Pocket-Hole Joinery

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Pocket-Hole Joint being assembled.
Pocket-Hole Joint being assembled.

Pocket-Hole Joinery, or Pocket-Screw Joinery, or Kreg Joinery involves drilling a hole at an angle into one workpiece, and then joining it to a second workpiece with a self-tapping screw. The technique, in addition to doweling, has its roots in ancient Egypt. Egyptians clamped two workpieces together and bored a hole at an angle from the outside workpiece into the second workpiece. They then inserted a dowel with glue, and cut it off flush with the outermost surface.

[edit] Benefits

  • Because the screws act as internal clamps holding the joint together, glue is unnecessary (but usually recommended) for most common joints. If glue is used, clamping is not required because of the ‘internal clamps’ holding the joint together while the glue dries.
  • Requires only one hole to be drilled, eliminating the need to precisely line up mating workpieces, as is required with dowel and mortise and tenon joints.
  • Does not require any complex mathematics or measurements, such as those used in mortise and tenon joints.
  • Modern Pocket-Hole Jigs such as the Kreg Jig allow simple wood joints to be created very quickly, with only a few steps.
  • Because Pocket-Hole Joinery doesn't require access to the inside of the joint, you can make quick repairs without completely disassembling the joint. Fixing a squeaky chair, or strengthening furniture is as easy as adding a few pocket holes, and using the screws to pull the two pieces together.

[edit] Applications

Angles

Aprons

Beveled corners

Curves

Edge Banding

Edge Joining

Euro-Style Cabinets

Face frames

Cabinet frames

Leg rails

Picture frames

Stairs

Window jambs

[edit] External links

  • Introduction to Pocket-Hole Joinery - A video which deomonstrates the simplicity of the Pocket-Hole Joinery technique, gives real-world examples of completed projects, and promotes the Kreg brand of Pocket-Hole Jigs through third party testimonials and straight forward examples.
  • Pocket-Hole Jig Interactive Tour - An interactive tour of a common Pocket-Hole Jig. Tour provides graphic illustrations and video clips which demonstrate how the jig is operated.