kreg jig questions

[jared herbert]

Hello: I am thinking of buying a kreg jig to attach face frames to cabinet carcasess. I have a friend who uses one for that, he makes a lot of cabinets, and he says it works real good for that. So what length and type of screws do you need to attach hard maple face frames to plywood sides? How long does the special drill bit and driver last, is it necessary to order extras right away? Amazon has a rebate on them right now and I need some other stuff so want to combine orders. Thanks in advance Jared

[J. Z. Guest]

Hello: I am thinking of buying a kreg jig to attach face frames to cabinet carcasess. I have a friend who uses one for that, he makes a lot of cabinets, and he says it works real good for that. So what length and type of screws do you need to attach hard maple face frames to plywood sides? How long does the special drill bit and driver last, is it necessary to order extras right away? Amazon has a rebate on them right now and I need some other stuff so want to combine orders. Thanks in advance Jared

The length of screw, thread of screw, and screw head depend on the material you're using. For 3/4" thick wood, it is 1-1/4" screws. Fine thread for hardwood, coarse thread for anything else. The instructions that come with Kreg Jigs are top notch. There will be no doubt in your mind what is appropriate. One nice thing is that you can buy Kreg screws locally. (I buy mine at Menards or Lowes)

I haven't worn out my step drill bit yet, so I don't know how long they last. but if you follow the directions and only start the drill when the bit is fully inserted in the jig, it will last quite a while. I hear they break easily when dropped, so I don't drop mine. The bit costs about $18, or you can buy the cheapest Kreg jig that includes a bit for $20. The bit can be bought elsewhere too. It's just a 3/8" step drill bit.

The special driver is simply a #2 square drive or Robertson. They can be bought at any home improvement store. The one included works with quick release 1/4" chucks though.

Don't bother with the short #2 drive bit; your driver chuck probably won't have enough clearance. Get an extra drill bit and an extra long #2 square drive bit.

I'd get a couple of the Kreg Right angle Clamps too; they're super useful.

[Rob Wright]

Jared,

The Kreg works great and I have been very pleased with mine. Some short answers to your questions:


You use a special washer head screw for the attachment. You would need a fine threaded screw for use with hardwoods. Mcfeely's and Kreg both have guides on screw length and thread types.
I am still on my first driver and drill bit. I have drilled a lot of holes and driven a lot of square headed screws with the bit and have not had a problem.
You might want to have an extra driver bit right away - but I don't think that it is necessary for a drill bit.Oh - and I just found out that Kreg will sharpen your drill bit for like $3 or $4 - you can't touch a cheap step drill for that!

Enjoy the Jig - they are worth it!

[Louis Reed]

Jared, I use 1 1/4" fine screws for maple, alder and cherry. the bits seem to stay sharp forever. I did pick up a single flat jig for tight areas that works great. You will enjoy this tool.

Louis

[Steve Flavin001]

I will add one thing. The literature will show all sorts of things to use it for. If you go beyond face frames (in size) and start using the 2"+ screws, get another bit so you don't have to keep adjusting the collar on the bit up and down.

I use one drill/collar for 1"+ screws and one for 2"+ screws on railings, 2 x 4's etc.
Get the full kit instead of the stripped down one; to add later will be prohibitive.

[Tony Cox]

I love my Kreg Jig. The info for the screws are on all the screw boxes. It will tell you exactly what size and type to use. I buy mine at Menard's and Lowe's like stated above. I know some people don't like using pocket screws to make cabinets, but I have made 3 cabinets so far and love it. A guy here at work has used pocket holes for lots of projects and he loves it also. I enjoy doing this stuff, but I still like to save time. More time = More projects, and you can't beat that.

I bought the K3 Master System. I have since bought both extra drivers and will be getting a couple extra drill bits. My thought is I can have 2 setup if doing different size woods in a project and I will still have 2 when I send one to be sharpened at Kreg for 4 dollars or whatever it is. Buy the drivers and bits at Lowe's or Menard's at a future date. You don't need them right away.

Tony

[Stan Urbas]

I would definitely recommend getting at least one extra drill bit. Here's why: the bits do last a long time. BUT -- when you break one - and you will at some point in time - how fast can you get a replacement? In my case I had to order one, which meant holding up my project until it arrived. Maybe for some of you it won't matter to wait, but for most of us it will. And it wasn't that the bit got dull or that I dropped it. I was simply drilling a hole and the small part broke off.

If you make cabinets for others, then there is a good chance you will take your Kreg jig to the job site. I know I do. I usually take the small drill guide and a bit. So if I leave it on the job site that means I have none in my shop, should I want to work on something there. For that reason I have a bit and driver in my shop, plus a bit and driver that I take with me to the job site. Plus another bit for a backup.

[Paul Simmel]

I picked up three boxes of 1-1/2" screws, not knowing that 1-1/4" are for 3/4" stock. I have to return/exchange them, right? They will poke through? If I back off in depth I won't have a hole all the way through the pocket hole... causing problems... right?

20-mile drive. :(

[Rob Will]

Jared,
You will like the Kreg Jig even more if you make a dedicated spot for it.
I even have a 3/8" drill and a small Shop Vac dedicated to my jig.
Yes, I would buy an extra step drill and driver..... and put all of your pocket hole supplies in a hinged lid plastic storage box. The storage box sits on the bottom shelf of my pocket hole cart.
Being "always ready" makes this great time saver even better:cool:.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=62208&highlight=POCKET+HOLE+CART

Rob

[Cary Swoveland]

Jared,

File this: sometimes it is convenient to use pocket screws merely as clamps, in conjunction with other joinery methods. Suppose, for example, you want to clamp a mortise and tenon joint, but your clamps are not long enough. If the back side of the joint is hidden, pocket screws may be the answer. They also have the advantage of allowing you to continue to work on your project while the glue dries.

Cary

[J. Z. Guest]

I picked up three boxes of 1-1/2" screws, not knowing that 1-1/4" are for 3/4" stock. I have to return/exchange them, right? They will poke through? If I back off in depth I won't have a hole all the way through the pocket hole... causing problems... right?

20-mile drive. :(

Well, if you have to make the drive anyway, just keep the 1-1/2" screws. You can use them for something else, or when you do end up working on something thicker than 3/4". Some folks like the Kreg screws so much, they use them for everything. Self-tapping wood screws with a square drive, flat bottomed head are handy as can be.

Another option would be to just order some. By the time you pay for gas, you'll probably come out ahead to just pay shipping. (unless you need them right away of course)

[Kent Novick]

I picked up three boxes of 1-1/2" screws, not knowing that 1-1/4" are for 3/4" stock. I have to return/exchange them, right? They will poke through? If I back off in depth I won't have a hole all the way through the pocket hole... causing problems... right?

20-mile drive. :(


You should be able to make it work OK. Make adjustments to the collar on the bit and the width setting on the jig if necessary. Use some scrap for test holes and drive screws in to make sure that the screw exits in the center of the piece and doesn't protrude too much.

I had to do this today with some 1 1/2" screws for joining some 18mm ply to 3/4" wood. I believe that I ended up leaving the jig at 3/4" and set the collar on the bit for 1/2". Obviously, it's not the preferred method, but it seemed to work just fine for me. Just test it on the scrap first!

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,
Just another satisfied Kreg user checking in.
The Kreg is one of those rare items anymore that does exactly what it claims to do, right out of the package.

[Paul Simmel]

You should be able to make it work OK. Make adjustments to the collar on the bit and the width setting on the jig if necessary. Use some scrap for test holes and drive screws in to make sure that the screw exits in the center of the piece and doesn't protrude too much.

I had to do this today with some 1 1/2" screws for joining some 18mm ply to 3/4" wood. I believe that I ended up leaving the jig at 3/4" and set the collar on the bit for 1/2". Obviously, it's not the preferred method, but it seemed to work just fine for me. Just test it on the scrap first!

Thanks for the feedback. I don't have a lot of experience with the Keg system. I have on occasion used the Pocket Rocket (I think it's called), and I recall it was "important" to have the screw hole portion of the step, just barely protruding through the end of the piece (picture face frame). If I back out a bit, and compensate for the 1/4" longer screw, I'd be screwing the self-tapping screw into and otherwise "undrilled" portion of the pocket.

What may save me, however, is that the upcoming project will be pine, so the wood will be rather soft.

If I have to, I'll make the drive...

Thanks.

[Kent Novick]

Thanks for the feedback. I don't have a lot of experience with the Keg system. I have on occasion used the Pocket Rocket (I think it's called), and I recall it was "important" to have the screw hole portion of the step, just barely protruding through the end of the piece (picture face frame). If I back out a bit, and compensate for the 1/4" longer screw, I'd be screwing the self-tapping screw into and otherwise "undrilled" portion of the pocket.

What may save me, however, is that the upcoming project will be pine, so the wood will be rather soft.

If I have to, I'll make the drive...

Thanks.

With the Kreg, the drilled hole doesn't go through the end of the piece. The self-tapping screw takes care of that. That's also why you don't need the pilot hole in the target piece. The biggest thing is just making sure that the hole goes through the center of the end of the board. You can't tell if it will with just the pocket hole, so that's why it's important to drive a screw also (piece of scrap first).

[Paul Simmel]

Ok, the light is coming on! It's been years since I read the instructions, and just picked up that $99 kit yesterday for our kitchen project coming up soon.

Again, thanks. I can certainly make sure the screw centers-out with a little adjustment and practice.

[Paul Simmel]

I’ve another question for you guys…

I also picked up that vise-clamp pack with the blue plate that gets mortised in. I could see the value of this instantly, but I’m not crazy to mortise this into my assembly table top. Aside from incorporating this plate into a workbench or assembly top, what do you do? Separate piece of ply? That’s what I was going to do for the main jig setup anyway.