Replies

1. 
   weavilswoodshop | Mar 01, 2010 09:36pm | #1

   thanks oldusty,, the reason that i asked was that a friend of mine had a kitchen table that was hand made by an Amish furniture builder. When i got nosey..as i usually do when looking at hand made items.. I noticed that the top was attached with what must have been about two dozen pocket screws running up from  the sides of all 4 aprons. I have always relied on figure 8 fasteners for movement but thought I might give this pocket screw thing a try..In fact my last 2 tops where fastened this way.. Maybe I pocket screwed up..  the carpenter buttons you described are a great suggestion.. If I wasn't so lazy I would probably us them more often ... 

   p.s. ..the tops I used the screws on where 8/4 red oak..they wiil probably blow out the mortises but I think the tops will be ok..I hope

       thanks for yor response.., weavilswoodshop

1. 
   RalphBarker | Mar 03, 2010 10:13am | #2

   The concept of pocket screws, i.e. making a flat surface for the screw head to bear against inside the face of a board, has been around for a long time. The "pocket" might even be cut with a chisel.

   Placement, however, was usually planned so as to allow for seasonal movement - particularly in the days prior to A/C controlled environments. One could, for example, either plan for all the cross-sectional movement to go to one side of the top, or to extend equally from the center. But, it's gotta go somewhere.