I tried pocket hole joints against dados for a 24-drawer kitchen job and the dados held up way better over time

Six months later the pocket hole drawers were starting to wobble while the dado ones were still rock solid, anyone else had that happen with larger jobs?

3 comments

3 Comments

william_garcia1mo ago

Pocket holes are great for face frames and quick assemblies but they just don't have the same shear strength for heavy drawer loads. Dados lock into the sidewall so they actually carry weight instead of just relying on screw threads to hold.

ruby_henderson361mo agoMost Upvoted

My last pocket hole drawer lasted about as long as my New Year's resolution.

laura_schmidt821mo ago

Switched to half-blind dovetails on my last drawer build and it was a GAME CHANGER for strength. Took a bit more time with a jig but the joints lock together so tight they don't budge under heavy stuff. Also started using 1/2" ply for the sides instead of 1/4" and that made a HUGE difference in how rigid the whole thing feels.