but in my How to Clamp Your Project Like a Pro I described that I prefer to use an assortment of bar clamps. This way I can layout the entire piece, get all of the joints the way I want them, tighten the clamps and attach with pocket screws. Use clamps when you build and the look of your furniture will go from amateur to professional.
Use Pocket Hole Screws
Pocket screws are specifically designed to work with pocket holes. Pocket screws have threads only on the lower portion, while the upper portion, or shank is not threaded. This design allows the shank of the pocket screw to slide through the pocket hole and pull the joint tight. Unlike pocket screws, regular screws have threads along the entire length. A regular screw won’t slide through a pocket hole. The threads may not only crack the board with the pocket hole, but it might not pull the other board tight, yielding in an ill fitting joint. Use only Kreg brand pocket screws or another authentic pocket screw by another brand.
Pocket screws are available in two varieties, coarse and fine. Coarse pocket screws are used for soft woods like pine and plywood. Fine pocket screws are used for hardwoods like oak and maple.
Use the Correct Length Pocket Screw
Always use the correct length pocket screw for the pocket hole you have drilled. Using a pocket screw that is too short won’t connect the boards together and using pocket screws that are too long could drive the screw through the edge of the other piece. Check out the pocket hole screw guide below to be sure you’re using the right pocket screws for your project.
Pro Tip: When I use different length screws for a furniture project I will sometimes write lightly in pencil next to the pocket the length of screw I need to use. Other times I will use painter’s tape to write a note of the length of screw I need to use.
Avoid Over Tightening
The pocket holes can easily be stripped, so it’s important to set the clutch on your drill to a low setting – my DEWALT drill works well on 3. When the drill meets a certain amount of resistance, the clutch prevents the drill from driving the screw any further and prevents stripping the pocket hole.
Pro Tip: Over tightening a pocket screw is just one way a pocket hole can become stripped. Another way a pocket hole can become stripped is if you remove a pocket screw and then reattach it. Fixing a stripped pocket hole is as easy as grabbing some wood glue and heading to the kitchen for some toothpicks.
Bonus Tip – Make Your Pocket Holes Virtually Disappear
The Kreg Pocket Hole Plug Cutter will take your furniture building to the next level! The plug cutter makes plugs to fill pocket holes. The plugs are cut from leftover scrap wood from your project, so the plugs will exactly match the wood color and wood grain of your project.
The plugs are glued into the pocket holes and then sanded flush. With a pocket hole plug cutter, your pocket holes virtually disappear and you’ll make your DIY projects look more professional. This a “gotta have it” tool for the DIYer! Check out my plug cutter setup tips and video!
Bonus Tip – Secret Weapon For Hard-to-Reach Pocket Holes
It will happen to all of us at some point. We’ll chuck the pocket hole driver in our drill, attempt to drive the pocket hole screw into the pocket hole and… CRASH!!! The drill/driver combo is too large to fit in our DIY furniture project. We can’t tighten the screw. What do we do now? You need my secret weapon I keep in my tool arsenal for hard-to-reach pocket holes – a right angle attachment!
Get Answers to Your Pocket Hole Questions!
If you didn’t find the answer to your pocket hole question in this post or in the Kreg Jig Tips and Tricks directory you can ask your pocket hole questions here!
Download the Pocket Hole Mistakes Guide
Master your pocket hole projects with this FREE ten-page Pocket Hole Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make Guide! The guide includes all of the useful tips in this post plus much more! Just click the link below and I’ll skate over to your inbox with your free guide!
Conclusion
Thank you for stopping by to check out my 9 Pocket Hole Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make. Have you made a pocket hole mistake that I didn’t discuss? Tell me about it in the comments. Oh, and if you found this helpful, would you please pin it to Pinterest? I’d really appreciate it! Thank you – Scott
PIN THIS!
Thanks….very much appreciate the info
Thank you Rich – glad I could help!
Very very helpful,thanks!
Thank you – I’m glad you found it useful!
I need help on route ing inside corners for glass I build my door and now I’m rabbeting around inside corners for glass to put in but the corners aren’t square there round
Hi James – There are a couple of ways to tackle these round corners. You could square the round corners with a chisel. Or you can use a specially made corner chisel like this one to square the corners.
Very helpful, thanks for this information. I made a bed frame with headboard and footboard, and had to add another panel to the headboard as it was too ‘short’ making the bed look ridiculous once we put the boxspring and mattress on. I added the panel just fine, but didn’t use glue for the add-on. Winter came along with terrible dryness, and guess what? That panel popped up eventhough I used the Kregg jig and screws! I could see light coming through between the panels. It looked so shoddy. I had to unscrew, glue, reclamp, then rescrew it all….I hope someone reads this article before making the same mistake.
Thank you for stopping by. There’s nothing worse than spending a bunch of time on a project only to have to redo something later… been there and done that! Glad you go it fixed.
Thanks for sharing your tips on pocket hole joinery. Very useful information.
Thank you so much for stopping by and for the compliments. I’m glad you found it useful!
Excellent review.. Now we can learn from your mistakes and not repeat them.. Thanks..
I definitely value the information in this article. I haven’t used my Kreg Jig yet but I will definitely pin this to my Pinterest board so I can refer back to it when I get time to start making some projects.
Wesley, you’ll LOVE the Kreg Jig once you start using it! Let me know if you have any questions when you get started – I’d be happy to help.
I am ready to purchase a pocket hole gig (probably Kreg) and after reading your article, I found there was a multitude of things that I didn’t know and need to know. I am glad I found it. Can’t imagine why I haven’t used this method for years. It seems so easy, much more so than dwells or mortise and tenon joints. Thanks for the info.
Thank you John. Good luck with your pocket hole jig… you’re going to LOVE it!!!
Thanks for the tips. I have been using a Kreg jig for some time and recently got the K5. I was joining some 1/2 inch plywood yesterday and ruined a fairly intricate peice I had made and finished by putting a screw through it. I’ve been trying to figure out what I did wrong and how I could improve my set up. I looked for shorter 3/4″ screws (I used 1″) but they make them in fine threads. I though about putting washers on the screws to keep them from going so deep and that might work. The ultimate solution is to set the collar at a shallower depth however. Unfortunately I will have to remake the piece I drilled through and the piece I put the pocket holes in. I will do a test piece first this time however.
Hey John – Thank you for stopping by. I’m sorry to hear about your project. I’ve been there and done that. You mentioned a great tip… it’s always good to do a test piece first. I’m always so excited to get my project together that I sometimes to forget to do a test piece. Thank you for the reminder and good luck with your project.
Hi Scott, these tips are amazing! I also benefitted greatly from your clamping article. I’m a DIY newbie, so most of these were things I hadn’t seen before.
I’m having a pocket hope issue, hope you don’t mind if I ask you:
I have been trying to work with the Kreg jig. I made pocket holes successfully and I’m joining two pieces at a 90 degrees angle. I clamped everything down, drove the kreg screws in, and found that the thing wobbled. I tried screwing them in more, on the theory they’d go in further, but maybe that messed things up. I removed one of the screws to check the size, tried a longer one, and found that it went through the bottom of the test piece ( so I had the right size screw). Then I was checking the wobble, gave it a yank, and the pieces pulled apart! Since it was a test piece, I tried it without glue, but if I had glued it, there might still have been a gap…
If you can spot my mistake and suggest a solution, I would greatly appreciate it! Thanks so much for the great articles!!
Hey there – thank you for stopping by and for the compliments! I’m sorry to hear about your pocket holes – we’ll get this figured out! You didn’t mention the thickness of the wood you’re working with, so I’ll presume 3/4″. Let’s first verify the guide block is set to 3/4″. Next let’s verify the shoulder of the the stepped drill bit is also set to 3/4″. When we clamp the workpiece into the jig we’ll want to make sure the workpiece is firmly seated on the jig and the clamp is tight. To assemble we’ll want to make sure the parts are firmly clamped together. I prefer to use a bar clamp. Pocket holes are easily stripped, so set the clutch on your drill to a low setting. For 3/4″ material we’ll want to use 1-1/4″ pocket screws. Drive the screw until the clutch stops the drill. This will create a strong joint. If you’re still having an issue, please send me some pics of each step and we will figure this out! My email is sawsonskates at gmail dot com. Good luck and let me know how it goes!
If u are screwing a 2×4 to 3/4 plywood what do u set guides to
Hey Shane – You didn’t what type of assembly you’re building, but for an example I’m going to presume you’re attaching a 3/4″ plywood panel to a 2×4 leg. In this case I would set my Kreg Jig/drill bit to drill into 3/4″ material and drill the pocket hole in the plywood. Then I would attach the 3/4″ plywood to the leg using 1-1/4″ pocket screws. Here’s an example:
“… Next let’s verify the shoulder of the the stepped drill bit is also set to 3/4″. …”.
The stepped drill bit should be set to the screw length. I’m pretty sure I read that in one of your articles.
Hey Barry – I should have asked what Kreg Jig they were using before I responded. The stepped drill bit for the Kreg Mini, Kreg R3 and Kreg K4 should be set to the thickness of the workpiece. But yes, you are correct, For the Kreg K5 the stepped drill bit is set to the length of the screw.
Can you post plans on how you made the box that your kreg jig is attached to please?
Hi Ryan – I actually found that plan in a woodworking magazine a few years ago. I’m not sure if I have the magazine anymore, but I think I’ve seen the plan floating around Pinterest. I’ll poke around and see if I can find it for you.
Have just found this and love the advice my only problem was converting all the measurements to metric when using my Kreg and in my haste to use it made lots of mistakes . Next time I will just slow down
I’m a noob to wood work but have always been amazed at how some people make it look so easy to create true works of art. I look forward to more of your posts and hopefully I can learn a thing or two.
Another good tool to have for putting pocket screws into places where your drill won’t fit is a square drive screwdriver. If you can’t find one for sale in the tool department try looking in electrical. The “medium” size red handle fits the kreg screw.
G’day Scott, Thanks for the article. An observation about the dust extraction which is great and very effective if you can get the keg dust extraction fitting to stay together in one piece. I have been using it wth an old Miele vacuum, surplus to requirement in the home. It takes almost no load on the fitting for it to come apart where it swivels as it is made of very thin plastic and only has 4 x 1/8″ wide hooks that are completely ineffective. Swivels can be made far stronger just look at vacuum cleaners such as Kirby you can not get the swivels apart with out a lot of force and tools. I know as I used an old kirby hose for dust extraction an a Hegner finger jointing machine. If Kreg want to improve anything on this terrific jig it would be that fitting. I would pay heaps for an upgraded version to avoid the frustration of it falling apart every five minutes and me stopping work to put it back together each time. All the best.
I just use duct tape to keep it in place.
Here is a mistake I don’t want to make again. Never hold the joint with your hand as you drive in the screws. The driver tip slipped on me and drove into my palm of my hand. It hurt and I went to the doctor and after a exray they cleared me of any broken bones, but this is very easy to do. Use a clamp to hold together for safety.
Hey Scott – I’m glad to hear that you’re OK. This is a great tip and a good reminder to always think safety first.
Very useful information. I can’t say I have run into many of your 9 errors, a couple of them, yes, but that’s all.
I just wanted to mention the Kreg Jig Mini. I have used this item so many times with hard to reach repairs. My parents have had a small motel for 40 years, and I do all the upkeep! Repairs you wouldn’t believe…so many creeps exist to do damage. Wow! Anyway, I have had repairs to chair legs, bed frames, window sills (inside and out) roof fascia boards, roof underlayment, planter boxes, doors, etc. I always keep my Kreg Jig Mini in my go-to tool box along with a selection of screw types and lengths, short 2″ and long 6″ square drive bits (sometimes the drill chuck gets in the way on intricately shaped repairs), and a couple clamps (2″, 3″, 4″ and a 6″ welder’s vice-grip to have ready for any type of repair!
I have even made some wooden frames with clear plastic stretched across like a painting canvas with closed cell foam surrounding the edges of the frame to insert in the window wells to seal out drafts. What a difference it makes in a warm room in Vermont during the cold winters!
Thanks again for the heads-up!
Mark Morningstar
Hey Mark – Thank you so much for stopping by! Your email address sounds familiar… I think may have driven by your place on the way to the Vermont Country Store. It’s funny that you’re posting this comment, because I’m just finishing up a post about the Kreg Jig Mini! You’ve provided some great info here, so I hope you won’t mind if I pull some quotes to use in my new post. Thank you again for all the info and for stopping by – Scott
Awesome article! I have been using the Kreg Jig Junior for almost two years now and while I’ve learned a few things, I’ve not seen some of these and certainly haven’t seen them all written down in one place. I love how links show more information and as a hobbyist it is refreshing to see I’m not the only one who makes a mistake now and again! I’m looking forward to reading other posts!
Thank you so much – I appreciate the compliments!
Why not put the screws at sides of legs going into the panels and then put wood plugs to cover the holes made on the sides of the legs or as I love dowels and have no hole marks at all and better than screws where they come loose as you move the furniture around and in a few years must throw away due to loose screws?
Very informative, thank you.
Thank you Blaine – Glad you found it useful.
Great tips because if a mistake can be made I’ll make it. I have a question about gluing versus not on pocket hole joints. I’m in the process of building a kitchen table for a friend. She wants to use yellow pine 2×10’s. The boards are from the local lumber yard and we all know that wood from a yard is not totally dry. My way of thinking is to not glue so the screws can be tightened as it drys. I would like to hear your input as well as your other followers. I know ultimately it would be better to let the wood dry more but she wants it asap. Thanks
Donald
Hey Donald – As you mentioned it would definitely be better to let this wood acclimate to the humidity level of where it’s going to “live”. So I’m sure you’re already aware of the risks of cracking, etc by building while it’s wet. That said, for wood that is relatively dry and had a chance to acclimate to the humidity level I always recommend gluing pocket hole joints. While you don’t need to glue pocket hole joints, I think it makes for a better quality joint.
I use my Kreg tool all the time and love it. However, I’m so grateful for these tips. Not that I’ve ever failed to reset my drill bit length, adjust the jig for the wood thickness, drill into the end grain so that the screws don’t hold, make fuzzy holes with a dull bit, and drill my holes ON THE WRONG SIDE OF A BOARD a million times, not use glue in the summer and have my wife mention cracks in the winter when the wood pulls apart, etc. etc. etc. Nope, not me. Thanks so much Scott. These tips are fantastic and I had no idea Kreg came out with a hole plug cutter and the right angle drill attachment for tight areas; why didn’t I think of that? Thanks again!
Hi Ken – Thank you for stopping by. I’m glad you found the tips helpful!
Thanks for the tips, very helpful for a brand new Kreg jigger. Question though, on the jig there is the bit depth guide, 2 1/4 and 2 1/2 share the same dash, Is this accurate or does 2 1/2 setting stop at the end of the guide? Thanks !
Hi Rick – Thank you for stopping by and welcome the to the Kreg Jig club! That’s a good question. The 2-1/4″ and 2-1/2″ do share the same dash, so yes, that is accurate. Hope that helps. Good luck with your jig!
As I was a shop teacher for 35 years I find your site very informative, your instruction is right on. I have been using pocket holes for about 8-10 years now, they are great to use. I find that pocket holes & screws make joints that I would only try when I had a “weekend” to do the project, now the time is cut down a couple of hours.
Hi Dave – Thank you for stopping by and for the compliments! I appreciate it!