Rick Potter
06-02-2015, 3:00 AM
I picked up a Kreg shelf pin jig recently, and used it for the first time a few days ago, punching about 900 holes in melamine shelving units. When I first started one hole in the jig caught my drill bit, and messed up the bit a bit (:p woodworking humor, in case you missed it). It looks like they drive the steel sleeves in with some sort of ram, which leaves a slight mark on the top of the sleeves, and one of mine had a burr on it just enough to catch the brad point bit.
I fixed it with a file, and called Kreg about it. They immediately offered to send me a new one, which arrived today. I was expecting just the base unit, but they sent a complete kit to me gratis. While on the phone, I ordered a couple more 1/4" bits because the melamine is so hard on bits and I have a couple thousand more holes to drill. They sent them with the kit, so I didn't have to pay shipping on them.
Kudos to Kreg for the great customer service.
Jig Review: I already had a Rockler jig, and a two sided Peachtree jig, both of which work fine, but give me some problems. With those jigs, when drilling a line of holes, the waste can get stuck under the jig, lifting it enough that some holes are not quite deep enough for the pins to seat, so every now and then you have to drill a few holes a little deeper. The main problem for me though is keeping the drill absolutely straight. Not hard to do on a small set of pin holes, but when you are drilling a lot, some holes are not perfectly straight and the metal pins I use are cocked just enough that I either have to try redrill the hole, making it loose, or trim down the shelf a bit.
That is why I got the Kreg jig, for the steel inserts that are about 5/8 long, and make the bit go in straight. After the first shelf unit, I went back to Lowes, got a second one, and attached them together, which helps a lot. It still takes longer than using the other type, but the pins now go in straight. Once you get into the rhythm of moving and drilling it goes pretty fast, and using a placement pin on each of the two jigs keeps it going straight without clamps. That new one they sent me will be very handy to use alone without taking the original pair apart. The single unit is a really handy size for extending a row of holes in an existing shelf unit.
They are expensive for what they are, but I think I will get enough use out of them to make it worth while.
End review.
My original plan was to set up my little Trend plunge router to work with a quarter inch plunge bit, but I didn't do it because of the melamine I am working with, the plunge bits are not cheap, and I think I would have worn out too many of them. The jig can use any 1/4" brad point drill bit. I will try one of the Kreg bits, but if it doesn't last long, switch back to inexpensive bits for the melamine.
I fixed it with a file, and called Kreg about it. They immediately offered to send me a new one, which arrived today. I was expecting just the base unit, but they sent a complete kit to me gratis. While on the phone, I ordered a couple more 1/4" bits because the melamine is so hard on bits and I have a couple thousand more holes to drill. They sent them with the kit, so I didn't have to pay shipping on them.
Kudos to Kreg for the great customer service.
Jig Review: I already had a Rockler jig, and a two sided Peachtree jig, both of which work fine, but give me some problems. With those jigs, when drilling a line of holes, the waste can get stuck under the jig, lifting it enough that some holes are not quite deep enough for the pins to seat, so every now and then you have to drill a few holes a little deeper. The main problem for me though is keeping the drill absolutely straight. Not hard to do on a small set of pin holes, but when you are drilling a lot, some holes are not perfectly straight and the metal pins I use are cocked just enough that I either have to try redrill the hole, making it loose, or trim down the shelf a bit.
That is why I got the Kreg jig, for the steel inserts that are about 5/8 long, and make the bit go in straight. After the first shelf unit, I went back to Lowes, got a second one, and attached them together, which helps a lot. It still takes longer than using the other type, but the pins now go in straight. Once you get into the rhythm of moving and drilling it goes pretty fast, and using a placement pin on each of the two jigs keeps it going straight without clamps. That new one they sent me will be very handy to use alone without taking the original pair apart. The single unit is a really handy size for extending a row of holes in an existing shelf unit.
They are expensive for what they are, but I think I will get enough use out of them to make it worth while.
End review.
My original plan was to set up my little Trend plunge router to work with a quarter inch plunge bit, but I didn't do it because of the melamine I am working with, the plunge bits are not cheap, and I think I would have worn out too many of them. The jig can use any 1/4" brad point drill bit. I will try one of the Kreg bits, but if it doesn't last long, switch back to inexpensive bits for the melamine.