Problem with Pocket hole screws

[Stuart Reid]

I have been doing some building of shop stuff for storage and I am having a problem with the pocket hole screws coming through the other piece of plywood. I am using 3/4" plywood and the recommended screw size is 1 1/4". The tip of the screws keep popping through about 1/16 - 1/8" and I have to use my angle grinder to cut them off. I have shortened the length of the pocket hole drill, down to about 1/8" less than the recommended length for 3/4" wood with the same outcome. Should I be shortening the drill length even more or am I doing something else wrong?
Stu

[Robert Engel]

What kind of screws are you using? You should use the flange head screws on ply. If not, the ply can collapsing under the head, allowing it to go too deep. You also have to be especially careful with impact drivers (I don't recommend using them for pocket screws).

With ply I use the larger flange head screws, coarse thread and never have an issue.

That said, be sure both the guide block for and drill collar have to be set for the thickness you're drilling into

On a Kreg jig, place the bit in the guide and set the collar so the bit is about 1/8" off the bottom.

Hope this helps!!

[George Bokros]

Remember 3/4" ply is really approx 23/32.

[Stuart Reid]

What kind of screws are you using? You should use the flange head screws on ply. If not, the ply can collapsing under the head, allowing it to go too deep. You also have to be especially careful with impact drivers (I don't recommend using them for pocket screws).

With ply I use the larger flange head screws, coarse thread and never have an issue.

That said, be sure both the guide block for and drill collar have to be set for the thickness you're drilling into

On a Kreg jig, place the bit in the guide and set the collar so the bit is about 1/8" off the bottom.

Hope this helps!!


That may be my problem, I am using an impact driver to drive the screws. I am using the Kreg 1 1/4" pan head screws that are recommended for plywood. I will switch to a less aggressive driver and see what happens. Thanks for the tip!

Stu

[lowell holmes]

I would use screws that are short enough to not penetrate the board after the joint is made.

[scott vroom]

I would never use an impact driver for pocket screws. Better choice is a driver-drill with the clutch set at a level that won't over drive the screw. On my Makita drill I typically use a clutch setting of 7 or 8.

[Jim Becker]

I would never use an impaBetter choice is a driver-drill with the clutch set at a level that won't over drive the screw. On my Makita drill I typically use a clutch setting of 7 or 8.
Ditto...it's very likely driving the screws beyond the bottom of the pocket by shear force. Normal DD with the long driver bit and the clutch set to disengage when the screws are snug.

[glenn bradley]

I would never use an impact driver for pocket screws. Better choice is a driver-drill with the clutch set at a level that won't over drive the screw. On my Makita drill I typically use a clutch setting of 7 or 8.

Ditto here as well .

[Rick Potter]

Plus one on overtightening. I use a T handle screwdriver to do the final snug on mine, to avoid that problem.

Just to clarify...you should be using coarse thread 'washer head' Kreg screws,which look like they have a built in small washer. Not the pan head screws, which have a smaller but thicker head. Coarse thread screws for plywood and soft woods, fine thread screws for hardwood.

Hope this helps.

[Larry Frank]

No impact driver.
I use an electric drill and set clutch to not over drive.

[Mark Bolton]

We run pocket screws on a daily basis all with impact. If operator error cant be dealt with then youll have to look to other means. If your tips are poking through you should just back off your drill depth by 1/16 or 3/32. A drill is an inanimate object. It is controled only by those of us with thumbs.

[John TenEyck]

An 18V impact driver might be too powerful for this application, but I have no issues with my 12V. You hear the tool change it's tone when the screw has pulled the two pieces of wood together. That's your que to stop.

John

[Mark Bolton]

Johnny on the spot. Timing and your ear are dead on the money. A monkey will drive a screw clear through a cab back with an impact. Pay attention and you can run screws all day long far better than a non impact and your batteries will last WAY longer because your not bogging/drawing down/stalling the motor. Thats the #1 battery suck on a cordless tool. I'd be 100 years older by the time I got a cabinet out the door if I had to torque every pocket hole screw by hand or with a secondary tool.

[Bradley Gray]

All good advice so far. I didn't notice anyone mentioning that the pocket hole dill guide block can be raised to deal with screws going through.

[Mark Bolton]

All good advice so far. I didn't notice anyone mentioning that the pocket hole dill guide block can be raised to deal with screws going through.

Or you just slide your stop collar on the drill towards the tip 1/16" and done.

[Steve Fish]

Test your set up on some scrap and spare the grinder. I don’t seem to fiddle with the settings very often but if I do I’ll run a scrap test and sometimes run two screws over tightening the second one to see how much room for error I have. Yup, impact driver. Just gotta pay attention

[Bob Cooper]

Look inside and see if the wood is splitting.

[johnny means]

That much screw pop on every screw doesn't seem like over driving to me. I'd re-check my entire setup.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

Make sure you do not drill too deep.

Pretty sure you are using the correct screws

Be sure to position the board properly, if you are too close to the edge, they might stick out there.

[lowell holmes]

Experiment on scrap until you get it right.

[Steve Fish]

Yeah I definitely like to test on scrap first. Maybe run one test screw down a little too far to see how much room for error you have. Keep your jig clean too, those shavings can end up in the perfectly wrong place sometimes

[Carl Beckett]

Checking the guide block setting might also change where the drill centers (just something to check)
Then set drill depth stop. Check how deep the flat part of the counterbore sits - that determines screw depth and hold a screw/scrap there to see if it will break through or not.
I tend to not use the pan heads on plywood because they are smaller dia, but use the screws that have the larger washer type flange on them
And I use an impact. There might be less 'feel' than if I used a driver with a torque limit. Maybe I should use the driver. But still, I use the impact.

[Greg Parrish]

Double check your screw length. Maybe the wrong screws in package and mislabeled.

[lowell holmes]

Small packages of screws are cheep. I keep several packages of different sizes so I will have some that are right.

[John McKissick]

I found same thing with my Kreg K5. I now set up as per instructions then back off the collar stop 1/16" to 3/32" especially for 3/4" and thinner stock. Still get enough grip