Forstner Bit Doubles as a Pocket-Hole Jig
If you would like to make some pocket-hole joints on a rail-and-stile assembly but you don't have a pocket-hole jig, try making the pocket hole with a Forstner bit. First, chuck a 11⁄8 " Forstner bit into your drill press and angle the table 15° from vertical. Then, bore a shallow hole in the rail, as shown in the drawing below, on the side of the frame that won't show. Bore the hole just deep enough to position the heads of the screws below the surface of the stile.
Next, drill three shank holes for the screws where shown, but don't continue the holes into the stile. Apply glue to the mating surfaces, clamp the rail and stile together, and drive three screws into the shank holes. Continue attaching the remaining rails to the stiles in this manner.
After you've driven the screws tight, remove the clamps. The screws will hold the joint securely until the glue dries. For the best results, use the pocket-hole screws found in woodworking catalogs that sell pocket-hole jigs. These roundhead screws seat tightly and help prevent the wood from splitting.
—from the WOOD® magazine shop