Pocket Screw question

[Ken Shoemaker]

I just got the Kreg kit but have not used it at all.

I am making a three panel door of 3/4" red oak frame with 1/4" red oak plywood for the fields. I need to dado the frames for the plywood to slip into.

The Question: If I dado the entire lenght of the frames then try to screw the railes to the stiles will I have dadoed out to much of the stile for the screw to bite into??? I'm only going make the dado about 3/8 deep.

Has anyone ever done this??? I'm at a stand still........

Thanks in advance for your advise.... Ken

[keith ouellette]

Ken;
I assume your making a but joint. How wide are the frame pieces? if they are wide enough (if I understand the situation) the screws won't hit the dado or the panel. explain a little more if you could.

[Paul Greathouse]

Ken

Have you thought about using a stopped dado so that the stile/rail contact area won't be compromised by the dado? I use the Kreg system alot and I don't think what you are describing would provide enough bite for the screw unless you used a stopped dado.

[Larry McCoy]

Ken, I made up some panels and had decided to use my new Kreg system, oops forgot about screws going into where there is now no wood! I cut hardwood filler strips the same size as the groove and glued them in place, it worked out great. It is easier then making a stopped dado, that is my excuse anyway.

[keith ouellette]

I read that as three panel doors (each having a stop dado) and not a three panel door the way it was intended. anyway. if there are rails in between the panels wouldn't there be a tenon on the ends to fit into the dado. If not larry's idea would work fine. I like tenons better.

[Randall Frey]

I think you are asking for trouble running a screw through a void like that. Stoped dados would be a better option. If by chance this is an after the fact question, you could cut some splines, glue them into the void areas and then move ahead.

[Ken Shoemaker]

Thanks to everyone for your input... I thinnk Larry has the solution I was looking for... Why didn't I think of that, glue a peice in for the Stopped dado....

Thanks again... Ken

[frank shic]

ken, are you sure you want to use pocket screws on doors since the pockets are going to be highly visible? i've reserved pocket screws for raised panel wainscoting and end panels where the other side will not be visible.

[Michael Gibbons]

You might want to make the doors with a rail and stile router bit set and save the screws for face frame construction. My .02.

[Ken Shoemaker]

Frank and Michael,
I couldn't agree more with the "visible screw" thing. These door are in my basement to cover some funky piping. Kinda like a very small closet thhat we will never go into. I bought some of those plugs to fill the holes and then I'll paint them.

But thanks for your thoughts, I KNOW they'll help on a future project sometime.

Ken