No muss, no fuss. That’s the beauty of screw pocket joinery.

This popular mechanical method for securely and permanently joining two pieces of wood involves routing a “pocket” at a low angle into one workpiece and joining it to another workpiece with a self-tapping screw. Screw pocket joinery can eliminate gluing and clamping. Pieces properly joined with sturdy screw pockets are immediately ready for further processing.

Safety Speed Manufacturing offers the SPM301 Screw Pocket Machine, an automated solution for quickly and precisely drilling and routing screw pocket joints that it has manufactured at its Ham Lake, MN, facility since 2013. The SPM301, originally developed by ARC Machinery, has been perfected by Safety Speed engineers.  Their many months of research and development led to numerous refinements to ensure that the SPM301 operates faster, quieter and cleaner than any other screw pocket machine on the market.

“Unlike others of its kind that use pneumatically driven components, the SPM301 features cam-driven action providing fast smooth cutting action under complete mechanical control throughout the machine cycle,” noted Tom Houska, marketing manager for Safety Speed. “In addition, the SPM301 produces a high-quality 6-degree angle pocket. Higher angles tend to create a high lateral load on the bit, causing bit breakage. Another problem with higher angles is that parts can shift when driving them together, meaning that secure clamping is generally required.”

In addition to being cam-driven, features of the SPM 301 include:

• Cam-driven action provides fast, smooth cutting action under complete mechanical control throughout the machine cycle to produce superior low-angle screw pockets;
• Mechanical linkage that allows the pilot drill and router bit to cut at the same time, reducing cycle time without sacrificing cut quality;
• Fast and simple adjustments of back fence and stop rail, plus built-in depth adjustment gauge allows changeover from one setup to another in seconds;
• Easy access to tooling for quick bit changes and adjustments.
• Heavy-duty American Made construction makes this machine a work horse, yet it only requires standard 110 VAC and 1-2 CFP of compressed air at 80 psi to operate; and
• Small foot-print – 22″W x 44″H x 26″D.

The SPM301 also is extremely versatile and can be used not only for joining angled parts, but also for beveled corners and curves.

“Everyone from the contractor to the furniture maker and the professional cabinetmaker can use our screw pocket machine to build stronger, more professional wood joints in less time,” Houska said. “The practical applications are endless. Cabinets, bookshelves, tables and even simple garage storage systems can be joined easily. Once you realize how fast, strong and simple pocket joinery is, you’ll wonder how you ever got along without it. It’s a very fast and simple way to achieve a strong, permanent joining of two pieces of wood.”

Safety Speed displayed two SPM301 machines at its booth during the International Woodworking Fair in Atlanta last month. One was under power for demonstration purposes. The other featured clear plexi-glass in place of a metal side panel to show off the machine’s various components and how they work together to produce a superior screw pocket.

“This addition of the SPM301 has complimented our existing product line and allowed our customers to source a wide range of professional woodworking equipment from one U.S. manufacturer, “ Houska said.

Learn more about the SPM 301 Screw Pocket Machine here
View video of the SPM301