"carbonejim" wrote in message
ups.com...
Make sure that the drill collar is set to the correct depth. The pilot
hole
should be just shy of fully penetrating the end of the rail. Pilot holes
are not necessary in the mating piece.
CLAMP the two pieces together with the Kreg clamp. Center the wide side
of
the clamp over the pocket hole side joint line.
I cannot say that I have ever had a splitting problem unless the screw
was
less than 1/8" from the end of the wood. If your rails and stiles are
3/4"
wide, this may be a problem with the larger screws. You may want to make
certain that you are using a #7 or smaller diameter screw.
Can you post a picture of the problem?- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -
My stiles and rails are 1.5" wide (and 3/4" thick)
That should not be a problem unless the screw is too close to the end of the
stile. If the screw is a good 1/4" from the end you should have no
problems.
I initially put the stile and rail in a 90" clamp, but got the split
issue. Now I'm face clamping the stile to the table and another face
clamp on the rail. The two pieces separate while driving the screw
before they pull together. Maybe I'm driving them too slowly? I
might be a bit gun shy now that I split 3 stiles.
The 90 degree clamp may be the problem. It is not unusual for the pieces to
slightly seperate when driving the screw and using the Kreg clamp. If your
clamps do not clamp the pieces tightly together and there is by chance a gap
at the joint that cannot be easily pulled shut by the screw you may split
the mating piece. It is important that the joint can be pulled closed by
the screw. The common Kreg clamp typically will allow some slight slippage
and it's function is more to keep the bottom faces of the rails and stiles
on the same plane. Let the screws pull the joint tight. Do not clamp so
tight that the screws cannot pull the joint closed if there is a gap.
I was using some of the Irwin quick clamps - but have a Kreg Bench
Clamp that might have more holding power. Funny - the picture in this
link shows what I could do -- is this a hint!! (http://
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?p...97&filter=kreg)
The Kreg bench clamp is very useful and IMHO is better than the single hand
clamp. If you will notice, even the bench clamp will allow some slight
movement but absolutely keeps the opposite surfaces on the same plane. When
driving the screw you may still see some slight seperation when the screw
penetrates the mating piece however the gap will close when the screw
tightens. If the pieces cannot move you stand the chance of splitting the
mating piece.
Is this the Kreg clamp that you use? Kreg Face Clamp (http://
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?p...17&filter=kreg)
I use this one also but more often use the above clamp.
Tonight I'll double check my drill bit stop to insure correct depth.
Snap a few pics of what I am trying. I'll also try a few different
techniques of driving speed, drill torque and clamping techniques.
Thanks for the tips - I'll work on my technique now that I hear that
others do not need pilot holes. I agree that pilot holes are not the
best scenario. I worried about holding power too, so I also glued the
rail and style together.
The screws by themselves make a strong joint and especially when joining
edge grain to edge grain however unless you plan to disassemble the joint I
would always recommend adding glue tot he mix.