WHICH POCKET HOLE JIG

[Lazurus]

I have a need for a pocket hole jig, is it preferable to biscuits in general use. If so which one is recommended and why.
Or do I stick with biscuits.

 

[Bodgers]

Depends on the application. Sometimes the answer is neither I suppose.

I have a simple Kreg pocket hole jig that has a high quality drill bit in it, for the rare occasion I need a pocket hole. Does the job. You could even make your own.

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[Cordy]

Mine is similar to THIS
Not cheap but excellent quality

Made a simple platform as seen on youTube; works great and used often
More screws, spare drill bits and drivers can be sourced direct from China via auction sites for very low cost


edit; connected to my vacuum - the sawdust extraction is excellent


On this Adirondack chair - except for the coach bolts - all the joints are by pocket-hole and hidden

 

[Raymond UK]

I've got the Wolffcraft one and it has been fine for the last 6 years or so. Only 30 odd quid too.

I use it on the underside of toy boxes to secure the bottom plinth to the box so there's no visible fixings.

 

[MikeJhn]

But a really ugly side fixing into the end, I have never found the need to keep using a pocket hole jig since I bought a decent biscuit jointer, and the Leigh Dovetail jig, don't think I even know where it is.

Oh yes and a router table to recess any drawers to take the bottom, no fixings.

Mike

 

[user22161]

I have the Kreg K5, far better than the Trend it replaced - https://www.kregtool.com/store/c13/kreg ... jigreg-k5/

 

[Raymond UK]

But a really ugly side fixing into the end, I have never found the need to keep using a pocket hole jig since I bought a decent biscuit jointer, and the Leigh Dovetail jig, don't think I even know where it is.

Oh yes and a router table to recess any drawers to take the bottom, no fixings.

Mike

I agree on that Mike but these are underneath the toy box so not being seen and they serve a purpose.

I do have a biscuit jointer and a router table but to be honest I rarely use the biscuit jointer. I do however, use dovetails one every box, painted or not.

Not sure if I can explain this really good so bear with me if it sounds as clear as mud :|

I assemble the plinth before attaching it to the bottom of the toy box and use fixings to attach the bottom to the box. That way I can simply unscrew the bottom including the plinth in case the box needs to be painted a different colour from the plinth or lid.

Not sure if that makes sense but it looks like this when done. No fixings visible.

 

[woodbloke66]

But a really ugly side fixing into the end, I have never found the need to keep using a pocket hole jig since I bought a decent biscuit jointer, and the Leigh Dovetail jig, don't think I even know where it is.

Oh yes and a router table to recess any drawers to take the bottom, no fixings.

Mike

I agree on that Mike but these are underneath the toy box so not being seen and they serve a purpose.

I agree that they do produce an unsightly appearance, but on the front rails of the current job in the 'shop....

...I had to use them on the underside as there was no other relatively simple way to make the joint. Once the holes are plugged with some oak inserts it becomes quite difficult to see that ph's have actually been used - Rob

 

[johnnyb]

Pocket holes are a strange one. I've found them to be a bit hit and miss tbh. I use them for the frames on floating shelves. But not much else. When I first got one I made an outdoor run for rabbits. It lasted pretty well.
Most joiners use skew screws...just bang em in on stud framing.
I like the small single pocket hole jigs as it gives more freedom in what for me is an occasional get out of trouble gadget. Serious production(yes I've seen it) may be better with the double jigs. Kreg are well made but the square drive screws are a nuisance.

 

[AES]

Looking at the standard of the work shown above, I'm not sure when I look and compare with my own work that I should be recommending anything at all!!!

But just like Cordy above, I have the Kreg K4 and think it's the bees knees. In fact I wish I'd have known about it earlier, especially for one specific job I'm on (a kiddies pedal car made mostly out of thick birch ply).

The K4 is NOT cheap, and neither are the screws (there was a thread here fairly recently which said the Kreg special screws are NOT necessary, but personally I've found that NOT to be true, to work properly you do need the special "built in flat washer" head on Kreg screws). AND I glue as well as screw (which Kreg say isn't necessary, but I disagree).

But once you're over the cost, I find Kreg PHs are quick, easy, and very very good. The hardware itself (jig itself, special drills, depth stop, etc) are all of excellent quality, and if you use the vacuum dust extractor you have no problems with over-heating the drill.

And one other advantage is that when necessary, it's easy to cover the holes for the heads and make them completely disappear - you don't have to buy Kregs own "thingies" for that, dowel works fine. But because of the angle, this is IMO a MUCH better method than filling conventional screw holes with any sort of filler and then sanding back.

I wouldn't say that they're good for fine furniture (!!!) but for face frames and "general work" I think they're brilliant. I should add though I have no experience of any other PH jig, but as far as Kregs are concerned, I'm sold.

 

[Cordy]

Further to the original post - which I do not understand

Pocket holes are for joining wood together, my understanding is that biscuits are to help line up board when jointing

Biscuits look a good economic method which I have never used...….

however I do have the Festool Domino 500 instead of a biscuit machine

Dominoes need clamping, pocket holes don't

Here I use Domino and P/H for the same joint

 

[woodbloke66]

... to work properly you do need the special "built in flat washer" head on Kreg screws)....

But once you're over the cost, I find Kreg PHs are quick, easy, and very very good. The hardware itself (jig itself, special drills, depth stop, etc) are all of excellent quality, and if you use the vacuum dust extractor you have no problems with over-heating the drill.

And one other advantage is that when necessary, it's easy to cover the holes for the heads and make them completely disappear - you don't have to buy Kregs own "thingies" for that, dowel works fine. But because of the angle, this is IMO a MUCH better method than filling conventional screw holes with any sort of filler and then sanding back.

This is the underside of one of the front rails on the current 'shop project shown above:

...where the ph 'oles have been filled with oak doweling. I had to take the pic by doing some grovelling (I'm good at that :lol: ) underneath but they're pretty indistinguishable from the main rail and once they've been planed flush, you can't feel them with your fingertips. Tbh, all ph jigs are pretty much the same and work in the same way; I use the Ax UJK Tech unit with all the bells n'whistles and the little orange single jobbies are well worth an inclusion into the tool kit. Interestingly, UJK Tech washer headed screws have a Torx drive and work extremely well - Rob

 

[MikeG.]

I'll just never understand why hobbyists would spend so much money on kit which stops them having to make a joint. Why do you hate joinery so much that you'd spend good money on the modern equivalent of tosh-nailing?

 

[Bodgers]

I'll just never understand why hobbyists would spend so much money on kit which stops them having to make a joint. Why do you hate joinery so much that you'd spend good money of on the modern equivalent of tosh-nailing?

I suppose not everyone is the same. For some people it is the end product not the process.

The process is the hobby though, so I agree with you.



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[woodbloke66]

I'll just never understand why hobbyists would spend so much money on kit which stops them having to make a joint.

As it happens Mike, I didn't spend much money at all :lol: - Rob

 

[AES]

MikeG. wrote:
I'll just never understand why hobbyists would spend so much money on kit which stops them having to make a joint. ”

"Different strokes for different folks" Mike! Anyway, I'm not sure what else you'd use to make joints in a roughly 2M long toy pedal car made mainly out of 19 & 23mm ply. Certainly beyond my skill level, and yes, no doubt I could learn to do something else, better even, but as someone above has just said, the idea is (my idea anyway) is to produce the item.

 

[woodbloke66]

I'll just never understand why hobbyists would spend so much money on kit which stops them having to make a joint. Why do you hate joinery so much that you'd spend good money on the modern equivalent of tosh-nailing?

In actual fact, one half of that joint (at 90deg to the ph side ) is dowel jointed with twin 8mm dowels. The problem I faced was how to the other side without interfering unduly with the dowels; the easiest way was with ph jointing. There's absolutely no point in making life more complex than it needs to be (using traditional joints and expending a lot of extra time) considering this very complex build will have taken well over a year to do.
At the end of the jour, ph joinery in this instance, although not perfect, was the right choice. For me :lol: - Rob

 

[MikeJhn]

.

 

[MikeJhn]

At the end of the jour, ph joinery in this instance, l: - Rob

Do be aware that ph joinery will make do Dell Boy impressions. =D>

Mike

 

[ApplebyWT]

What are you mainly making that you use the biscuits for? Just trying to get an understanding because depending on what you are creating you might be good just sticking with using biscuits.

However if you do feel like you would benefit from a pocket hole system, I would highly recommend any of the Kreg Systems, along with using their screws, the screws are the main part of a pocket hole, if the screws aren't great quality your construction will just fall apart.