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I think the move to pocket screws for face frames is a step back
I built a kitchen for a client in Boise two years ago using mortise and tenon joinery, and just saw it again last week. The one I did six months ago with pocket screws already has a slight gap at the top rail. The stress of wood movement over a single dry winter opened it up. Why are we trading a method that lasts centuries for something that might fail in a season? Has anyone else had a pocket screw frame come loose?
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sean_murray13d ago
Man, you're not wrong. I saw the same thing on a built-in I did for a neighbor's mudroom. Used pocket screws on the face frame, and after that first real cold snap, you could slide a piece of paper into the joint at the stile. It just doesn't hold up to the pull when the wood wants to move. My old boss used to do mortise and tenon on everything, and those cabinets from the 80s are still tight as a drum. It's a bummer seeing the shortcut fail so fast.
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