Ever Break Off Pocket Hole Screws Assembling a Piece

[George Bokros]

I was assembling an unseen substructure piece and I broke off three pocket hole screws. How to recover?? The only way I see is to make new pieces. Disappointing for sure.

Anyone else have this kind of luck?

[Matt Day]

Nope.

Kreg screws? Drill/Driver or Impact? Hardwood, Softwood, ply? Course or fine or combo thread?

If you're breaking screws I can only guess you're tightening them too much, or possibly got a bad batch of screws.

[Jim Riseborough]

redrill, should be hidden anyway right?

[George Bokros]

Nope.

Kreg screws? Drill/Driver or Impact? Hardwood, Softwood, ply? Course or fine or combo thread?

If you're breaking screws I can only guess you're tightening them too much, or possibly got a bad batch of screws.

Kreg screws, drill/driver - 14 volt Milwaukee, White oak. fine thread screws

Just bought the screws yesterday at Woodcraft. They are the new bight screws as opposed to the darker colored ones I purchased long time ago. Needed 1 1/2" for 1" thick material.

[George Bokros]

redrill, should be hidden anyway right?

Would be difficult to drill them out of part "B".

[Cary Falk]

I have never broke one. I strip them out more than anything. I use both a drill and impact.

[John TenEyck]

I just broke three in a row driving them into white ash with my 18V impact driver. Switched to my 12V driver and broke no more. I left the broken off ones where they were, drilled another hole with a twist drill through the pocket hole at a slight angle to clear the busted end of the screw, and drove another screw. Looks perfect.

John

[Mike Circo]

Working extremely dense hardwoods, I always plan to wax the screws first.
I have a tub of old wax and just stick the screws about to be used into the wax. Then when I grab one, its ready to go.
I cannot tell you how many times I've snapped off multiple screws in a project (most recent was hickory) but when I remembered to wax them I had no problems.

Just be sure you don't over wax and have it squeeze out onto the surface. Of if it does, clean off with mineral spirits.

[George Bokros]

Never had to wax pocket hole screws but usually wax all other screws when using red oak. Thanks for reminding me. I will drill a pilot hole and wax the screws.

[Gail Ludwig]

I wax my screws and always use a hand racheting screwdriver when putting in pocket screws. I tried using my impact driver, but felt like I didn't have enough control over the speed and torque of the screws. I like to "feel" the screws going in and snugging up to the adjoining piece. I lose that touch with the impact driver.

[Ralph Okonieski]

I've broken one or two, but not on the same project. I still believe it was my fault tightening too tight using (12v) impact driver. I used Kreg brand screws. Not sure the wood but suspect I was using white oak.

[Brian Henderson]

I can't remember ever breaking any Kreg screws regardless of the wood I'm driving into. Of course, I don't get ridiculous tightening them, I keep the torque relativele low on my driver and they seat fine and, at least so far, have not broken.

[Dan Hahr]

If I can break a screw driving into any kind of hardwood I don't use them. I will either strip out the hole or strip out the head but I've never broken one of the Quickscrews brand that I use. I test them by driving them into solid oak, no pilot hole. But I'm just starting a new box of 1000, so with my luck they will start snapping.

Dan

[Ole Anderson]

Didn't the older brownish Kreg screws have a coating that helped with this issue, kind of like wax? I liked their look better when left exposed as I often use the truss head screws in non-pocket situations. Disappointed they are not available any more.

[George Bokros]

I pre-drilled the hole in piece "B" and waxed the screws and no problems.