Thread: Problem with Kreg pocket hole jig

Could you have the drill in reverse simple mistake but i have seen it happen
Cheers Rod

Originally Posted by nosnow

Could you have the drill in reverse simple mistake but i have seen it happen
Cheers Rod

I was going to say the same.

Easily done. Have done it myself. It just takes a quick flip of the direction lever/button by mistake to get the result mentioned.

The Kreg jig should work very well if the drill is rotating the right way.



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Try doing some drilling without the jig, to answer your 'is it strength related' question.

It could also be that you aren't holding the drill at quite the right angle - a small axial deviation can have the drill rubbing against the side of the jig.

The other Thing to look for is clearing the flutes as you're drilling, which means plunge a couple of mm then withdraw then plunge again. If the flutes fill up, it gives the effect of a blunt drill as the shavings have no where to go due to the guide.

Thank you for all your helpful suggestions. I had already checked that the drill was rotating in the correct direction - the effect I was getting
was rather like the feel of a drill rotating the wrong way though. I got my better half to try drilling one for me and he found it difficult too - he
concluded that I wouldn't be able to do it. We did think that the clamp might possibly be blocking the chip exit hole but this doesn't seem to
account for the degree of difficulty we both encounter about 10mm from the end (i.e. when the bit stop is about 10mm from hitting). We are
wondering whether maybe you need a corded drill rather than a battery one to get the necessary power - ours is a Makita 14.4V and we tried
with a freshly charged battery. The drill does seem to labour increasingly as it goes in. My husband was of the view that the flat surface on
the stepped bit was what made it so hard - I mean the part that forms the flat surface for the screw head to rest on. The situation probably
isn't helped by the fact that I am retro-fitting pocket holes to an assembled built-in so my access is somewhat limited and I have to be careful
how much sideways or upwards force I apply or I may break the glue joints I am trying to reinforce. Anyhow, if anyone has any other suggestions
they would be welcome but for now it looks like I just have to persevere and get some stronger arm muscles.

Thanks for all your help - I love this forum.

Hi
A 14.4 Makita has plenty of grunt for the job have you tried to drill a hole into a scrap peice of wood to see if the drill bit is ok
cheers Rod

I have had no problems drilling with a GMC 10.8V LiIon drill, but for harder timber I usually use my 18V drill. I can't imagine what the problem is, hope you find out soon!

I have drilled hundreds if not a couple of thousand of these holes and every now and then they give me greif the cause is as mentioned above number one is the flutes filling and blocking up simply pull out start again sometimes needs to be done a few times (pine does seem to block the flute the worst)

I have a Kreg jig I've been using for several years now and it has always needed a little "firm" pressure on the drill. I've used it on pine, cypress, jarra, karri and taz oak; the actual wood doesn't seem to matter much.

I use an 20 Y/O Black and decker 1/2 drill at full speed. Put the drill in the jig, turn on and plunge smoothly. Every two seconds pull out and clear the wood from the flutes; it's a knack you develop. Each hole is usually done in three passes, never stopping the drill or completely removing it from the jig.

BTW, use genuine fine pitch Kreg screws in hardwood. Sachy-Robertson ones are sort of ok in softwood but rubbish in jarra; as I found out to my cost it's far too easy to snap them. I only ever use the genuine screws now and swallow the expense.

I did try drilling straight down into a piece of scrap. It was a bit harder than drilling with a normal drill bit but not as difficult
as the last bit of the pocket hole seems to be.
I just noticed this in the product manual: "NOTE: For best results we recommend using a corded electric drill rated at 2,000 rpm or above."
I think my problem is a combination of drill speed, lack of physical strength and the angle into the wood. I didn't buy the jig primarily for the purpose
I'm using it right now, so hopefully when I am using it for its primary purpose, assembling frames with stud pine, I will find it a little easier.
Everyone has been so helpful, thanks so much.

OK, I have used the Kreg extensively. The K2000 (older model) is mounted on a ply base. Drilling action is downwards and always use a Makita electric drill - 500W. No problem. Remember that the hole is 3/8" and is not a small hole. Sometimes I need to take the Kreg Mini to the work. Drilling with this is awkward as the drilling action is seldom downwards but sideways or upside down. My advice is to use an electric drill that has sufficient power and speed as this will help a lot. Some grunt will also help.
As stated above, regular clearing of the flutes is a good idea.
Les