Any users of Kreg Jig Master pocket hole system?

[travis howe]

This looks like a really sweat tool, anyone find it easy to use, productive, something you use a lot? Easy setup, etc?

Thanks!

[Dewey Torres]

I do and let me be the first of many on this thread to say... yes its worth it, yes it does what the ads say, yes you will love it, yes the joints are strong. The list goes on and on!

[Dave Cohen]

Yes, yes, yes

Just have to design your stuff so the slots are out of the line of vision

I built this with a pocket hole jig:

102000

[William OConnell]

This looks like a really sweat tool, anyone find it easy to use, productive, something you use a lot? Easy setup, etc?

Thanks!

All of that and more. It comes in handy for more allot than just face frames

[Alex McClure]

I do not have the master system but the 40.00 version. I feel that pound for pound, it is one of the most useful tools I own. I believe you would be hard pressed to find someone who had something negative to say about it.

[travis howe]

Very cool to hear! It looked fairly fool proof at the Denver wood show but you know how those deals can be sometimes!

I've seen the plugs that you can place in the holes too, think that might be a cool addition to some jobs.

Thanks all!

[frank shic]

the porter cable or steve clardy pocket cutter works even better on face frames - much less creep! the kreg is much more portable, though.

[Joe Scharle]

I built this box with the Kreg master. No glue anywhere, even the drawers are pocket holed. Creep was mentioned and will happen if you don't clamp properly. You have to anticipate how much the screws will cam the workpiece. I've got tools, including 2 routers in here. Want to see how it holds up in a shop environment!

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/970/thumbs/Rolling_Shop_Box.JPG (http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/showphoto.php?photo=23617)

[Dave Cohen]

I've seen the plugs that you can place in the holes too, think that might be a cool addition to some jobs.

The plugs are just OK, I don't think you would even want the plugs to show on any finished piece. I think strategic placement of the holes is key so they are not visible to the public.

[Dave Cohen]

that looks too nice to be in a shop...

[frank shic]

joe, what's the rest of your workshop look like lol? that is one of the FINEST shop cabinets i've ever seen!

[Jim Kountz]

I have the Kreg system and I love it. I use to knock pocket screws and say bad things about them but not anymore! I have come around now......;-)

[Ken Milhinch]

And from the other side of the world - I love it too.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,
I have the $40.00 Kreg kit.
My friend Jim bought a master system.

It's a pity Rockler just closed here in NE Ohio recently, because they have the master system this Friday for $89.00. - that's $50.00 off!

That's such an excellent price, I'd buy one in a heartbeat.
I'd probably even show up at 5:00am (doors open @ 7:00am) to make sure I was in line early enough to get one.

[Joe Scharle]

Frank, Dave thanks for the comments. What you see is in the assembly area. The boxes in the 'hack & whack' area are pretty rough!
Joe

[Brian D Anderson]

Yes, of course it's great. It feels kind of like cheating, but hey . . . if the joint is strong. I've only been woodworking for a little over a year, and it's been great.

I made this outfeed table with tons of pocket screws. The cases, face frames and the drawers are assembled with them:

http://www.jfreitasphotography.com/Temp/Outfeed4.jpg

http://www.jfreitasphotography.com/Temp/Outfeed2.jpg

I also was able to make this sofa table in a day thanks to pocket screws:

http://www.jfreitasphotography.com/Temp/SofaTable8.jpg

So yeah . . . get it!

-Brian

[Don Morris]

I was looking at a piece of Stickely, a costly high end furniture maker, and noticed they used them in the construction of their stacking tables. I guess they can't be too bad. Before I owned my kreg kit, my LOML was with me at a WWing show and watched a demo and didn't like the "holes". Once I built her a 7' X 3' face frame cabinet with raised panel doors, full extension drawers and she couldn't see any "holes" she has changed her mind. I use them when I can. Sometimes tongue and groove, sometimes pocket screws. Sometimes other techniques are more appropriate.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Dang Brian, nice work! I like the support column in your shop too.

[frank shic]

man, i've got to upgrade my utterly ghetto workshop lol. nice work with the extra wood, brian!

[Dan Bowman]

Rockler has a Black Friday special on the Kreg Master system for $90. I'm not sure if it's in-store only or available online. You can't beat the price

[John Schreiber]

I just got a set and I love it. I didn't get the standup thing with the built in clamp. If I had the $, it would be nice, but I haven't found it to be necessary.

You do need to control for movement which can occur while screwing. I really recommend the vise clamp with the hole shaped clamp on one side for clamping through one screw hole while drilling through the other, I think they call it a right angle clamp. I may also get one of their bench hold down clamps when I finish my workbench. I can see how that would be very useful.

One thing I didn't realize until I had my own was that the clamp you use to hold the jig to the wood can be connected to the jig so that you don't have to move the jig then set up the clamp, you can basically do both at once.

[Greg Hines, MD]

I have a Kreg master jig, and I love it. It is quick and easy to use, and makes strong joints. You will need to mount the jig to a piece of plywood or onto some kind of fixture to make it more user friendly to use the clamp. I put mine onto a piece of plywood about 15" square, with a cleat on the underside of it to clamp in my workbench vise. This holds it very securely and allows you to easily use the jig.

Somewhere on here is a rolling cart that one of the members made with the Kreg jig integrally mounted into the top. That is a cool feature if you are using it a lot.

Doc

[frank shic]

i'll bet they came out with this latest version to make it more accessible. the dust port on the last upgrade was nice but not absolutely necessary.

[Dan Cameron]

And sometimes you don't want to hide the pocket hole.

[Ray Schafer]

It is one of the first tools that I recommend to everyone. With a circular saw, a router and the Kreg jig, you can build furniture!

I understand what Frank is saying about getting creep, but if you learn how to clamp things well, you can eliminate it. here are two pointers:
1) Use furniture clamps to clamp together pieces that are going at right angles
2) when clamping two pieces on the same plane (such as a face frame), clamp them down to the assembly table with the matching face down. That is, on a face frame, you would put the front of the face frame down to the assembly table, clamp VERY firmly, and then put in the screw.

Great tool system, especially with the latest changes ... dust collection and the movement of the handle to the front.

[Paul Steiner]

I was a skeptic, I bought the K3 at a ww show, love it. Specifically I love not having to fool around with clamps on face frames. Compare the price a good set of clamps v. the K3 probably close in price. And you will definitely make up any difference in time and furstration.

[frank shic]

ray is correct, if you clamp that joint REALLY tight, the creep isn't nearly as bad. however, i would encourage everyone if they have the opportunity to try out a router driven pocket hole cutter and then screwing the pieces together using just the kreg face clamp. i've built a bunch of furniture using just the kreg and i replaced my k2 system with an older aluminum version that i got off of ebay just for portability but for everyone that's enamored of face frame cabinetry, the routed pocket holes will eliminate a lot of the sanding afterwards.

[Ray Schafer]

I don't think it is the Master system that is on sale (could be wrong).

[Russ Massery]

Glenn Bradley has a older 2000 master system for sale in the classifieds. Once you start using it you'll be amazed how much you'll use it. I highly recommend it.

[Stan Urbas]

I've used my Kreg jig for many, many projects. Never have seen any creep, so can't comment on that. The only thing I will say is that if the two are of different thicknesses, sometimes the faces don't line up perfectly, so I've taken to using a small shim under the clamp to compensate, and that works fine.

The only real problem I've seen is with VG fir. Because of the way its cut, you get thye wide part of the gain across the narrow part of the board, and the screws can in some cases cause a split in the wood. I imagine cedar would be the same. That is the only wood where I've experinenced a splitting problem.