Rutlands Dakota pocket hole jig

[billybuntus]

Anyone bought one? I have and I'm frustrated to say the least.

Just come back from the trade show at harrogate and not having bought anything I thought I'd crack on and assemble my MR MDF wardrobe carcase.

After very carefully making six pocket holes in each corner I set about screwing it together. My first attempt saw that the assembly pulled 1/16th out as I was warned. So I clamped up the corner and set about driving in the (self tapping?) pocket screws with my dewalt driver at which point it didn't pull up correctly then sheared off.

I then drilled the screw head out and separated the corner. I decided that I should try doing it up by hand which had the exact same affect of not pulling up and shearing off I must saw that I've never sheared a screw head off by hand. By not pulling up I mean it gets to within 1/2 mm gap and clearly hasn't tightened up the joint.

I then decided to repeat the procedure with two new pocket holes but pre-drilling the holes with a 2.5 mm drill as the supplied drill does not go full depth.

This also had the exact same shearing affect.

I'm a little annoyed but I want to find a solution as I like the concept. I'm using 18mm decent quality MR MDF.

Could it be that the screws are poor quality and maybe of the fine variety rather than the course I need for MDF?

Also. In between all this the square driver bits supplied both round off after two uses. Not good. The actual jig seems pretty decent.

Yours hopefully
Billy

 

[carlb40]

Hi Billy
I haven't used that system, can you return and get a refund under the sale of goods act - fit for purpose?

Then try the kreg system? Or just try the kreg screws?
http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Kre ... crews.html

 

[barkwindjammer]

There is a bit of a learning curve with these jigs Billy, not had any probs with screws shearing though-they must be ultra poor quality, as are the bits by the sounds of it, and even the stepped drill bit sounds dung-given that it doesn't bottom out in the guide, keep the jig and bin the rest.
As a tip-the 'offset' problem that you get i.e. trying to get two faces to end up flush, no matter how hard I squeezed the clamp (supplied with mine-not a Dakota BTW) I just could not get a flush joint, now I counter the offset with the 'Workshop universal shimming kit' - (a deck of playing cards-brilliant things and cheap)

And +1 to Carls advice-not fit for purpose, send it back

 

[adzeman]

One tip is the cutting of the stock must be square the screwa are very unforgiving if ever so slightly on the skew.

 

[billybuntus]

Hi Billy
I haven't used that system, can you return and get a refund under the sale of goods act - fit for purpose?

Then try the kreg system? Or just try the kreg screws?
http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Kre ... crews.html

I'm happy with the jig for the money its the just actual screws that seem to be poor.

 

[Eric The Viking]

I've got the Kreg one. I like it.

You do have to clamp well though, and anticipate which way the joint might move, if at all, for example if making a "T" joint, you need a block clamped down on the opposite side to stop it sliding. That said, it's a handy way of doing knock-down things. I made a lighting frame for photography out of 18mm ply off-cuts and joined it with pocket hole screws - it worked a treat.

E.

 

[Mike Wingate]

The Kreg works for me, but I did snap one of their stepped drill bits.

 

[Eric The Viking]

The Kreg works for me, but I did snap one of their stepped drill bits.

Those Kreg special drills are impressive - it looks like they took a standard drill and milled a 'tenon' on the end. But the two I've had have been really sharp and cut well -- how did you break one?

Incidentally, I think their special drills are an important part of making the whole system work, because of the pilot hole the drill's 'tenon' makes. Without it, you won't pull the halves of the joint together well when you drive the screw. Even if you use a screw with a partial thread, it won't work as well without that pilot hole almost through the 'upper' piece of wood. And the main part of the hole needs to finish square, not conical, and the screw itself needs a wide head with square shoulders, so it doesn't force the wood to split (it's aligned with the grain, usually).

There's a lot more thought gone into the Kreg system than the copies indicate. The stock thickness adjustments are important too, as the blind hole has to finish at a precise depth and location. It's not just a matter of drilling an angled hole and hoping it will just pull together as you tighten.

E.

PS: Robertson screws rock, too - I wish they were more easily available here.

 

[billybuntus]

The Kreg works for me, but I did snap one of their stepped drill bits.

Incidentally, I think their special drills are an important part of making the whole system work, because of the pilot hole the drill's 'tenon' makes. Without it, you won't pull the halves of the joint together well when you drive the screw. Even if you use a screw with a partial thread, it won't work as well without that pilot hole almost through the 'upper' piece of wood. And the main part of the hole needs to finish square, not conical, and the screw itself needs a wide head with square shoulders, so it doesn't force the wood to split (it's aligned with the grain, usually).

There's a lot more thought gone into the Kreg system than the copies indicate. The stock thickness adjustments are important too, as the blind hole has to finish at a precise depth and location. It's not just a matter of drilling an angled hole and hoping it will just pull together as you tighten.

E.

PS: Robertson screws rock, too - I wish they were more easily available here.

Your spot on.

In the cold light of day I could see you were right. The drill bit isn't cutting the flute face out correctly even if I adjust the drill stop to cut to within 1mm of the bottom of the jig. I had to cut out the face with a stanley knife and they now pull up correctly.

Not a great solution but its got me up and running for now and I'll phone rutlands on monday.

Thanks again.