Tried pocket hole joinery for a custom bookshelf and got more than I bargained for

I usually stick to traditional mortise and tenon for furniture, but on a rush job for a client in Portland last month I used pocket holes on a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf. Honestly, it went together in half the time, but the racking strength was way less than I expected after 3 weeks of settling. The whole thing started wobbling side to side, and I had to go back and add a plywood backer to fix it. Learned that pocket holes are great for quick assembly but not for load-bearing vertical stuff if you skip the shear support. Has anyone else had a similar fail with pocket holes on tall cabinets?

2 comments

2 Comments

emma7214d ago

Nah, sounds like a design issue not a pocket hole problem.

joseph_hunt14d ago

Yeah @emma72, you actually just changed my mind on this one.