Thread: Kreg Pocket Hole Jigs / System

http://www.screwit.com.au/

And you get the screws from them as well...

I recently saw it whilst demoing at the Sydney Wood Show. Great value and yes they work well. Bit of patience required getting your head around how they work but once I had that sorted it's really quick and easy... and strong joints are in the bag...

I have the kreg system and don't rate it overly high. There is a tendency for the joint to move when you screw it as the screws come in at an angle. Hard to explain but basically the 90deg joint often ends up not flush. You can use a clamp or a block to limit this but it's still a bit of trail and error. At least for me.

For drawers I think there are better ways to build them particularly how good glues are nowadays.

Cheers.


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Originally Posted by ventureoverland

I have a couple of projects coming up where I need to make some drawers for the garage and generally get stuff put away. I need them to be robust as they'll be holding tools and other bits and bobs. I like the look of the ones Jay Bates did in one of his online videos.

Ive done a lot of Youtube'ing and lots of people appear to be using the Kreg pocket hole jointing system. A quick search through this forum would suggest others here are using it too.

Is it all its cracked up to be and worth the investment? Im happy to buy it if it gets a good thumbs up from you guys, or is there some other method I should be considering?

As some of you know I tend to hang around more in the metalwork section so have limited wood-working tools beyond a mitre saw, circular saw and jigsaw.

Opinions please.
Thx
Jon

I use the Kreg system a great deal and with a little patience and good clamping it is a fine system. I think you will find more and more uses for it once you have it. I do not buy genuine Kreg screws but buy them from Scrooz much better value.

http://www.screwit.com.au/

And you get the screws from them as well...

I recently saw it whilst demoing at the Sydney Wood Show. Great value and yes they work well. Bit of patience required getting your head around how they work but once I had that sorted it's really quick and easy... and strong joints are in the bag...

Originally Posted by david.elliott

http://www.screwit.com.au/

And you get the screws from them as well...

I recently saw it whilst demoing at the Sydney Wood Show. Great value and yes they work well. Bit of patience required getting your head around how they work but once I had that sorted it's really quick and easy... and strong joints are in the bag...

They have no stock right now but will be in mid August.
Les

Originally Posted by dazzler

I have the kreg system and don't rate it overly high. There is a tendency for the joint to move when you screw it as the screws come in at an angle. Hard to explain but basically the 90deg joint often ends up not flush. You can use a clamp or a block to limit this but it's still a bit of trail and error. At least for me.

For drawers I think there are better ways to build them particularly how good glues are nowadays.

Cheers.


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Never had this problem.

I always use the clamp as per instructions when driving the screws home and the joints are always tight. I also use glue unless I know I will be pulling it apart later.

Coming from the double brick outhouse school of building I always glue and screw.

I would avoid the current TV version as it is very obvious when the bloke is drilling the holes the jig moves not only up but slightly sideways. I have one of the original Kregs not the fancy new ones with the built in clamp and it has done heaps of face frames, drawers and 3 sets of built in cupboards. Don't know how many screws I have used but easily into 4 digits.

I have both the Kreg pocket hole jig as well as the larger Kreg pocket hole HD jig and they are both of very high quality. The HD screws are bigger gauge screws for thicker timber. I am currently using the HD pocket screws to construct a 2nd level balcony in addition to the joist hangers because I want nice tight joints. I am very happy with it. The screws will tend to pull the joints slightly if the screws are driven in quickly. I don't find that a problem so long as I securely clamp my work pieces, and if I am really concerned. I put in additional stop blocks. The real advantage is that you can make really strong joints in seconds and there is no need to stop and wait for the glue to dry. The downside is that pocket holes can be unsightly. I would highly recommend one of those jigs.

Just to expand on my earlier post. Yes they work but to get them dead on you have to set up blocks or similar to stop the timber moving slightly. I am building two 2400 plywood storage units. They will be fitted with drawers and shelves. The distance between the uprights need to be spot on so the drawers fit and it's all square.

To make sure of this you need to add blocks to make sure it doesn't move. With a carcass you can't get a clamp in the back so you need to screw the block into the carcass. The first one I used kregs;



To fit this panel I have made 12 kreg holes which means 12 jig resets at each hole. When assembling I used bessey clamps at the front and blocks screwed to the base, top and back. Once screwed it is as strong as and a great strong joint.



For the second I grabbed my small router and a 15mm router bit. I then made a simple fence for the router to run against that kept it square to the panel and routed a 3mm groove to locate the panels.

The panel is glued in and screwed from the top and bottom;


Both took about the same time to do. Perhaps kreg a little faster as I had to screw the router fence together. The routed looks way better IMO.

Here is a torsion box assembly table. I used kregs and the panels on the inside (like a square matrix inside ) all moved out of alignment as I could only clamp the top part. And no use to assemble the top as the holes would show.


Routing and glue/screw for these Types of assembly are a better option IMO.

For the money you pay for the kreg you could buy a router and bits and use it for other duties. Build a small MDF router table and you can do all sorts of joints for the drawers as well.

Thats my thoughts anyway. Cheers.


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To get it dead right, you rest both edges on a table or bench and clamp the pieces together with a special right angle clamp. You can additionally hold the pieces down against the bench with a straight or k - body clamp. Drive the screws in slowly will also help.

I think it's very much horses for courses - nail gun and glue for speed, Kreg for disassembly options and single side only access (and with a little jig shuffling, making elongated slots for fastening tabletops) and routed/dovetailed joins for show-off value.

The cabinets and drawers you want to build can be adequately and quickly built with your limited range of woodworking tools and a Kreg pocket hole jig; I assume you also have a corded drill for cutting the holes and a cordless for driving the screws?

As for the screws themselves; if you are using softwood and cheap ply then the Sachy-Robertson ones are OK but I have found they are worse than useless in hardwoods so I only use genuine Kreg screws for hardwoods.

Another method you might consider is biscuit joinery, this is just as quick as Kreg joints and providing you design the joints so they are either in compression or shear they are very strong... providing that you only use foreign made biscuits as Australian made Bix biscuits are total and utter garbage. Real biccies like Haron or Lamello are made from beech which is a very hard wood used for tool handles, rolling pins and kitchen workbenches. Bix uses pine. The cheapest decent jointer is a Makita which costs just over $200 from Bunnies but to be frank a cheapie Ozito will do fine providing you learn how to compensate for the sloppy action.

Wow! Thanks guys for all the replies. It appears I have a few choices to make!

Firstly the easy bit...
My other tools extend to AEG 18V drill and impact driver plus a Hitachi C1 Brad Nailer and an orbital sander.


So my options appear to be Kreg / Screwit, biscuits or a router.

I made a post a few weeks ago about the inadequacies of my Bosch GCM mitre saw's depth stop. The general consensus to that post was that a router was probably the best answer...

Whilst the pocket holes would get me a joint, Id still be left with my consistent rebate issue and difficulties with fitting the drawer bases so Im beginning to think that a router to produce nice, consistent rebates, glue and traditional screws maybe the answer.

If you make your drawer bases out of thicker material you can fit them inside the drawers with either Kreg screws or biscuits. No need for a rebate.

If you do buy a router then you can consider a mitre lock bit for the drawers, although you'll have to construct a simple table to mount the router in. Or you may consider a cheap dovetail jig.

It's a slippery slope....as I said in my previous post you just need to buy a Kreg system or a biscuit joiner; the rest of your tools are sufficient.

I think you'll have more success with either pocket hole screws or a biscuit joiner than a router if you haven't used a router before. Your AEG drill/driver is more than adequate for a pocket hole setup. All you need is the jig and a clamp then you are basically in business. With both pocket holes and biscuit, you are basically productive within the first hour. With a router, you will need quite a bit more time to get up to speed, both in terms of learning how to use to do what you want and setting it up.