M&T or Pocket Screws...

[Greg Cuetara]

252247
I am in the process of starting to build a dresser. I have already built one but it was smaller for one of my sons so now building another to match for the other son. As you can see in the attached picture on the left side there are three wide drawers and I am going to match that but make it taller to have 6 drawers. The legs of the dresser will be 1 1/2" x 1 7/8". I will have 1 1/2" wide x 3/4" thick pieces which go between the drawers and the drawer fronts will be full overlay. On this dresser / changing table I put everything together with mortise and tenon joinery and that worked good. For the new dresser I was thinking of cutting back on the M&T and using pocket screws for the horizontial pieces. This is mostly a time thing and ease of construction. I have used the pocket screws on other pieces and they seem like they are very strong and considering the horiz. pieces are not really structure or holding up the drawers I was thinking this would be ok....any thoughts? I will have dust frames inside which will support the full weight of the drawers.

[Peter Quinn]

What holds up the dust frames? On a dresser or drawer bank type thing I'd generally make the horizontal frame members the front edge of the dust frames, so the point becomes moot. You could probably dovetail them in fairly easily. Pocket holes are quick and effective,, but they don't resist racking particularly well on narrow parts. I guess I'd have to see the whole designs from the inside to make form an educated opinion, but my instincts say skip the screws for that type of case work and go with a better form of joinery or redesign the thing to stream line joinery. If it is built like kitchen cabinets with relatively wide FF members glued to a plywood carcass then it may be fine.

[Carl Beckett]

I did one where I put the whole thing together with pocket screws (not only the horizontals but also the side rail/stiles).

On another, I made shallow dado's for the horizontal pieces and then pocket screwed them.

Both came out very sturdy. And pocket screws were fast.

[Lee Schierer]

Both will work, it depends on what you expect the life of the dresser to be. For me I would probably to M&T as I have the tools and the time.

By the way I think what you are building is called a Chifforobe or since the top is stepped it can also be called a Dressing Table if used for a baby. A baby changing pad would normally go on the left side as shown in your photo.

[Richard Coers]

I agree with Lee. Sure, pocket screws will work. But consider how long we are here, and how long our furniture will be here. I fully expect my furniture to last for many generations. Saving 10 hours on a piece of furniture that will last 100 years doesn't make sense.

[Greg Cuetara]

Lee the picture is of what I have already built and I hope to build a traditional dresser but with the same details etc. but thank you to both you and Richard I think you are correct that I should just suck it up and do it right with mortise and tenons...

[Dave Novak]

Unless you plan on swinging a sledge hammer against it, pocket screws will last every bit as long as M&T. Wherever they'll be hidden, I'd recommend saving the time and trouble.

[Jeff Monson]

Family heirloom dresser, I'd definately go with M&T or loose tenon joinery.

[Michael Moscicki]

Mortise and Tenon.

Simple way to make tenons on the table saw.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CC3YRR52D_w

[Jim Rimmer]

Family heirloom dresser, I'd definately go with M&T or loose tenon joinery.
+1 on mortise & tenon

[Harold Burrell]

Sure, pocket screws will work. But consider how long we are here...

Oh, well...in that case...at my age...maybe I will start using scotch tape for my joinery. ;)

[Mike Heidrick]

With todays glue, none of us will see the difference in glue and pocket screws vs. M&T. Your pride might tell you M&T and that's fine. Don't think for a second a face frame glued and pocket screwed will wear out before you do or the kid getting it.

[Jeff Monson]

With todays glue, none of us will see the difference in glue and pocket screws vs. M&T. Your pride might tell you M&T and that's fine. Don't think for a second a face frame glued and pocket screwed will wear out before you do or the kid getting it.

Mike, I believe that for faceframe cabinets, pocket screws and glue will not fail in my lifetime. I do believe however that a dresser, or piece of furniture that will be moved around, drug around, pushed and pulled on, should have more sufficient joinery than pocket screws. I've seen a few dressers that have loose M&T joints from racking that still get the job done, but a failed pocket screw joint would be a bit worse IMO. Maybe I just dont have enough faith in pocket screws for furniture construction? Not doubting your opinion in the least.

[Peter Quinn]

With todays glue, none of us will see the difference in glue and pocket screws vs. M&T. Your pride might tell you M&T and that's fine. Don't think for a second a face frame glued and pocket screwed will wear out before you do or the kid getting it.

Tell you what, I'll make you a 40' ladder using pocket screws, and you can climb up to the top and work off of it to test it! I've actually worked off of a wooden ladder that tall, but it was made with pinned M&T joints. Reason I mention it is that I've caught mine and plenty of other kids pulling out the drawers and climbing them like a ladder, so I'm going to stick to solid wood joinery on narrow case parts. With that short fulcrum the joint is easy to rack,, I'm not trusting a butt joint and a little glue. Pocket screws sure have their place, not sure drawer dividers are it. Plus ,trying to assemble the front frame is actually easier IME with tenons to act as alignment aids, trying to glue up a five drawer chest with that many pocket screws coming together at once and nothing to align them will get hairy quick. Or do you glue the joints one at a time and thus have to rack the sides back a bit to get the glue in? Not to mention the squeeze out on a stain grade piece, which you can actually control on a mortise, not so much with pocket screws IME.