Heard a guy at the lumber yard say he never pre-drills for pocket holes anymore

I was grabbing some 2x4s in Springfield last Tuesday and overheard him telling another carpenter he just cranks the screw speed down and goes for it. I've always drilled a pilot, but I tried his method on some scrap pine and it actually held fine without splitting. Do you think this is a time-saver or just asking for trouble on harder woods?

3 comments

3 Comments

jessica68111d ago

Yeah, that "ruin good hardwood" part... it's like people skipping steps everywhere to save five minutes. I see it with recipes, with car stuff... ends up costing more time later.

dianab6811d ago

Sounds like a great way to ruin good hardwood.

price.alice4d ago

Sometimes you gotta skip a step to get the job done right. My uncle refinished his floors with a quick dry sealant instead of the full week long process. They look amazing ten years later. Isn't the point to protect the wood, not just follow old rules? A shortcut isn't always a mistake.