Review: Wolfcraft Undercover Jig (Similar Kreg Jig)

[Timsk]

Found this on Amazon, it's around the same price for a kit with a double hole maker as the single basic Kreg offering that makes pocket holes and looked 100% better than the little Chinese aluminium things you see. The price for the set is Thirty quid.

It seems quite solid and made from decent plastic (drop-able) The guide where you put down the provided drill bit is lined with metal and it looks quite thick. It has a small turnable plate at one end to line the jig up against a straight edge. it does it's job but I dont think I would want to put too much pressure on it and there should be no need to. You have to press in a purple button to adjust the length of the jig to accommodate the different size screws. On the side is a measure showing the points for each stop. I had trouble with tightening the grub screw on the depth stop around the drill bit, not sure if I was too timid though and I'm not sure how well it would hold up to some aggressive use.

You will need a clamp to hold the plastic body to your wood and there is a flat space for this at one end of the jig

One thing I will say about using it every single time you move it after making the two pocket holes in your wood before aligning it somewhere else, it will need a tap to remove the dust clogging the underside which builds up as there is nowhere for it to go.

Overall I am very happy with it and made two solid pocket hole benches as soon as I got it, As an industrial tool I don't think it would last a lifetime but for occasional hobby work it is perfect.
I even ran out of the (limited) supply of long screws and just used decking screws and was just careful as I believe the heads are not as tough as the custom pocket hole screws and had no problems with the bit supplied.

The set comes with
1 Stepped drill bit, HSS, Ø9, 5 mm, 180 mm, 1 depth stop, Ø9, 5 mm
1 hex key, SW3, 1 screwdriver blade Pozidriv PZ2, 150 mm
8 screw covers, dried beech wood
8 wood screws, 4 mm x 25 mm, 8 wood screws, 4 mm x 30 mm
8 wood screws, 4 mm x 40 mm, 8 wood screws, 4 mm x 60 mm, in plastic box

Here are some close up pictures as with most stuff on sites you buy from, there are never enough and they are never detailed enough to get a good idea of the quality you're about to spend your cash on.

The pictures here are high quality for you to peruse (hammer)
http://imgur.com/a/rfMO2/embed"></iframe>

 

[Selwyn]

a kreg r3 is only a fiver more and looks to have a very similar package, no?

 

[Timsk]

The Kreg wasn't available (or at this price) when I bought the Wolfcraft not long ago. I'm pretty sure I looked at all the options. One thing I also like about the Wolfcraft as well is it has a flat clamping surface so does not need a round faced clamp. I can understand this would make the jig slightly more secure from side slip as it sits in the plastic holder but I did not find securing a problem on the Wolfcraft itself

 

[Eric The Viking]

I'd be a bit concerned that the screws supplied are countersunk. They really should have a flat back to the head.

In this context, countersunk heads are a really bad idea, as they will encourage splitting and reduce the joint strength considerably.

That's not to say you couldn't just choose to use Robertson or Torx head screws instead - as long as the drill is roughly the same dimensions as the Kreg ones, they'd work fine and get round the problem.

 

[chippy1970]

I'd be a bit concerned that the screws supplied are countersunk. They really should have a flat back to the head.

Well spotted , that's really bad to have supplied them in the kit. They won't work well at all, easily splitting whatever you're joining .

 

[Timsk]

I'd never even thought of that having no previous experience of a jig of this type.

 

[syahill]

I'm in Malaysia and I register to this forum just to reply to your review on this wolfcraft jig.
Did some research before I bought it, found this review and would like to share my review on this jig.
Bought the same thing from amazon usa. There are some differences though.

Packaging is different.

Instead of the countersunk pozidriv screw they provide in uk, this one is provided with flat bottom square/robertson screw, with square/robertson screwdriver extension.
The robertson screw has good grip with the driver, but it is not available in Malaysia.

The scales in inches.

Overall the jig is well made but need to get a new screwdriver extension.

 

[Timsk]

Yes, the flat bottomed screws provided seem to make the kit better, as mentioned by Eric the Viking the countersunk ones in the UK kit are not ideal. Suck's for you that the Robertson screws are hard to source for you and it takes away some of the value of the kit if you need to buy a new alternative long driver bit. thanks for your comments.

 

[Eric The Viking]

Robertson screws are annoying:

In my view they are the very best screw head type available. The screws grip in the driver well, they will let you drive at slightly 'off' angles (screw and driver not quite in a straight line), and they don't seem to wear or get damaged as easily as any of the other common types.

BUT: Robertson is a Canadian company, and they've been very cautious about licencing their patents on the design of screw and driver. Because of this, the screws are not common outside North America. They are popular in manufacturing there because they work so well - mistakes and damage cost time and money on a production line, so it's worth using good fasteners. Unfortunately they are not very popular anywhere else!

It's really down to Robertson's marketing strategy, until the patents expire.

I think it's a great shame, as they are much nicer to use than cross-head (Phillips or Pozidrive), and a bit nicer than Torx (the drivers don't seem to wear as fast as Torx ones do).

There are screws you can use with Torx or Phillips/Pozi heads, that have the same flat back as the 'proper' screws, so you should get something in Malaysia. Try looking for 'decking screws' to start off - they have the right head shape usually, but the thread might be too coarse (and the screws too long) for many things.

Further up the thread this was discussed, but it's worth repeating DO NOT use countersink-head screws, only use ones with a flat back. The cone of the countersink will make the wood split as you tighten, and anyway won't grip tightly enough for a strong joint.

Have fun,

E.

PS: for the same reason - the special drill bit supplied will eventually wear out. When you get a replacement, it must have almost-flat shoulders for the wide part. It's easier to make a drill work with a taper there, but that will weaken the joint just like countertsink screws do. If you can get Kreg drills they're good (and razor sharp), and I think are the same size (check first, if you can!).

 

[DennisCA]

Using a lot of Philips screws lately when assembling equipment for the house, it sucks! Sorry just had to vent.

 

[wills-mill]

Somebody mentioned on one of the American sites that you can use a countersunk screw for pocket hole work if you slip a washer on the shank of the screw so it gets clamped under the head. Probably quite a bit cheaper in the long run but a bit fiddly.

 

[nanscombe]

Being cheaper would rely on finding suitably sized washers in bulk for a reasonable price.

A pack of 250 Kreg 8 x 2" screws, from Workshop Heaven, is available for £8.20 (excluding p&p).

A pack of 100 UJK 8 x 50mm (2") screws, from Axminster, will set you back £4.44 (plus p&p).


Places like B&Q or Wickes seem to sell washers in packs of 8 or 10 so what would 250 tiny washers cost?

 

[Eric The Viking]

They _should_ be around 0.2-0.5p each in quantity (1,000+). The sheds are the last places I'd buy fixings or any sort of hardware. In fact i struggle to think of any product line they sell that isn't usually less expensive elsewhere. Furthermore they only keep a limited range.

Toolstation is a good example of this. Since they were bought by Wickes, the range of fixing hardware they stock has reduced significantly. I used to buy 4, 5, 6, 8 & 10mm machine screws ("bolts") from them of various sorts for stock. They've now stopped selling a proper range, which is infuriating. They seem to be selling off the smaller stuff. For example I could get 4mm nyloc nuts, but not 4mm bolts last time I looked.

When they originally started up (late 1980s) they were good, the stock was generally good quality and often branded, and their buyers evidently thought about what certain groups of customers might need. Now, I think they're only really interested in the property-bodging brigades.

If they 'tune' their stocked lines so that they sell the stuff with the bigger markups and the frequent turn, they'll bump up profit short-term, but people like me will simply stop using them. I usually spend thousands there every year, but in the last eighteen months I've hardly been a customer, in part because I don't have the time to waste when I can guarantee I can get what I need in traditional "specialists". I travel a bit further (Toolstation is nearby), but the productivity is better.

Back on washers and pocket hole fixing hardware, I found a good eBay supplier recently. I wanted a range of specialist bolts and other fixings, mainly in stainless, to refurbish my bicycle. They carry exactly the stuff I needed, including some really obscure stuff like steering stem bolts in stainless (couldn't even get those from bicycle specialists!). I have no doubt I'm paying a premium, but they stock what I need and are easy to do business with. They sell Robertson screwdriver bits at around 60p each (packs of five), and Robertson decking screws - sadly none of the flanged dome headed ones for PH joinery though (that I could see).

Here are some Kreg-equivalent ones for 2.7p each from another supplier.

I note with frustration that both Axminster and Toolstation used to sell them (well Toolstation's were black anodized, but who cares - you never see them once installed). Their loss I guess.

E.