Can we talk about the 'no screws in face frames' rule?

My boss in Charlotte always said it was a sign of a hack, but I saw a high end shop use them for a tricky inset job. Has anyone else made that call on a project?

3 comments

3 Comments

umab8613d ago

That rule has this interesting way of crumbling when real world problems show up, kind of like how everyone says you shouldn't wear white after Labor Day until you actually need a crisp white shirt for something important. You end up deciding between following the rule and making the thing actually work, and mostly you pick working. Good craft is knowing when to break your own hard lines for the sake of getting the job done right.

mason2092mo ago

My old foreman in Raleigh had that same rule. We broke it on a big built-in with heavy solid maple doors. Drilled pilot holes through the back of the face frame into the cabinet box, used trim head screws, and then plugged the holes. Those doors haven't moved in five years. Sometimes the "wrong" way is the only way that works.

felix_fox2mo ago

Oh man, I've totally done that! Sometimes you just need the extra hold for tricky inset doors, and a hidden screw beats a door that won't stay shut.