- My wood is splitting when driving the self-tapping
screws.
- What screw should I use in 1⁄2" plywood?
- Heads are breaking off when driving the screws.
- What screw type (thread) should I use in
hardwoods, softwoods?
- What screw length should I be using?
My wood is splitting when driving
the self-tapping screws.
The first thing to check is the hardness of the
material you're working with and the thread pitch
of the screw. We always recommend using a fine
thread screw in hardwoods such as oak, maple,
hickory, cherry, walnut and a coarse thread screw
in plywood, particle board, MDF, melamine, pine,
etc. If you are already using a fine thread screw
in hardwoods and are still having trouble, you
may want to try our SPS-F125 or SPS-F150 screw.
These screws have a slightly smaller shank size
than the washer head screws (SML-F###). Lastly,
whenever you encounter problems with materials
splitting it is advised to slow down the speed
of the driver.
What screw should I use in 1⁄2" plywood?
This is normally a drawer box assembly question.
We recommend using the SPS-C1 screw. This is a
pan head coarse thread screw. The pan head is
smaller than the washer head screw and more easily
seats below the surface of the 1/2" material.
The coarse thread provides maximum holding power
in plywood.
Heads are breaking off when driving
the screws. Not
all self-tapping pocket hole screws are created
equal. Our screws are designed with a larger
head than most common self-tapping screws making
them much more likely to strip-out before the
head of the screw breaks off. If you are having
problems with the head breaking off in a box
of KREG Pocket Hole Screws please let us know
so we may make it right with you.
What screw type
(thread) should I use in hardwoods, softwoods?
It is recommended to use a fine thread screw
in hardwoods such as oak, maple, walnut, cherry,
hickory, etc. Use a coarse thread screw in softer
materials such as pine, plywood, melamine, MDF
and particle board.
What screw length should
I be using?
As a general rule, when joining 3/4" stock
to 3/4" stock you will use a 1-1/4"
screw. When joining 1/2" to 1/2" material
use a 1" screw, and to join 1-1/2" to
1-1/2" material use a 2-1/2" screw.
A good way to test the amount of screw penetration
into your second workpiece is to take a scrap
piece of material that is the same thickness as
the stock you will be actually joining and drill
a pocket hole to the desired depth. Run a screw
into the scrap piece. Now hold the scrap piece
up to the second workpiece to visually verify
penetration depth. Adjust for deeper or shallower
thread penetration by changing the setting of
the jig, moving the depth collar or using a different
screw length.
|
