Cabinet Installation Problems
I had a customer that was installing some cabinets and trying to screw the two frames
together. He didn’t have much luck, as the first time he attempted this he
twisted the screw head right off of the screw. Luckily he was able to
wrench it out. The next time, he almost got the screw all the way in, but
heard a loud crack. He reversed the screw and noticed that the wood had
cracked.
It sounded like he may have not pre-drilled the holes, and that possibly he was not using the right screws.
When you screw together two pieces of hardwood, you need to predrill the
hole. This allows the shaft of the screw to enter the hole without
splitting the surrounding wood, and allows the threads to cut into the
sides of the hole. Soft wood will compress but hardwood won’t; it splits.
The diameter of the hole you drill depends on the size of the screw. I
usually hold up the screw and look at the shaft (the diameter excluding
the threads). I will then find a drill bit that is the same diameter or
slightly less before I drill the hole.
Before you predrill, clamp the pieces together and make sure the bit is
sharp. The spiraling action of the drill bit should remove the wood
shavings as the bit cuts, but you should pull the bit out of the hole
regularly to clear it. You will find that with hardwood especially, the
shavings will compact and friction will cause it to smoke.
The other possible problem is your choice of screws. For cabinets, you
should be using wood cabinet screws. The manufacturer may have supplied
you with the proper screws or at least listed the proper kind. Bore the
screw into the predrilled hole until snug.