Pocket hole screw chart
Screw length and thread by material thickness, with the jig and drill-stop setting that has to match it. Set the collar to the material, not to the screw.
Not on the chart? Work out your own: Pocket hole screw calculator →
| Material thickness | Jig and drill-stop setting | Screw length | Plywood / softwood | Hardwood |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2" | 1/2" | 1" | coarse | fine |
| 5/8" | 5/8" | 1 1/4" | coarse | fine |
| 3/4" | 3/4" | 1 1/4" | coarse | fine |
| 1" | 1" | 1 1/2" | coarse | fine |
| 1 1/4" | 1 1/4" | 2" | coarse | fine |
| 1 1/2" | 1 1/2" | 2 1/2" | coarse | fine |
| 2" | 2" | 2 1/2" | coarse | fine |
Reading it
- Set the jig collar and the drill stop to the material thickness before anything else. The screw length in the third column is only right if the pocket was drilled where that thickness puts it.
- The maker's table is written in bands rather than exact thicknesses — 1/2"–5/8" takes 1", 5/8"–7/8" takes 1 1/4", 7/8"–1 1/4" takes 1 1/2", 1 1/4"–1 1/2" takes 2", 1 1/2"–2 1/4" takes 2 1/2" — and the rows above are the thicknesses a shop actually cuts, read off it.
- In a joint between two thicknesses, the hole goes in the thinner piece and the screw is chosen for that thickness.
- Along a long edge joint, holes go about every 8" — and the glue is doing the work, with the screws acting as clamps that stay in.
For the case this table does not cover
- Pocket hole screw calculator
Screw length and thread by material thickness, and how far apart to space the holes along an edge joint.
- Panel glue-up calculator
How many boards it takes to glue up a target panel width, and how much wider to glue up so the rip lands clean.