Pocket Hole Face Frame question?

Brent Dowell

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When making face frames with a pocket hole jig...


  1. Is there any reason to use glue on the joints in the face frame?
  2. Is there any reason to use glue to attach the face frame to the carcass?
    again, assuming you are using pocket screws to attach the face frame to the carcass?
 
I use the pocket screws so I dont have to leave it clamped over night to work with it.
I use glue on every pocket screw assembly. what would be a reason not too? (cured glue is stronger than wood)
Same with attaching it to box.
 
I can see doing the glue on the face frame to carcass, but it just seemed like the since it is mostly butt joints in the face frame, didn't see it adding all that much value.

Anyway, I've got the face frame and carcass all built up and dry fitted.

Trying to figure out how far I need to dis-assemble everything now. I was going to prefinish everything, then do the glue ups.
 
I always glue mine and at work we always use glue in the joints on face frames along with attaching them to the cabinets.

The only time we don't use glue on pocket screws is if we feel the installer might need to take something apart that might need to be modified in the field otherwise ALL joints done with pocket screws are glued.
 
Good to know, So I guess it can't hurt!

I'll do a full dismantle tomorrow and start working on the sanding and finishing.

I at least wanted to seal the wood prior to gluing up.

Just another experiment to see how to deal with glue...
 
brent dont sand to much on the joint area, you can take one side down lower than the other leaving you with a ledge,, i would glue and screw then sand once its together to keep the joint area the same plane.
 
...
I at least wanted to seal the wood prior to gluing up.
...

I do glue my pocket hole joints.

BUT if you are going to pre-finish, be sure to mask the glue area if you use conventional wood glue. The usual PVA wood glues only work well on porous material (wood, paper, leather, etc.). If I have to glue a prefinished or sealed surface, I switch to epoxy or to the hated polyurethane glue, which do not require a porous surface. Further, if you are gluing a finished surface, the failure of the joint may be between the wood and the finish, not at the glue itself. Bottom line, I assemble before finishing.
 
Thanks for the tips guys.I guess I'm more concerned with prefinishing the carcass since the veneer on it can take a lot of sanding.

My plan will be

1) Completely disassemble carcass and face frame.
2) Sand and finish the carcass, making sure not to get finish in the dados or on the edges
3) Glue and assemble carcass
4) Glue and assemble face frame
5) Sand face frame
6) glue and assemble face frame to carcass
7) finish face frame

I'll be following a simple finishing schedule.
1) Sand to 220
2) Apply a coat of seal coat
3) Knock the nibs off that coat with some synthetic steel wool.
4) Apply several coats of wipe on poly.
 
depending on the carcase brent you may not need to completely disassemble, if you can get the parts glued and use tape to keep the finish out of the glue areas then leave it assembled.. save the disassemble if you can with tape and thought before finishing.. then finish with it all together as much as possible.
 
depending on the carcase brent you may not need to completely disassemble, if you can get the parts glued and use tape to keep the finish out of the glue areas then leave it assembled.. save the disassemble if you can with tape and thought before finishing.. then finish with it all together as much as possible.

It's a pretty simple carcass, just 4 sheets of ply and a few other bits, mostly screwed together. Disassembly should be easy. It's just a little big and unwieldy, which is why I was thinking of finishing it seperately then assembling.
 
If you are dry assembling with pocket screws into plywood, I would be gentle disassembling the box. If you ream out the hole a tad too much, the pocket screws wont give you that tight as clamp pull when you reassemble.
 
Thanks for the tips guys.I guess I'm more concerned with prefinishing the carcass since the veneer on it can take a lot of sanding.

My plan will be

1) Completely disassemble carcass and face frame.
2) Sand and finish the carcass, making sure not to get finish in the dados or on the edges
3) Glue and assemble carcass
4) Glue and assemble face frame
5) Sand face frame
6) glue and assemble face frame to carcass
7) finish face frame

I'll be following a simple finishing schedule.
1) Sand to 220
2) Apply a coat of seal coat
3) Knock the nibs off that coat with some synthetic steel wool.
4) Apply several coats of wipe on poly.
I glue everything like someone else said glue is cheap.
 
Yep, Proceeding with the glue ups.

going to try and be 'neat' about my glue ups though. Something I've had issues with before...
 
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