"carbonejim" wrote in message

1: If I don't pre-drill 1/8" holes in my stiles to accept the pocket
screw, the stiles will split almost everytime at the ends.

Among the other responses, be aware that proper stock selection can also
play a role in mitigating splitting.

Go through your stockpile and try to pick stock that is less flat sawn for
your stile stock. IOW, pick those pieces that have more vertical grain and
you will hopefully see a reduction in splitting.

I purposely do this when buying a load of stock destined for face frames,
and still have the occasional split. ... it comes with the territory, and
how well you recover is the key, so don't necessarily give up on the ones
that are split. If you haven't already done so, you may be surprised at how
many FF's can be rescued when repaired, in situ, with yellow glue and good
clamping pressure.

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Last update: 8/08/07
KarlC@ (the obvious)