Warning: I keep seeing people skip the glue step on pocket holes

Honestly, I've been on three job sites this month where guys were putting together face frames and just driving the screws straight in. Tbh, that joint will move over time, especially with humidity changes. I learned the hard way after a built-in I made for a client in Tampa started to creak after about a year. Now I always put a dab of wood glue in the hole before the screw. Has anyone else found a better way to lock those joints down for good?

3 comments

3 Comments

dylanbarnes25d ago

My uncle’s old workbench has pocket holes from the 80s, no glue, and it’s still solid as a rock.

mila_craig424d ago

A buddy of mine tried to rebuild a kitchen table from the 70s, and the pocket holes were so rusted he had to drill them out. Thing still didn't wiggle, even with half the screws missing. Makes you wonder if they built stuff better back then, or if we just overthink it now. Your uncle's bench, @dylanbarnes, sounds like the same kind of tank.

bettykim2d ago

Maybe they used different wood back then, like old growth lumber that moves less. Modern pine from a big box store just doesn't act the same way. It makes sense that older projects held up without glue.