Kreg Screws Move allignment

[Jim Riseborough]

Anyone else have issues where when you tighten a Kreg scew, due to the angle it pulls the wood out of alignment? Even clamping it, it still moves? What am I doing wrong?

[George Bokros]

Must be clamped very tightly and I use a clamping square to help keep it aligned. I have also drilled a pilot hole thru the drilled pocket hole into the piece the screw is going into.

[Travis Porter]

I agree with George. I am building a kitchen right now and have the same experience and workaround. It has to be tightly clamped.

[Jim Riseborough]

Thanks,
on one corner I tried to put a block of wood to hold it tight, it helped a bit, I guess I need to eat my Wheaties and crack the pressure up on the clamps!

[Jim Becker]

It can be surprising at just how much force comes from tightening a simple screw. :) Clamp away!

[Andrew Pitonyak]

Yes, I have for sure had this problem, very annoying. Clamp well and carefully.

[John Gornall]

Try a few dowels for alignment, clamp, and then screw

[Erik Christensen]

i always throw a few domino's in so I do not have to try to fight this - dowels also work

[Adam Herman]

I like to clamp the faces or a board on the corner to help hold the face square.

[Jim Riseborough]

i always throw a few domino's in so I do not have to try to fight this - dowels also work
Not a bad idea, but point of the system is to glue, clamp, and screw. I will just have to compensate for it in the future and clamp the heck of of it!

[Jim Dwight]

I think the prior comments are talking about applying force in the same direction as the screw (minus the angle) which I agree helps a lot. I also have the vise grip pliers type of clamp that just align the two pieces. That also helps and is easier to use sometimes. Sometimes a pin nail or two helps. Sometimes I start slightly mis-aligned so the screw will pull it to alignment.

[Ken Kortge]

Anyone else have issues where when you tighten a Kreg scew, due to the angle it pulls the wood out of alignment? Even clamping it, it still moves? What am I doing wrong?

Jim, which direction is the material moving for you? Away from the pocket hole side? Toward the pocket hole side? Or at 90 degree angles from the pocket hole side? Or a combination of these?

[Joe Jensen]

For me the Kreg screw system just doesn't work. The only way to keep a joint from eventually slipping for me was to glue and screw. And with they you are often counting on end grain glue success. The physics are such that the screw wants to move the joint. Once I got a domino I gave up on the Kreg system. I may some day get a Castle system.

[richard poitras]

The Castle system does not slip like the Kreg due to the hole / screw angle. But at a price as the Castle unit costs a lot more.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Don't push too hard on driver. Let do it's thing. Clamp very tightly

[Eric Van Cronk]

i always throw a few domino's in so I do not have to try to fight this - dowels also work

Why double down with dominoes and pocket screws? I’d think that the domino would suffice (go easy on me I’m a newbie to woodworking”

[Ken Krawford]

If you’re using 2 screws per joint, drive the first screw in but stop just after it crosses the joint. Then drive the second screw in part way and go back and tighten the first one. This usually works for me.

[John Lanciani]

Why double down with dominoes and pocket screws? I’d think that the domino would suffice (go easy on me I’m a newbie to woodworking”

I sometimes use dominoes with pocket screws too. The domino provides the strength, the screws let me assemble without clamps and keep moving while the glue dries. Sort of the best of both worlds in some situations.

[Malcolm McLeod]

I build kitchen cabinets with all the face-frames assembled and attached to the carcasses with pocket screws. I can echo others comments on clamping.

I built an MDF assembly table as an auxiliary top to my old bench with a low fence on 2 edges. The fences were exactly perpendicular and allowed me to start assembly with a known square corner, and then work out from that point. All of the frame pieces were clamped face down, tight to the table at both ends, and to the fence(s), so there was no twist or deflection. The front faces of adjoining pieces register off of a common flat reference. ...Probably lots of ways to get there, but this worked for me.

[Jim Riseborough]

Jim, which direction is the material moving for you? Away from the pocket hole side? Toward the pocket hole side? Or at 90 degree angles from the pocket hole side? Or a combination of these?
Its moving down, or in the direction of the screw. These are perpendicular pieces, so yes away from the pocket.

[Al Launier]

If you’re using 2 screws per joint, drive the first screw in but stop just after it crosses the joint. Then drive the second screw in part way and go back and tighten the first one. This usually works for me.

That makes a lot of sense having the screws work with each other early on to help control potential movement. I'll be using the Kreg pocket screw system for the first time, so I'll keep the above comments in mind, especially yours.

Thanks to all, a good thread indeed.

[Lee Schierer]

I don't have slippage issues as long as use the vise grip style clamps that came with my Kreg jigs. I also found that off brand screws generally don't work as well as the Kreg screws. If you are gluing your joints that are being screwed, back off on the amount of glue you apply and/or spread it with a brush so it is a thin layer on each half of the joint so it doesn't act as a lubricant in the joint due to too much liquid.

[Ken Kortge]

Its moving down, or in the direction of the screw. These are perpendicular pieces, so yes away from the pocket.

Somewhere ... a long time ago ... I saw a recommendation to clamp an "anchor" board on the receiving material so it prevents the pocket hole material from moving away from the pocket hole. Makes sense, though a bit more work.

Aha! Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWI6QppYBFE

[Travis Porter]

For me the Kreg screw system just doesn't work. The only way to keep a joint from eventually slipping for me was to glue and screw. And with they you are often counting on end grain glue success. The physics are such that the screw wants to move the joint. Once I got a domino I gave up on the Kreg system. I may some day get a Castle system.

I want a castle when I grow up. It is a two part process, but seems much more stable.

[Jaze Derr]

If you’re using 2 screws per joint, drive the first screw in but stop just after it crosses the joint. Then drive the second screw in part way and go back and tighten the first one. This usually works for me.

I've found this to work well. Don't completely tighten until a couple screws are in.

[larry senen]

http://www.castleusa.com/products/castle-100-pocket-hole-machine.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMImYiGy9r11wIVFNVkCh0 xHgPrEAAYASAAEgInBPD_BwE

new bench top model.

[Jim Becker]

That bench-top version looks nice, Larry. Thanks for posting it. Folks will likely need to construct some material support for longer/bigger materials, of course, but that holds true for even the floor models of many kinds of machines.

[Art Mann]

I suppose I must be a a genius or have the magic touch but I never have problems with the wood slipping while installing pocket screws. I clamp the joint just as if I were gluing it right before driving the screws. When I release the clamps, the wood doesn't change. I am happy with the Kreg jig and feel no need to switch to some other brand. I couldn't imagine using pocket screws if I were using either dowels or dominos. Either is stronger and looks better, correctly installed.

[Mike Heidrick]

Id pay attention to the rpm of your driver for your Kreg screws too. You want 2000rpm or more.

[Leo Graywacz]

One of the main mistakes people make when drilling the hole for the Kreg screw is to drill through. This is incorrect. Your hole should be about 1/8" shy from poking through. What this does is it makes a tight hole when the screw pokes though and engages the board you are clamping to.

Another secret is keep the clamp on the joint for about a minute after the screw is sert so the glue has time to set up a bit.

Someone else mentioned to not use to much glue on the joint because it'll act like a lubricant. I agree with this.

You also have to make sure the two boards you are joining are pressed tight against each other. If there is a gap, even a small one, it will let the board misalign when the screw finally pulls them together.

I use the Kreg vise type clamp to hold the two boards in alignment. There are two plates on the clamp. A large one and a smaller one. The large one goes on the side without the screw and the small one on the side with the screw. The small plate should be just under the pocket hole when it's clamped. The pressure should be tight, but you don't have to kill it either.

Don't drill the hole through the board.
Don't use excessive glue.
Make sure the boards are in tight contact.
Make sure the clamps are in the proper place.
Wait a minute or two for the glue to set after you set the screw.

I use the 10.8v micro Makita impact driver to drive the screws.
I usually have less than 5 thou of slippage. The last job I did was a veneered plywood wainscoting. The veneers are 17 thou thick, so you really need to be careful about slippage. I didn't have a single sand through in 52 feet of wainscoting.

[George Bokros]

Id pay attention to the rpm of your driver for your Kreg screws too. You want 2000rpm or more.

My understanding from the jig directions is you need the 2000 RPM speed for drilling the hole not driving the screw. If I am incorrect please feel free to correct me.

[Jim Becker]

My understanding from the jig directions is you need the 2000 RPM speed for drilling the hole not driving the screw. If I am incorrect please feel free to correct me.
Correct, AFAIK. Drilling is a higher speed operation. Driving is personal, but I prefer low speed for that.

[Bernie Kopfer]

Several years ago I built a large face frame fo a built in cabinet. Clamped it well and when done it was flush all around. Came back the nextday and every joint was misaligned a couple of thousands. My fingers could feel it and it was noticeable upon close visual inspection. What amazed me was that it was every joint and uniform. Took it apart and reassembled but this time with a small amount of glue. Problem solved.

[Joe Jensen]

Several years ago I built a large face frame fo a built in cabinet. Clamped it well and when done it was flush all around. Came back the nextday and every joint was misaligned a couple of thousands. My fingers could feel it and it was noticeable upon close visual inspection. What amazed me was that it was every joint and uniform. Took it apart and reassembled but this time with a small amount of glue. Problem solved.

I had the same thing happen. Then I glued and clamped and screwed. Once I got the Domino I decided that was just a quick and no risk of misalignment