Pocket hole location

[john davey]

Does it matter which side i put a pocket hole. i am building a stand for my bench grinder. It is basically just a box with a lid. four sides and a top. or an upside down drawer. I would like to put the pocket holes inside the box since it will look better but am wondering if it would be stronger if i added them to the outside??? 3/4" MDF. And for the record if it will be stronger on the outside I don't really care what a bench grinder stand looks like :).... Thanks, John.

[Jay Jolliffe]

I don't think it would make a difference what side you put them on. I really don't think that any one side would be stronger. Could be wrong....I always put them where you don't see them....

[frank shic]

i prefer to keep them on the inside as long as there's enough room to get the driver in position.

[Todd Burch]

Pocket Hole construction + MDF = recipe for disaster. I would suggest confirmat screws.

[Tom Willoughby]

I don't think that it makes a difference for strength whether the pocket holes are on the inside or outside but I typically try to put them where they are least visible... unless you want to dissassemble it in which case access would be important.

Tom

[John Gregory]

+1 on what Todd said


Pocket Hole construction + MDF = recipe for disaster. I would suggest confirmat screws.

[Van Huskey]

Pocket Hole construction + MDF = recipe for disaster. I would suggest confirmat screws.

Make that +2

[Craig Michael]

As others have said, mdf does not hold screws well. I would be ok with pocket screws but i would back them with added glue blocks, etc. A pocket screw is not strong in mdf, the glue on the joint adds a lot with mdf.

[HANK METZ]

Like you said, it's just a grinder stand, so one isn't expecting dovetail joints. I'd go for the simplest: glue and face screw, save the pocket screws for something that merits their use.

- Beachside Hank
The use of nails in fine furniture is to be abhorred- drywall screws are preferred.

[john davey]

Well, I now agree that the pocket hole screws and MDF don't really get along. I did do this the way I planned. I added a drawer to the unit mainly as I was adding support braces inside and it hit my these might as well be drawer runners. Here are a few pics of the thing. It will hold but I will most likely not use pocket hole joinery with MDF for anything bigger or that might need more support. I do like it at the end of the lathe though....John

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[Prashun Patel]

Looks nice. I think this was a perfect way to 'experiment' with MDF and pocketscrews.

I honestly have not found a great way to join MDF in any kind of stress receiving joint. The problem isn't the joint - it's the MDF. Even a glued mdf joint rips easily apart.

For jigs and things like yr stand, though, pocketscrews are a fast way to a passable solution.

[frank shic]

nice "shop cabinets" btw ;)

[john davey]

Ha, free is the only good thing I have to say about them. they were pulls from an install a friend of mine did.

[Greg Portland]

Does it matter which side i put a pocket hole. i am building a stand for my bench grinder. It is basically just a box with a lid. four sides and a top. or an upside down drawer. I would like to put the pocket holes inside the box since it will look better but am wondering if it would be stronger if i added them to the outside??? 3/4" MDF. And for the record if it will be stronger on the outside I don't really care what a bench grinder stand looks like :).... Thanks, John.
It absolutely matters for high strength applications. From the inside you're only getting the tip of the screw into a corner of the board. From the other direction there is more wood around the tip. Having said all that, I agree with the confirmat screw suggestion when working with MDF.

[frank shic]

that mdf dust is sooooooooooooooooo sticky...