It doesn't get cheaper or easier than this option. Simply align the board to your workpiece and use the holes to center your drill bit. Problems occur because the peg board does not perfectly guide the drill bit. The action of drilling can slightly enlarge the hole in the pegboard which leads to inaccuracies on future cuts. Additionally, nothing is forcing the drill to be vertical while drilling. A slight hole angle can cause the shelf pins to be tilted which will result in wobbly shelving. If you focus on keeping the drill vertical and only use each section of holes a few times then pegboard does a reasonably good job as a template. However, for thousands of holes it is far from an ideal option.
Rockler JigIt!
There are numerous variants of this style of jig. They all feature a template with multiple holes and an indexing point where you can place a shelf pin in a previously drilled hole. This allows you to step the template along the board. While there is no inherent length limitation with this jig, you are compounding any error with each stepping of the template. Also, to cut the holes on the other edge of the board you will -rotate- the template. If the template is not accurate (equal distance to the first guide hole) then you can end up with wobbly shelves... not good! I have tried the Rockler JigIt and have had no accuracy problems with my 8' test case. Rockler recommends a special self-centering bit (5mm or 1/4") with their kit that ensures an accurately drilled hole as well as longevity of the template (i.e. the bit does not contact the jig). Some commercial and DIY options do NOT use this style of bit and the result is inaccuracy as the template is stepped along the workpiece. The inaccuracy is due to poor centering due to either bit wander or an enlarged template hole. Although the Rockler bit fits snugly into the template and avoids this problem it also results in an extra second or so to align the drill to the template hole. For small cabinet projects this is a non-issue; for thousands of holes the extra time can add up quickly. The Rockler template uses 1 1/4" spacing between holes (not a true 32mm system).
Rockler Pro Shelf Drilling Jig
The Rockler Pro Jig is a typical example of the double column jig approach. Each column of holes can be a variable distance from the edge of the board and the jig is stepped in a manner similar to the JigIt. Inaccuracies with this style of jig can occur if the 'frame' can be racked (left side slightly higher than the right side, etc.). This jig can also suffer from the same accumulative error found in the JigIt. Rockler uses the same style of self-centering bit in the Pro Jig as the JigIt so inaccuracies are limited. I had no problems in my test case except for the time it took to align the drill to the template hole (the same extra second as the JigIt). The Pro Jig is limited to board widths between 8.25" and 25.25" which is enough for most common cabinet projects. Additionally, the template is based on 1 1/4" hole spacing (not a true 32mm system). This may or may not be an issue depending how closely you are following 32mm construction principles.
Veritas LR32 system
At first glance, the Veritas system is similar to the Rockler except it's more expensive. However, upon closer examination, we can see that it is a complete system for LR32 work. This will assist you in locating and drilling hinge mount locations, drawer slides mounts, and dowel holes for carcass assembly. While you step the jig in a similar manner to the Rockler Pro Jig, you instead use a movable bushing to center the drill. This may result in slightly better accuracy but you will need to move the bushing template for each hole (an extra 1-2 seconds to move the bushing and re-center the drill bit in the bushing). I found the Veritas LR32 system very versatile but also slower when compared with dedicated shelf-pin hole jigs. This speed penalty may be worthwhile if you want a full blown and flexible LR32 system. The Veritas template holes are cut at exactly 32mm spacing but they also include 1 1/4" labeling. With the deluxe system you can handle 24" wide panels, otherwise you are stuck with a 12" limit. You can drill holes for about 30" before repositioning the template. Again, there were no accuracy problems during the testing.
J+R System 3200
This is a heavy duty aluminum shelf pin jig that is dedicated to drilling 5mm holes spaced 32mm apart. You use a special bushing bit for alignment and I found it to be the fastest of the drill-based options and faster than most of the router based systems. The rails slide on dovetailed ways so there is minimal racking and a high degree of accuracy. You can drill about 30" before repositioning the jig and you can handle boards up to 24 5/16" wide. This is only for drilling shelf pin holes and does not include extra holes for LR32 work (drawer slides, dowel assembly points, etc.).
Woodhaven Kurka Jig
This jig should also be under the router section because it allows you to use either method. I found drilling with a self centering bit to be faster than dropping the router + guide bushing into each template hole so I'm including it here. This is another LR32 system and it includes all the template holes for drawer slides, wing plates, and shelf pins. The system comes with two sides so you can setup the jig for left and right side operation and have 2 people working at once. This is the fastest AND cheapest LR32 system that I tested but you give up some minor flexibility for that speed. If Woodhaven adopted the hole shape of the J&R system then it would also be the fastest shelf pin jig that uses a drill (I only found the WWA router jig to be faster for shelf pin holes). The jig can accommodate a board 30 1/4" high in one pass but you'll need to put the rails on the front of the jig if you want to step it for tall shelves.
MEG Products 32mm line Boring Guide
MEG produces a few different line boring jig options at different price points. The cheaper options are smaller and are made from baltic birch ply while the more expensive options are larger and made of aluminum. All work on the same basic principle: You use a router bushing to center the bit in each template hole. A plunge router is used to cut the hole with your choice of spiral bit. Some people like an upcut bit because it clears the chips from the hole; I prefer a downcut because it produces the cleanest hole. I find this to be a significant issue on plywood that is prone to tear out (splintery veneers or Melamine, etc.). MEG recommends a 2-flute straight bit. All the options work very well when the bit is sharp but I prefer the downcut spiral as the bits become dull. For each hole, you need to align the bushing to the hole, plunge the router, and then move onto the next hole. This sounds complicated but you can build up a rhythm after some practice. I found this method to produce a very clean pin hole and you can move even faster if you have a plunge bar on your router. MEG's largest stock jig is 30" in length but they are willing to create custom templates for you. I have seen 1" and 32mm hole spacing options offered for sale on their website. The clamps work well for simple shelf pin holes spaced in from the edge of the workpiece. If you want to drill holes toward the center then you'll need to clamp the jig into place. Centering pin locations are available for stepping of the template or for placing the template toward the center of a workpiece. Like the Rockler JigIt, this single-column of holes can be prone to stepping and rotation errors. However, I did not experience these problems during my tests.
Festool LR32 System
The Festool system operates similarly to the MEG system in that a router steps along a rail with pre-determined hole locations. Festool devotees have written articles showing very detailed ways of using this as a full LR32 system for drawer and shelf dowel placement. Unlike the MEG, you do not need to lift the router each time; you simply push the rocker arm and slide the router to the next slot and plunge the router. The Festool system uses long rails (55" or 95" options) so stepping errors are rarely an issue. Additionally, there is no rotation of the rail so that type of error is avoided. I found the Festool system LR32 system to be slightly faster and more versatile than the MEG system but at a significant price premium.
WWA Shelf Pin Jig
The WWA jig is unique in that the bit or bushing is not entirely captured by the jig. This allows the user to move the router quickly between holes but can cause errors if the user is not careful. The details of how the jig works and maintains it's accuracy is a bit more complex than the other jigs described in this article so it's best if the reader goes to the URL above for more information. The jig is created from scratch to handle a single hole spacing pattern (it could be a mix of whatever suits the user). I use this jig in my shop and have 2 different sets of rails (one 8ft and one 4ft). I chose 32mm hole spacing but you could create your own set of 1 1/4" rails or any other spacing you choose. Smaller hole spacing and pin holes can appear more pleasing with small cabinets and this system allows for that variability. I have also added a plunge assist bar which allows for easy one handed plunge operations while allowing the other hand to control the base of the router. For setup, you clamp the jig onto the board and can then do the entire panel in 1 pass. This avoids any jig stepping or rotating errors. In terms of speed, I can approach 1 hole per second but typically go slower to ensure accurate work. The cost of this DIY system ran about $50 for the void-free plywood & plungebar.
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