Kreg jig woes.

[Jim Finn]

This is my first attempt at trying my new Kreg pocket hole jig and I find that the screws split the pine I am working with. Seems like 3/4" wood is too thin to work with this system. It has a setting to even work on 1/2" thick wood! I have followed the instuctions and have the recommended screws and settings and still the wood splits when screwing the wood together. Anyone else have this problem. Any solutions?

[Jerome Hanby]

I had to make sure I had the clutch on my drill set properly or I could get splits from over tightening. Are the splits occurring during the drive or right at the end? If they are occurring mid-drive, are you using Kreg screws?

[Jim Finn]

I am using Kreg screws, yes. I have no clutch on my drill. So you think I may be over tightening the screws huh? Ok, I will have to watch for that. I have an old Makita impact driver that I use for this. The splits happen minutes after I have moved on to other joints.

[Lee Schierer]

Where exactly are the splits occurring? In the drilled piece or the piece being fastened?

I have seen pine split when the piece being attached is near the end of a piece of pine or too close to the edge near the end. I would suggest starting the screw into the connecting piece, but stopping part way in. Remove the screw and then drill a pilot hole in using the hole started by the screw as a guide.

You know there are different screws fo use in soft wood and hardwood right!

[glenn bradley]

+1 on over-torque if screws and jig position are correct. I have used PH in 1/2" material without incident. I have split much thicker material by forgetting to lower my torque settings after some other operation.

[Jerome Hanby]

I am using Kreg screws, yes. I have no clutch on my drill. So you think I may be over tightening the screws huh? Ok, I will have to watch for that. I have an old Makita impact driver that I use for this. The splits happen minutes after I have moved on to other joints.

I used the jig to make 4'x4' boxes for square foot gardening and cracked wood on several joints before I backed off on the clutch.

[Mike Heidrick]

I would DEFINATELY use a high speed clutched drill over an impact for sure!

[Mike Ruggeri]

I just used my jig for a ton of screws in 3/4" material. Worked great except when I changed the clutch to drill something and forgot to dial it back when I went to drive the screws. I don't think I had any splits except when I forgot to monitor the torque. As mentioned above, the torque is probably the problem and things will be fine if you back off when driving the screw.

[mike wacker]

I have a love/hate relationship with pocket screw joinery. While I absolutely love the speed and simplicity, when some goes a miss that I can't figure it out it drives me crazy. A picture of your splits would help us comment on possible causes.

[Barry Lyndon]

As Lee pointed out, there are different screws for hard and soft woods so make sure you're using the correct screw (coarse or fine). I have never had a problem with splitting but I will say that I have never been able to use 1/2" stock. Every time I try, the screw ends up poking through the other end no matter what I do.

[Jim Finn]

Where exactly are the splits occurring? In the drilled piece or the piece being fastened? ...........
You know there are different screws for use in soft wood and hardwood right!...................

Yes I have the proper screws for soft wood. The piece that the screws make their own holes is the one splitting. Seems they enter the wood too near the edge of the board. I tried not torquing them as much and the splitting has stopped....so far. I guess I was tighting them too much. as Jerome has suggested.

[Albert T. Tappman]

As Lee pointed out, there are different screws for hard and soft woods so make sure you're using the correct screw (coarse or fine). I have never had a problem with splitting but I will say that I have never been able to use 1/2" stock. Every time I try, the screw ends up poking through the other end no matter what I do.

Kreg makes a "Micro" insert for the K3 jig, with smaller diameter holes for 1/2" thick stock. And you need the #6 3/4" screws, which are not stocked in stores that I've ever seen. I had to order them.

[David Larsen]

I have the Kreg Jig and have used it many many times. I think I may have only split one board in all the times I have used it.

A corded drill works best for drilling the holes so that you get enough speed. A cordless drill works best for the screws because of the clutch action (Or a corded screwgun with an adjustable clutch (NOT a drywall screwgun clutch)).

I think the Kreg has its place, but I don't use it for everything like some people.

[Steve Wurster]

Don't use your impact driver unless it has a clutch setting. First (and only) time I tried installing one with my impact driver it completely split the piece that the screw was going into. I didn't look but I think the washer head on the screw went beyond the countersink that the drill bit created. Way too much power in an impact driver for this kind of work. Switch to a screw gun (that hopefully has enough juice in one battery for all the screws you need to drill) or a regular cordless drill/driver. I use my corded drill to drill the pocket holes.

As for 1/2" material, I have used my Kreg jig (K4) countless times on 1/2" material and have never had a problem. You just have to make sure both the drill guide block and the depth stop on the bit are set correctly. Only issue with 1/2" material is that a small part of the head of the screw will be sticking out on the piece you drilled the pocket hole into. The micro jig from Kreg is supposed to solve that, but I don't have one (yet).

[Brian Penning]

I never use the torque/clutch setting of my drill for pocket screws. Just screw the screw in until I feel it start to tighten and then finish it off with a screwdriver. Pine is the easiest to split.

[johnny means]

Jim, your screws should be entering the none drilled piece about 3/8" inch from the edge, which should be plenty to avoid splitting. If they are significantly closer to the edge than that you have a set up problem. As far as working with 3/4" material, the Kreg system was pretty much designed with just that in mind.

Anyway, If your exit wounds on the pocketed board aren't in the middle of the board, you need to adjust the jigs distance from the edge. The more inboard the jig is the further across the board your screws go. So if your splitting the "female board" because your screws are to close to the edge you'll want to place your jig closer to the edge or hang it over the edge while drilling. I cannot see how over torquing would cause that board to split, more likely it would strip it out.

[Bob Carreiro]

Have done many projects with 3/4" pine and Course, 1-1/4" screws, and have never experienced splitting.
With my Bosch 18V, I set the clutch to a 5-8 range; with my Kawasaki 19.2V, I set the clutch to a 7-10 range.
Am unsure of what you mean that the screws may enter the mating board "too near the edge." With my K4, the screws enter the mating board dead center (on 3/4" material).
What I have experienced is the screw tip breaking the surface of the mate when I have the drilling depth (via collar) set too deep.

[Phil Thien]

On soft woods I run the screws in on one of the lowest torque settings of my driver. They aren't tight at this point. Then I use a screwdriver to finish them by hand. This prevents splits and strips.

[Jim Finn]

188175188174188173
I never use the torque/clutch setting of my drill for pocket screws. Just screw the screw in until I feel it start to tighten and then finish it off with a screwdriver. Pine is the easiest to split./////////////This is what I tried yesterday and still had some splits. I have the jig set up right, I know . The wood is just 1x4 fir and splits! I plan to try using thinner screws next time. The Kreg screws seem too fat to me.

[Matt Day]

I think some pictures would help a lot Jim. I've been used Kreg pocket holes for years and haven't had this problem - though I've never used it on pine, but still.

[Lee Schierer]

/////////////This is what I tried yesterday and still had some splits. I have the jig set up right, I know . The wood is just 1x4 fir and splits! I plan to try using thinner screws next time. The Kreg screws seem too fat to me.

Fir is particularly prone to splitting with any type of screw and even nails near the board ends. Hickory will do the same thing. It has to do with the long stringy fibers in the wood. Start your screws in the piece with the angled holes so the tips just come through the end of the wood. Then press the piece in place on the mating piece. The screw tips will make little dents. Use a small drill bit, the same size as the screw shank and drill pilot holes in the mating piece using the dents as guides and angle them to match the Kreg angle. This will eliminate your splitting problem.

[Jim Finn]

Fir is particularly prone to splitting with any type of screw and even nails near the board ends. Hickory will do the same thing. It has to do with the long stringy fibers in the wood. Start your screws in the piece with the angled holes so the tips just come through the end of the wood. Then press the piece in place on the mating piece. The screw tips will make little dents. Use a small drill bit, the same size as the screw shank and drill pilot holes in the mating piece using the dents as guides and angle them to match the Kreg angle. This will eliminate your splitting problem./// I guess Kreg should put a "fir discalmer" in their ads! This is the only wood I plan to use this jig on.
I use dowels on my hardwood and finer finished items.

[Greg Portland]

188175188174188173/////////////This is what I tried yesterday and still had some splits. I have the jig set up right, I know . The wood is just 1x4 fir and splits! I plan to try using thinner screws next time. The Kreg screws seem too fat to me.Think about the screw angle; you are essentially having the screw bite into the corner of the fir (which is splitting off). Even if you did not have splitting the joint would be weak (just as if you'd have cut a mortise right at the edge of the corner).

Possible solutions:
- Check the length & type of your screws (Kreg has a handy chart somewhere). It looks like they may be too long?
- Clamp the pieces @ the spot you are driving the screw; the added outside pressure will force the screw to auger out a hole instead of splitting the wood.
- Screw from the outside of the sheet material and use plugs (stronger but not attractive)
- Use the same inside screw holes but have the sheet material hit the -middle- of the corner piece. The screw will now be biting into the center of the corner wood.
- Keep all screw holes a couple of inches from the ends of the corner piece. Screws near the edge (top as viewed in your pics) are asking for splitting.
- Be very delicate torquing the screws for this type of joint
- Build a 45° crosspiece to strengthen the joint.

[Greg Cuetara]

Jim I trust you when you say that you have the jig set up correctly but there seems to be something amiss to the pictures you posted above. I assume you are screwing from the inside and where the wood is breaking seems very close to the outside edge. From what I have seen with my Kreg Jig the screw woudln't be that close to the outside edge. There are two different settings you need to account for. One on the jig and one on the drill bit. Another option for you might be to go with a shorter screw. I have had no problems with 3/4" pine and my kreg jig...but as others have said the screw torque is also a big factor. I try to drill out with a corded drill and then use my cordless to screw in.

Good luck,
Greg

[Jim Finn]

............... Another option for you might be to go with a shorter screw. I have had no problems with 3/4" pine and my kreg jig...but as others have said the screw torque is also a big factor. I try to drill out with a corded drill and then use my cordless to screw in.

Good luck,
Greg///Thanks for the help. I will try a shorter screw. I have been screwing them in by hand. I am sure there is someting I am doing wrong here, but I have follwed the instructions with the jig.

[Rich Aldrich]

Maybe the fine thread screws would work better in fir than coarse thread screws? Just thinking about how "brittle" hardwood tends to be, it seems like fir might behave more like hardwood. I know coarse thread screws will split hardwood - been there, done that. I don't know if you would have the same holding power with a fine thread screw.

[Jim Finn]

an update........I now screw the screws in entirely by hand and use only 1" #6 screws instead of the 1 1/4" suggested. The wood sometimes splits before the screws bottom out. This tool may work well with better wood but it is truly a joke when using fir or pine in this thickness. Very dissapointing tool!

[Matthew Hills]

Looks frustrating.

With this issue, I'd try tweaking the hole placement. Set the jig and bit up for a thinner piece of wood (ie, adjust both the collar on the bit and also reduce the thickness setting on the jig itself). This will pull the screw path back away from the outer edge of your posts, and hopefully reduce the breaking. (you might be able to achieve something similar by putting in a 1/4" shim between the jig and the work piece when you are drilling, although you'll still need to use the shorter screws.

Matt

[Andrew Pitonyak]

Just had a thought....

Make certain that the screw is properly seated in the pocket before screwing. I found that I have a tendency to set the screw so that it is angled out of the pocket hole, which will point the screw towards the edge of the board rather than into the middle of the board, unless I place the screws by hand rather than sticking them in while attached to my screw driver. The difference is subtle.

That said, you are likely not as dim witted as I and it is probably the wood :(

[michael gates]

The corner piece that is splitting isnt a big enough piece of wood, What I mean is if you are driving one screw into it and than another from the other side the screws would hit each other and split the wood. Are you offsetting your pocket screw holes.

Also your lumber may be over dried and brittle. I use several hundred pocket screws in pine per week with hardly any problems.

[Jim Finn]

Thanks for the input. I will try that next time.