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Pocket screws vs dowels for face frames, my 40 door test | Cabinetmakers - Guest Forum

Pocket screws vs dowels for face frames, my 40 door test

I've been building cabinet doors for years and always used dowels. Last month I had a 40 door order for a kitchen remodel in Akron, so I decided to try pocket screws on half of them just to see. The pocket screw doors went together probably 3x faster, no clamping time waiting for glue to set. But I noticed the dowel doors felt more solid when I twist tested them, especially the wider panels. My worry is that pocket screws will show gaps over time if the wood moves, but dowels really are a pain when you need to adjust a joint after it's dry. Has anyone done a long term comparison, like 5 years plus, on which one holds up better in a real kitchen with humidity swings?

2 comments

2 Comments

spencer_nelson9128d ago

The part about "felt more solid when I twist tested them" hits home because I used to swear pocket screws were just as good, no question. Then I built a set of shop cabinets with them and after two humid summers here in Ohio the stiles started showing little gaps at the joints, nothing huge but you could see it. Dowels take way longer and yeah adjusting a joint after the glue dries is a nightmare, but the long grain to long grain glue surface is what actually holds up. Pocket screws are mostly mechanical, the screw holes get loose when the wood shrinks and swells over and over. So I flipped on this one, for a kitchen that sees real humidity swings I'd stick with dowels on the doors and save the pocket screws for shop stuff or paint grade where gaps won't bug you.

davis.gavin28d ago

Buddy of mine built his whole kitchen with pocket screws about six years back and sure enough, started seeing hairline gaps at the stile joints after a couple summers. Nothing fell apart but he notices it every time he opens a cabinet now. Dowels are slow and a pain to fix, but they hold up better when the air gets wet.