Thread: POCKET HOLE JIG drill

What was the brand of Pocket Hole Jig....and was the drill bit part of the kit. I use Kreg and have had it for over 10 years...never broken a bit. My problem is the bit gets blunt and I have to buy a new one.

Originally Posted by skot

What was the brand of Pocket Hole Jig....and was the drill bit part of the kit. I use Kreg and have had it for over 10 years...never broken a bit. My problem is the bit gets blunt and I have to buy a new one.

Yes The Drill came with the kit. The box says Drill Master Distributed by Screw it Screws.

Hi David,

It sounds like you may have been pushing the drill too hard. As you get to the bottom of the drill guide, it is very easy to push the drill sideways resulting in a broken drill bit. I think most drill bits you get from places like Mitre 10 and other specialist hardware stores should be fine.
If you buy cheap drill bits from Bunnings or elsewhere, you can expect trouble.

Regards

Rob

You should find the replacement you need here - http://www.screwit.com.au/
Good people to deal with and also quite helpful with advice. Surprised you had trouble with this as these tools are generally high quality.

Cheers,
David

There is no way that pushing the drill sideways as it neared the bottom of the guide could snap the drill tip.
I think it may have been a faulty drill bit. Ask for a replacement.

Originally Posted by aldav

You should find the replacement you need here - http://www.screwit.com.au/
Good people to deal with and also quite helpful with advice. Surprised you had trouble with this as these tools are generally high quality.

Cheers,
David

Thanks everyone for your input. Screwit have been fantastic and are sending me a new drill in the mail. It maybe of different type to what came with the jig.
This is my first real attempt at joining in the conversation although I have been a member since 2011. Spoke with Crowie at the Sydney WWW Show a couple of weeks ago who encouraged me to join in. My interests are small wood projects, TOYS and especially those I can make with the men at the local nursing home.
David

Originally Posted by LGS

Hi David,

It sounds like you may have been pushing the drill too hard. As you get to the bottom of the drill guide, it is very easy to push the drill sideways resulting in a broken drill bit. I think most drill bits you get from places like Mitre 10 and other specialist hardware stores should be fine.
If you buy cheap drill bits from Bunnings or elsewhere, you can expect trouble.

Regards

Rob

25k6013s1.jpgPocket Hole Jigs use a "Step Drill". They're not available from Bunnimgs, Masters. Mitre10, etc. You'd need to go to a specialist supplier - Screwit for their pocket hole step drill, or Carbatec have the Kreg branded step drill.

I'd talk to Screwit as it does sound like the drill bit might have been dodgy.

Regards,

RoyG

Fantastic people at Screw-It-Screws. I knew they would look after you if you contacted them.
Glad to see you joining in with us and look forward to seeing some of your future projects.

Which part of the drill bit breaks....Is it the main shank or the reduced pilot tip ?

I just had a look at a pic of the Drill master Pocket Hole Jig and it looks like an Aluminium body... you would have to be careful when setting the depth collar ...if the drill collar was set too far and it went through the timber and hits the body, this may cause breaking of the reduced shank tip.

I do it sometime on mine but the Kreg I use has a plastic body and it doesn't harm the bit.

Just an observation and an assumption

Can't remember how many pocket holes I have drilled but it would have to be in the region of 4 figures. Never even looked like breaking one. I have 2 of the Kreg drills set up for different thicknesses.

When drilling, I don't "gorilla" the bit but let it work its own way in, I also pull back a few times to allow the chips to clear the jig rather than just pushing it until it stops. As to pushing the drill sideways - not possible in my Kreg jig as the hardened metal guides just don't allow it to happen.

I believe there are a few cheapies on the market which have plastic guides but the Kreg is not one of them.

Originally Posted by Bob38S

Can't remember how many pocket holes I have drilled but it would have to be in the region of 4 figures. Never even looked like breaking one. I have 2 of the Kreg drills set up for different thicknesses.

When drilling, I don't "gorilla" the bit but let it work its own way in, I also pull back a few times to allow the chips to clear the jig rather than just pushing it until it stops. As to pushing the drill sideways - not possible in my Kreg jig as the hardened metal guides just don't allow it to happen.

I believe there are a few cheapies on the market which have plastic guides but the Kreg is not one of them.

Problem solved
I was sent a replacement drill for the broken one. Totally different to original. It was a KREG Drill. Just the cutting sound was different you knew it was cutting. Completed the project I was working on. Am looking for more projects to use the pocket hole jig.

Good to hear.

Enjoy the pocket hole system, it has its place. Some don't regard it as fine woodworking but it is fast, accurate and does the job when needed and if used in the places it doesn't show who would know. Sure beats the hell out of chipboard and staples which passes for "good" furniture in some places.

Just make sure you set the stop collar on your drill bit so that the pilot piece that broke on the old drill does not hit the bottom plate. The instructions say to insert the bit in the jig and put a small coin under the tip, and then tighten the collar. Hitting that bottom plate at an angle could break the pilot piece off quite easily.

Originally Posted by Bob38S

Good to hear.

Enjoy the pocket hole system, it has its place. Some don't regard it as fine woodworking but it is fast, accurate and does the job when needed and if used in the places it doesn't show who would know. Sure beats the hell out of chipboard and staples which passes for "good" furniture in some places.

I agree, nothing at all wrong with pocket holes. It is really useful in places where you don't want to glue (as well as reinforcing high stress glue joints). I used it on a small shelf to reinforce the 90 deg joint to which I wanted to give a small amount of additional strength.

Pocket holes have been around as long as wood screws. You will find them on a lot of old furniture such as pianos and tables for instance. On pianos for instance you needed to get into them so just remove a few screws and you were inside in short order.