How to Cut Pocket Hole Plugs Safely and Effectively
This post may contain affiliate links at no additional cost to you.
If you’re into woodworking or even just starting on your home DIY journey, you’ll find that you will sooner or later fall in love with the Kreg Jig tool. However, you’ll also find that it may not be as easy trying to figure out how to cut pocket hole plugs. I went through many trial and errors until I found the most effective and safest way to cut them to make sure I got the best look as possible for my DIY project.
I’m Kayla, and I’m a Full Time working mother who loves renovating my 2006 home in Utah. When I started working with Pocket Hole plugs I had people tell me to use a multi-tool and saw off any remaining pocket hole plug from your project. However, with my ill-experience I accidently cut off some of the wood around the pocket hole. I even burned some of it because of the multi-tool. Even after trying to fix it with wood filler and staining I could still see the burn marks on my DIY cubbies in my mudroom. I knew I needed a better solution.
I also saw videos of other DIYers attempting to cut the pocket hole plugs shorter with their table saws and this just seemed way too dangerous. That’s not enough to hold onto the pocket hole plug safely without cutting your fingers.
I ended up finding a much simpler method with a miter shear. You can literally find these on Amazon for like $30. Super cheap and also way affective for cutting pocket hole plugs.
How to use Miter Shears to Cut Pocket Hole Plugs
You first want to move your miter shears to 120 degrees. This will you give you the same angle cut as how the pocket hole plugs are originally designed.
Then you’ll lay the rounded side up against the bar of the miter shear. Hold it still with your pointer finger and thumb. Press down on the flat side of the pocket hole plug. Push the pocket hole plug toward the bar so it doesn’t slide left to right. You’ll want to cut the biggest side shorter.
For this project, I was cutting the pocket hole plug shorter to fit my 3/8″ kreg holes. I used 3/8″ birch plywood for my DIY bookshelves. Obviously, how much you cut off depends on the depth of the wood you’re using for your project.
After cutting, just slap on some good ol’ Gorilla Wood Glue. You’ll find that your pocket hole plug is flush with your wood piece. If you cut too much off your pocket hole plug, you can always utilize wood filler to cover the gaps and lightly sand before staining or painting. Or, if you cut too little, just take it out and shave off a tiny bit more with the miter shears.
If you end up using this trick, feel free to reach out to me on any social media platform @ourfamilymaison. I’d love to share your win! Likewise, check out some other cool tricks like my ‘3 Tips on how to cut 4’x8′ plywood boards‘. Be safe out there and have fun.
You May Also Like
One Room Challenge – Fall ’21
15 Unique Kitchen Transformation Ideas for this year 2024
