Cabinet shelf pin templates

[Kent Adams]

I'm new to cabinet making and trying to decide between buying a self centering drill bit in metric or imperial for shelf pins and hinges. The bit I'm looking at from Highland Woodworking is expensive at $30 a piece. Should I go with metric or should I go with imperial for most use cases? For the template on shelf pins, I'm looking at Woodpecker's.

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/woodpeckers-shelf-pin-template.aspx

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/fuller14self-centeringdrill.aspx

[Mark W Pugh]

I don't have this jig, but I did get this one. http://www.rockler.com/jig-itreg-shelving-jig-jig-it174-shelving-jig-set-template-self-centering-bit The bits they use fit snugly in to jig. I use 1/4 for everything. Rockler does have another bit for drilling for shelf pin inserts. Just something else to consider.

[Ken Krawford]

I just finished drilling a bunch of shelf pin holes and absolutely love the Kreg jig - https://www.kregtool.com/store/c49/measuring-and-marking/p80/shelf-pin-jig-with-frac14-6mm-drill-bit/

It contains both the jig and bit and can easily be found for $29. After using several other jigs, I've found a winner for me.

[David Hawxhurst]

i made my own. i like to use the router to make the pin holes. here is the article i based mine on. my jig is make to fit up to 42" tall cabinets/panels.
http://www.woodworking.org/WC/GArchive99/4_23holejig.html

[William C Rogers]

I have two Rockler jigs. I have the one like Mark, but I didn't do well with that one. I got a little off. I then bought this http://www.rockler.com/pro-shelf-drilling-jig from Rockler and had no problems. You do need the self centering bits.

[Mark W Pugh]

I have two Rockler jigs. I have the one like Mark, but I didn't do well with that one. I got a little off. I then bought this http://www.rockler.com/pro-shelf-drilling-jig from Rockler and had no problems. You do need the self centering bits.

I always wondered how that jig performed, besides the on-line reviews.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I noticed that you show a link to a single drill bit and you say you want it for shell pins and for hinges. I expect that you will need a separate set for hinges. I purchased a set of "snappytools" brand from Woodcraft when they were on sale.

Woodpeckers makes nice stuff. have not used that particular template, but, I like that you can use your router with a down cut bit for this for cleaner holes in plywood. That is not an option with my jig.

Note that many people are happy with just using a piece of peg board, but I have never tried this. If you go this route, be sure to check the hole size before you purchase. For sure it will work at a much cheaper entry cost, but it probably not last as long.

[Martin Wasner]

Just a personal preference, but I like the 5mm pins. ¼" pins look massive to me. That's just 15 years of occupational programming talking though.

[Kent Adams]

Thanks Martin, that's the question I'm asking, 5mm or 1/4.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Shop made jig here.
I got smart and took the advice of several SMC members and slapped together a T-jig to use with a plunge router and 1/4" upcut bit.
Works as easy as everyone here claimed.

[Von Bickley]

I have 2 jigs, the Rockler brand and the Kreg. They both work well for me.

[Peter Quinn]

I really prefer 5mm, same as Martin, 1/4" looks huge in comparison. The wood peck jig looks interesting, I don't like the fact you can only use pre construction with face frame cabinetry. Sometimes I forget to drill holes, or it's easier to do it later if the layout is critical such as for doors with glass bars. I prefer a simple flipable lexan jig, and usually make my own from off cuts purchased at my local glass shop. If you have a drill press you can make 40 shelf pin jigs for the cost of a single store bought model, and mine are just as accurate. The self centering bits are great, I've used the rockler and the snappy versions, both good. They really work better above 2k Rpms so a corded 3/8" drill is better than a cordless.

This past winter I got a set up to do 5mm holes with my router but haven't actually needed to do any holes at home yet! After seeing the results from the CNC router at work I decided I had drilled my last shelf pin hole.

[Martin Wasner]

Peter, just take a piece of ½" whatever, toss it in the line bore or CNC at work and make a template that way. They don't last forever, but quite a while. I did that for years until I got my first line bore.

[Justin Ludwig]

I used Kreg's jib until I purchased my line bore. I still have 1/4" pins left over. I hang onto them and the jig incase I have remodel or onsite mods where I can't lay something under the line bore.

[Tom M King]

I've been using the same "templates" for over 20 years. I may only build a couple of sets of cabinets or something a year that uses these holes. My templates are strips of plywood. I marked a line the setback I want with a marking gauge (combination square and pencil will work), stepped off the spacing I wanted with a pair of dividers making an imprint with the points. These points were drilled on a drill press for a close slide fit on an old TIG welding tungsten (hard and sharp point). I glued a small piece of wood on the dull end of the tungsten for a handle. Template is spring clamped onto piece, and tungsten fingered into each hole to leave an indentation. Rollers on sides of drill press raised ever so slightly, and all holes are drilled with brad point bit on drill press using the little indentations as the target. It has never produced a wobbling shelf. I made this up quickly makeshift at least 20 years ago, and it worked so well that I've never needed to use anything else. Since then I have made a couple more in different spacing's. Cost equals a few minutes time.

[Peter Quinn]

Peter, just take a piece of ½" whatever, toss it in the line bore or CNC at work and make a template that way. They don't last forever, but quite a while. I did that for years until I got my first line bore.

I've had the programmer make me a few on the CNC, they work great, but at times he's too busy for that, and I'm hesitant to bother him for my home shop side jobs. Wish we had a line bore I could just step up to and fire up. So it's me and a brad point on the drill press. At work the CNC does most of the big cases with holes all the way up. I don't miss doing that manually.

[Martin Wasner]

I don't miss doing that manually.


Nor do I. My first linebore was a single row, 13 spindle Delta I picked up at an auction. I think I had been on my own for about four years before I got it. This year I picked up that double row 46 spindle Ritter and that was a massive upgrade from the original. Drilling holes with a drill or router is a nightmare in a commercial shop. I sold my original linebore to the shop next door, they had been doing it with a Festool router and template for more than ten years. They're happy as a clam with that little 13 spindle. I'm impatiently waiting for the space to do a cnc.

[Jim Dwight]

I have the Rockler jig and it works fine but I prefer the Kreg. The self centering drill bits clog with sawdust sometimes. The Kreg jig is just simple drill bit with a stop through a metal bushing. Spacing is 32mm and the setbacks are for the 32mm system. You can thus do holes for cup hinges with it. Bits store on the back. Nice and compact and works, if anything, better than the fancier jigs. I used to use a homemade jig for a plunge router. It made a bit cleaner holes but I prefer more quiet drills to screaming routers.

[Larry Frank]

I made the WWA Shelf Pin Jig and used a plunge router. I made a zillion holes with it to make my Euro style shop cabinets. It worked like a charm and it was very fast.

[Kent Adams]

Jim, so many of the jigs use 37mm. I wonder why Kreg uses 32mm, or am I wrong? I've looked at the Kreg jig, but how would you make holes for cup hinges with it? I'm so new at this I'm a bit lost.

[Mark W Pugh]

The Kreg jig uses 32mm spacing on hole spacing. You can set the holes back 1" or 2" from edge. I use one of these jigs for spacing for my hinges http://www.rockler.com/jig-it-hinge-plate-template-a. I made a simple jig for my drill press to drill the cup holes. The directions for distances come with the hinges. I do not put shelf pin holes from top to bottom of cabinet side. I just put holes where I want the shelves to be. A few at each location.

[Jeff Duncan]

I use 5mm bits as well, besides looking better, (just my opinion of course), having the 5mm bit opens up the potential for making other jigs and using Euro screws for slides and hinges…..making life easier.

As for the 32mm vs 37mm….32 mm is the standard spacing for Euro cabinetry in terms of shelf pin holes, hinges, and just about every thing related to drilling. 37mm is the normal setback from the front edge.

good luck,
JeffD

[mreza Salav]

When I was doing all the cabinets I had I bought a 5mm boring bit (that has 10mm shaft), plus a 1/2" to 10mm reducer to use in the router.
I made a template using 3/8" MDF with holes 3/8" to use a bushing for uppers and one for the lowers (well one also for the bathrooms).
The template gets clamped to the gable (before assembly) and off you go with a plunge router. Very fast and very accurate.
The template also had the holes (again 5mm) for the hinge plates. All done at the same time.

[Kent Adams]

Thanks Jeff for the feedback which was very useful.

[glenn bradley]

Just a little more feedback from a home shop guy. I don't do a lot of shelf pins so line boring and such is unimportant to me. I do prefer to do them with a router but, for doing them after assembly, a drill is the way to go. If I did a lot of euro hinges and followed the 5mm system I would, of course go 5mm. I build more furniture than cabinets and use 1/4" but, this is purely a preference so its your choice.

I tried the smaller Rockler jig and found it wanting in a few ways. A thicker material like the Woodpecker worked better for me and I simply laminated some material to the Rockler template and used it as a guide to drill the holes through both materials. Nice and stout now but, I realize many folks love that jig just he way it is. Your satisfaction will vary with how you use the jig.

[William C Rogers]

I always wondered how that jig performed, besides the on-line reviews.
That jig worked fine. The other Rockler jig you do one side then reposition for the other side. I got about a 1/32 off (operator error) somehow using that jig. It was much easier to check the hole location when both sides are positioned at the same time.

[Mike McGrath]

The Kreg jig is available in both 5 and 6 mm versions. I noticed that the 5 mm pins are half the cost of the 6 mm pins. $2.50 for 50 in 5 mm and $5 for 50 in 6 mm on Amazon. The removable edge guide lets you drill pin holes in cabinets already in use; I did this for some of my simple storage boxes.

I got the Kreg DIY kit with the circular saw edge guide, two hole pocket hole jig and the shelf pin jig. I think Kreg should of included one of the AutoMax clamps with this kit. I use the K5 jig and this DIY kit seems like a natural accompaniment.
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[Kent Adams]

Thanks Mike. I've not seen that kit before.

[Mark W Pugh]

The Kreg jig is available in both 5 and 6 mm versions. I noticed that the 5 mm pins are half the cost of the 6 mm pins. $2.50 for 50 in 5 mm and $5 for 50 in 6 mm on Amazon. The removable edge guide lets you drill pin holes in cabinets already in use; I did this for some of my simple storage boxes.

I got the Kreg DIY kit with the circular saw edge guide, two hole pocket hole jig and the shelf pin jig. I think Kreg should of included one of the AutoMax clamps with this kit. I use the K5 jig and this DIY kit seems like a natural accompaniment.
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Mike,

What is the set back with the Kreg jig? All I could find is 1" and 2", which is not the 37mm set back for a true 32mm system. Am I wrong here?

[Mike McGrath]

It is a new product Kent. I just got it last week. It is only shown in a video on Kreg's site.