covering up pocket holes on a 1/2 drawer side - sticking out

[laura vianello]

Hello, I made 6 drawers with per-finished drawer sides. I used pocket holes (1") but they are protruding a little bit. My drawers are inside drawers for a cabinet in the basement so they do not have to be that fancy, however I would like to be able to cover the front with some sort of thin panel to cover those eye sore holes (a real wood front drawer (1/2 or 3/4" thick) will not fit the depth of the cab and it will be $$$. For the last 2 drawers, I made the holes in the inside so I do not have visible holes but for 4 of them they are visible and those holes bug me. Is there any way I can cover? See my pic. Thanks

[Adam Herman]

you could get the 12 in x 4 foot iron on veneer in birch.

[Mike Romo]

I don't know how particular you want to get, but Kreg sells plugs that will fit into those holes. Glue them in, cut flush and sand down.

[laura vianello]

The screws are protruding so the plugs will not work. Thanks anyway

[laura vianello]

May i attach the veneer to pre finish drawer sides? They have been poly. It is a good idea but I am wondering. Thanks!!

[Gerry Grzadzinski]

Use a file to get the screw heads flush, then sand the front with 120-150 grit paper.
Fill the holes with bondo and sand smooth and flush.
Then you can apply veneer.

[laura vianello]

It will be requiring too much filing. The drawer side were cheated 1/2" :(The screws stick out a bit). I can add up to a 1/4 panel and just bore a little for the screw to set in but...would it look ok? Should the panel be solid wood or BB?

[Jim Becker]

The screws are protruding so the plugs will not work. Thanks anyway
Did you use the correct screws for 1/2" material and setup the drill for 1/2" material? The screw heads should not be protruding at all...the pockets are not deep enough I suspect. That said, you can cover with veneer/thin stock, but you'll have to sand down those screw heads first to get it to be flush for putting on the cover.

[Brett Luna]

Did you use the correct screws for 1/2" material and setup the drill for 1/2" material? The screw heads should not be protruding at all...the pockets are not deep enough I suspect. That said, you can cover with veneer/thin stock, but you'll have to sand down those screw heads first to get it to be flush for putting on the cover.

Agreed. But before going through the pain of filing them down, I'd try drilling at least one a little deeper to see how it worked out.

[Malcolm McLeod]

If those are the standard Kreg pocket hole screws, the 'washer' head is a larger diameter than a typical pan-head screw. You might be able to get them to sit flush, and maybe even recessed, by replacing with a different screw??

...maybe beats filing and or re-drilling.

Edit: In fact Kreg shows Pan-Head recommended for 1/2", and the 'Maxi-Loc' for thicker material. OP's photo looks very Maxi-ish.

[larry senen]

Find some screws with smaller heads and don't over tighten when you replace the washerheads you used. I don't usually use them at first because of over tightening, but they should be fine if you're careful.

[John Blazy]

Man, haven't any of you used an angle grinder before? When I ran a pro cabinet shop, we used 4" angle grinders ALL the time for flushing protruding screws, nail heads, etc. WWAAAYYY faster than filing or sanding the metal. With practice you can flush the metal exactly to the surface.

Then glue a pc of 1/8" masonite or Duron Hardboard over the whole face and paint it. No need to fill the cavities if 1/8 material will cover it. Or use 1/16" formica. Even posterboard / illustration board from a craft store will cover without needing to fill. But then again, filling with bondo is pretty quick, then sand and paint it.

If those were in my shop, I could make those heads disappear in only 20 minutes of work.

[laura vianello]

The pocket holes I used are Pan Head but still are sticking out a little...may be 1/32-1/16 out. They are 7 x 1 Coarse Kreg Pocket Hole Screw Pan-Head Zinc SPS-C1-250. They were the ones recommended for 1/2 plywood. The plywood was not 1/2" as on the specs. After I drilled way too many holes I asked my hubby to take a caliper home and I figured out that the thickness was not 1/2". Too late to re-do them $$$$. I do not think I can have a smaller head than Pan head. I was envisioning to leave the drawers as wood drawers not to paint. Too bad, thanks for all of your suggestions.

[Jim Dwight]

5mm luan is commonly available at the big box stores and sometimes has interesting grain. It is less than 1/4 thick. You might want to take a look. with a coat or two of poly it could have a pretty decent appearance. A shallow hole on the backside could receive the screw heads.

[Dan Rude]

Kreg now makes a #6 3/4" Screw for 1/2" material. It is sized for the Micro-Jig. I would just grind them and use either Durhams water putty or Bondo like the others. Dan

[Deb Malloy]

Can you take the front out and flip it over ?

[Cody Jensen]

The thickness of the actual plywood shouldn't impact if the screw head is sticking out. It is how deep you drill the hole with the guide. If it is too thin of material, you will just drill through the other side, not make a shallower hole. I think there is something wrong with either the screw heads or the depth stop with drilling.

[mark mcfarlane]

Can you take the front out and flip it over ?

Good idea, but I would try this on one of the back pieces first.

You will probably hit the same screw holes in the side pieces, but they will be angled the wrong way and that may make it difficult to keep the corner aligned correctly. Make a little right angle jig / clamp assembly to hold the corner very steady and try it on a back panel using new (sharp) screws. Pre-drilling through the pocket hole and into the sides may help make this work better, just don't drill too deep into the sides.

[Jim Becker]

I think there is something wrong with either the screw heads or the depth stop with drilling.
Agree. It's most likely the depth of the pocket that's slightly off in my experience with 1/2" material. Water over the dam for the current drawers as they are likely glued, but important for future projects that the OP does. It only takes a "proverbial hair" too little (or too much) depth to make things not work well and with 1/2" material, there is less flexibility than there is with thicker stock in that respect.

[Justin Ludwig]

80 grit sand paper will knock 1/32 to 1/16 off the screw. Sand the rest of the face with 80 grit to rough up the poly. Glue a wood veneer or contact cement a paper back veneer over it. Done.

Your screws are protruding because the holes aren't deep enough.