The debate over using pocket screws vs traditional joinery for cabinet face frames

I spent last weekend building a set of kitchen cabinets for my daughter's house. I planned for 3 hours of assembly time for the face frames. It took me 8 hours start to finish because I kept second guessing which method to use. Pocket screws are fast and strong enough for most work, but an old timer at the lumber yard told me I was cutting corners. I ended up doing half with pocket screws and half with dowels and glue just to see which held better. Now I'm not sure which way to go going forward. Has anyone else run into this debate and found a clear winner for daily use?

3 comments

3 Comments

river_allen3d ago

Just build the cabinets man. Pocket screws are fine. Unless you're building some heirloom piece that'll get passed down for generations, nobody's gonna care how you joined the face frames.

drew5517d ago

Have you noticed any difference yet in how the two halves hold up over time...

the_jessica3d ago

Oh man, the "hold up over time" thing. I must have laughed out loud when I read that. lol My left half is basically a museum piece at this point - faded, saggy, and holding on for dear life. The right half though? She's thriving, still perky like she's got a personal trainer. I swear one side's living in 2015 and the other's already time traveled to 2025. It's a whole vibe honestly, just not the one I was hoping for.