Just talked with an old cabinetmaker who said he never uses pocket hole screws

Ran into a retired guy at the lumber yard Thursday who said he builds everything with dowels and glue only, called pocket holes a crutch. Made me wonder if I've been taking the easy way out on face frames. Any of you build without pocket screws for certain joints?

2 comments

2 Comments

mark_fisher482d ago

Man that old timer sounds like my uncle. He's the same way about almost everything. He still sharpens his own lawnmower blades with a file and calls battery powered tools a waste of money. I think there's a pattern with these guys where they learned one way back in the 70s and just stuck with it forever. Dowels are fine but they're not the be all end all. Pocket screws have their place especially when you're building fast and need something strong enough. But I also think some of these old timers just like feeling superior about doing things the hard way. It's like how my grandpa insisted on using a hand saw instead of a circular saw. Sure it works but who's got time for that?

the_jenny2d ago

My buddy tried to tell his grandpa that a cordless drill would make building a birdhouse way faster. The old man just handed him a hand drill and said "this has never let me down." Spent the whole afternoon cranking that thing while his grandpa finished two birdhouses with the same tool he's used since 1982. Still won't admit the battery powered one might have been easier.