Where to buy pocket hole jig and drill bit?

[dark_knight_x3]

Help me please. :confused:
Where can I buy a pocket hole jig and a drill bit appropriate for it?
I need to make concealed holes for my project.
I need to make slanting holes.
Tips on making concealed holes would be appreciated, too. 8)
Thanks in advance.

It looks like this.

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n185/denise5_23/2008-11-20_175119-1.jpg

[bbn]

How about making one? Wood with brass bushing might work. The bushing from an electric fan repair shop should work and they're cheap. Also, I think I've seen a free plan somewhere but sorry I can't remember, just do a search of it.

[dark_knight_x3]

I have found a plan for a pocket hole jig but I am no pro at building stuff like this from bobsplans website.

(I can't post the link as the site requires me to have more than 5 posts first before I can post links)

I just really hope I can just buy this tool.

I've heard that there are lots of stores in Binondo selling various tools and I am planning to go there soon.

Can anyone tell me where in Binondo can I possibly find special tools like this one?

Thanks.

[bbn]

A machine shop might be able to make one.

Sorry bro but I don't buy tools in Binondo. Usually, I make my one jigs.

[JayL]

http://www.kregtool.com/products/pht/product.php?PRODUCT_ID=32

I ordered a kit like this but have not received it yet.

[JayL]

I finally got the Kreg Kit.

[joey]

I finally got the Kreg Kit.

huwawww.... drooling...

congrats sir! wish i have one... how much it cost you including shipping?

[JayL]

I'm happy with the kit. Seems durable enough for heavy DIY use.

I believe I paid around $39.95 for the Kreg R3 Jig and an additional $19.36 for the Kreg Vise Grip like clamp.

Shipping was free as it was small enough to be hand carried by a friend who came home for a vacation from the US.



http://www.amazon.com/Kreg-KHC-PREMIUM-Face-Clamp/dp/B001DC9UR8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1238175801&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.com/Kreg-R3-Pocket-Hole-System/dp/B000J43A7W/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1238175749&sr=8-2

[guad]

How about making one? Wood with brass bushing might work. The bushing from an electric fan repair shop should work and they're cheap. Also, I think I've seen a free plan somewhere but sorry I can't remember, just do a search of it.

From what I understand, correct me if wrong, the Kreg product/system consists of not just the [1] jig for drilling at an angle; but also

[2] a stepped drill bit that simulatenously drills, in workpiece 1, a loose (non-gripping) hole for the screw shaft and a large hole/pocket/well for the screw head; and

[3] special screws that are self-tapping/non-splitting and so do not require pilot holes to be drilled in workpiece 2.

Without the jig, special drill bit, and special screws, how could one do pocket hole joints? Would the following approach work ---

Assume we have to join a 2 x 4 piece to another 2 x 4 piece at right angles. Assume the screw is 4.5 mm in diameter with a 9 mm diameter screw head.

http://www.mcfeelys.com/images/pages/penguide.png

1. Use a drill press to drill a 5 mm hole in workpiece 1 at, say 25 degrees, such that the hole comes out at the end, at the center of the thickness. (I think that the Kreg angle is 15 degrees? But such a shallow angle might stress the drill bit too much on initial entry? Also, the length of the drill bit and the size of the chuck would limit how shallow the angle could be. One website says to use a sacrificial piece of wood (http://woodgears.ca/shop-tricks/pocket-hole.html), but if the angle is not so shallow, I wonder whether it is really needed?)

2. Without changing the drill press/workpiece setup, change drill bit to 9 mm and drill a pocket hole to an appropriate depth.

3. Repeat 1 and 2 to drill a second stepped (5 and 9 mm) hole in workpiece 1, assuming we want twin screws.

4. With workpiece 1 placed against workpiece 2, insert a screw, nail, awl, or similar through the holes in workpiece 1 to mark on workpiece 2 where the corresponding pilot holes should start.

5. Using a drill press or handheld drill with some kind of guide, drill 3.5 mm pilot holes in workpiece 2 at 25 degrees from perpendicular (65 degrees from workpiece).

Sounds complicated and a lot of steps, but would this procedure work well? Any suggestions for improving the workflow?

Are there any extra long 5 mm drill bits available locally?

[JayL]

Looks to me that it should work but would be too tedious to do. The main advantage of the jig is the ease and speed to pull the job. It has pocket hole adjustments for different material thickness as well.

The Kreg drill bit also is special and designed for pocket holes. Check these pics and maybe you can get some more ideas how to improve the process you want to do.

http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t347/jzltraco/IMGP2165.jpg

http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t347/jzltraco/IMGP2166.jpg

http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t347/jzltraco/IMGP2167.jpg

http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t347/jzltraco/IMGP2168.jpg

[JayL]

http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t347/jzltraco/IMGP2169.jpg

http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t347/jzltraco/IMGP2170.jpg

http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t347/jzltraco/IMGP2171.jpg

http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t347/jzltraco/IMGP2172.jpg

[guad]

Thanks, that helped.

Here is the jig that I made out of 2x4s and MDF, intended to be clamped to a drill press. After considering various possible angles from 15 to 30 degrees and calculating the resulting geometries and taking into account drill bit length and drill chuck clearance, I decided on 25 degrees.

In the Kreg jig, the bushing/guide keeps the drill bit from bending. In a DIY jig, a sacrificial piece of wood clamped to the piece being drilled would serve the same purpose.

http://img57.imageshack.us/img57/171/img3078.jpg

http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/3029/img3080y.jpg

[guad]

And here is a sample pocket hole made using the jig.

In this example, the screw is 4.5 x 60 mm. The shaft hole was made with a 5 mm bit. The pocket hole (for screw head) was made with a 9 mm bit, and is just deep enough for the screw head to be flush with surface. The pocket hole could be made deeper if desired.

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/8472/img3086hr.jpg

http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/8798/img3089u.jpg

[timber715]

thats great Guad, but what do you do when you want it on thinner or thicker wood?

[guad]

The jig was designed for a specific application, pocket holes in 2-by pieces (of which large number have to be made).

For substantially thicker pieces, the limiting factor will be the length of the drill bit for the shaft hole, assuming you want to maintain an exit hole centered on the thickness of the piece. So find a longer bit. Or give up centered exit. Or make an adjustable jig where you can increase the angle. :)

For substantially thinner pieces, I think the limiting factor (if any) or concern may be the weakness of the wood/joint, as there is less wood between the shaft hole and the surface, than in lower-angle pocket holes. Make an adjustable jig where you can decrease the angle, such as down to the 15 degrees (?) of the Kreg jig. :)

[timber715]

kreg has a limiter to adjust for wood thickness, adjust the wood closer or farther from the end and you will have it adjustable. will try to post pictures bukas if you like. the angle doesn't have to change. just the reference point... :)

[beebeenator]

nice jig :)

[guad]

Well it seems to work OK as long as you minimize or can deal with drill bit bending/deflection and take care to align the smaller (screw shaft) and larger (screw head) holes. These are not necessarily independent problems because a difference in amount of deflection between the two drill bits (due to their different resistance to bending) can lead to misalignment of the two holes. The screw fit can be quite sensitive to the alignment of the two holes especially if the holes are sized tight/just right, as opposed to loose.

Pictures of the jig in use...

First, position the jig so that the exit hole is located where desired. Usually, the exit hole is placed at the center of the thickness of the piece to be drilled, but it does not have to be there. Timber: By 'reference point' are you referring to this exit hole? Is the position of the exit hole with respect to the edge of the piece what the Kreg limiter allows you to adjust?
http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/8733/img3096gx.jpg

Then clamp the piece to the jig. Here there is no sacrificial piece of wood:
http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/4656/img3099p.jpg

While in this experiment there is:
http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/8572/img3108k.jpg

[guad]

Some results. The Kreg jig + special drill bit + special screws probably does pocket holes faster and with more finesse but until I can get that, this will have to do.

http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/865/img3110t.jpg

http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/5908/img3112j.jpg

[timber715]

the jig (kreg) has adjustment features for different wood thickness for ease of use and it will exit in the center of the board. seems from your pictures you can too by adjusting the placement of the jig on the dp table. moving right for bigger stock and left fir thinner pieces to have a center exit hole. sorry haven't time to take pictures yet Guad.
btw, you can try using brad point drill bits to minimize on deflection. locally available too.

[guad]

No problem. I think I understand it now so picture not really needed. Looking at the pictures of JayL, one could probably figure out how the Kreg adjustment for thickness and/or exit hole position would have to work.

Will look into brad point bits, thanks for the suggestion.

[JayL]

http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t347/jzltraco/IMGP2552.jpg

http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t347/jzltraco/IMGP2554.jpg

http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t347/jzltraco/IMGP2555.jpg

[JayL]

http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t347/jzltraco/IMGP2556.jpg

http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t347/jzltraco/IMGP2558.jpg

http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t347/jzltraco/IMGP2559.jpg

[JayL]

The bit has also a depth stop adjustment for different material thickness. It is calibrated using the corresponding gradations on the jig body itself.

http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t347/jzltraco/IMGP2560.jpg

http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t347/jzltraco/IMGP2562.jpg

http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t347/jzltraco/IMGP2563.jpg

On the picture bit is set for 3/4" thick wood.

The jig drill guide height should also be adjusted for 3/4 " wood to make the match.

http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t347/jzltraco/IMGP2558.jpg

[guad]

I don't know if it just not shown on the pictures, but Kreg should also put metric (mm) calibrations for it to be a global product.

At first, I wondered why the portion of the Kreg special drill bit that drills the hole for the screw shaft is so short, then I remembered that the Kreg special screws are self-drilling/self-tapping.

I saw brad point drill bits at Panda, 4-20 mm, starting at P82, made by Alpen-Maykestag. At first they said they did not have such thing, but this was because it is not called 'brad point' in their catalog nor on the product label itself, and they were not aware of the term.

I also saw Forstner bits there, 15-50 mm, though not cheap, starting at P660, also Alpen-Maykestag. Anybody else sells Forstner bits locally besides Panda?

[timber715]

common sized forstners for concealed hinges are available in ace and handyman and other hardware stores, they just dull much faster.

[JayL]

How about Powercraft? I saw some in Y2K Screws Hardware in San Juan. I had good luck with their Cobalt Drill Bit Set. Just didn't try any of their Forstner yet.

No metric marking on the Kreg.

[jarod]

I just wish Kreg are available locally ::)

[the1_md]

Hi Guys. Great Jigs. Pls PM me incase you have an extra Kreg for sale. For now will plan to make my own jig. *fingers crossed.

[beebeenator]

finally got mine.

TImber, werent you able to find locally available screws for pocket holes?

wow. the dvd manual is awesome

[beebeenator]

TImber, werent you able to find locally available screws for pocket holes?

[timber715]

I found screws I can use for the pocket holes, but not the same as Kreg's... I just glue, use kreg screws, and once dried I replace them with the local screws... works fine with me...

[violaine]

the starter kreg screws that came with my K4 are so precious i made the same route replacing them with locall available gypsum screws when the glue has dried up.

square drive screws cannot be found locally...what about To Suy? of course they have substitutes but what about their advert "made to order" screws? can they really manufacture square drive self tapping screws?fine and coarse threaded? cguro pag maramihan....

[karpintero061375]

finally got mine.

TImber, werent you able to find locally available screws for pocket holes?

wow. the dvd manual is awesome

hello!

where'd you get your jig sir? how much?

[beebeenator]

got mine from the states. Balikbayan box :)

139$ i got the most expensive one na.

Thanks Timber, i will probably do that too

[beebeenator]

did a shelf today using kreg jig

used course threaded screws straight off the bat. worked well :) rough shelving lang naman for the work shop

this is definitely worth 6500 pesos

[violaine]

i got mine kreg K4 from Lowe's at 99USD just last October 2009.

it got so expensive nowadays?

[Armand]

Let me show you what i made today. Wife asked for a new entertainment center for our decade old tv. She requested to make it be bigger this time coz baka daw next year dumating na ang minimithing flat screen. The project in mind will require alot of joinery but im to lazy to do mortise and tenon this time, so pocket hole jig is now a necessity. And since Woodmach was a failure and a jig wasnt available locally, i made my own. Here are the pics:

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Ioq5rJiTIRM/TLGqzjycaFI/AAAAAAAAAew/ZfuBnejbhXg/s640/Image0298.jpg

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Ioq5rJiTIRM/TLGrFsg30PI/AAAAAAAAAfA/X2O_Neq-vn0/s640/Image0302.jpg

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Ioq5rJiTIRM/TLGrHJ2uwfI/AAAAAAAAAfM/_7QnZZ_zTOY/s640/Image0306.jpg

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Ioq5rJiTIRM/TLGq0t-YfRI/AAAAAAAAAe8/MhMqQzcrTpE/s640/Image0301.jpg

[Armand]

The jig is made of very hard wood that the holes remain ok after several output.

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Ioq5rJiTIRM/TLGrGZem1kI/AAAAAAAAAfI/WcahRtsM_u8/s640/Image0304.jpg

and heres one of the finished frame
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Ioq5rJiTIRM/TLGsRlH7qMI/AAAAAAAAAfc/BLCXfAr41bk/s640/Image0308.jpg

I used 2" gypsum screw and a tape as dril stop. The jig is very simple but worked perfectly for my need.

Comments are welcome. Thanks

[jonathanscruz68]

very nice and very simple sir armand,baka puede i post mo sir yung details in constructing your jig.planning to buy that pocket hole jig,pero kung napaka-effective na ng ginawa mo,why buy the kreg\?baka for sale yan?hehehe...

[violaine]

with a shop made pocket hole jig like that, what you only need now is the self tapping screw by kreg...the self tapping screws are a plus because it pulls the wood together as you tighten it and squeezes the glue...

yes we wanna see the inside of the jig...a closer view like jonathan said..did you change bits (for the step drilling?)

cheers!

[karpintero061375]

mr. armand,

since kreg pocket hole jigs are not available(read: expensive), pwede ko bang kopyahin yang jig mo? thanks sir!

[Armand]

When I was attaching the screws I can see the glue being squeezed out, sorry I really didnt have the idea how the original Kreg pocket scews looked like, but after googling this morning they look like ordinary wood screws with half thread lang, try ko this evening ordinary wood screw.

I used only one drill bit (brad point) with a tape as drill stop. Very simple lang talaga but the most important it bore the holes i wanted.

I'll take more pictures of it this evening for the sake of curiousity hehe..

I used my handrill to drill holes on the jig made out from a 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 x 2 rectangular piece of wood. Drilled two holes parallel to the length then sliced it diagonally. The result is a two sets of pocket hole jig (reserba ang isa hehe). Then i added a stopper so that you can you can clamp the jig on your piece.

Cost of jig: P 0.00 :)

[Armand]

mr. armand,

since kreg pocket hole jigs are not available(read: expensive), pwede ko bang kopyahin yang jig mo? thanks sir!


here's the coreldraw sketch of the jig..just remember this is just a shopmade jig so accuracy is not guaranteed. Angle can be altered in many ways according to the size of your piece of work.

here's the link to that sketch
http://picasaweb.google.com/armand.pedroza/PocketHoleJig#5526580938353593778

[guad]

Self-tapping screws are convenient but not strictly necessary. Without them, you just have to drill a pilot hole in the 'other' piece (using some kind of jig or angle guide). What pulls the pieces together is the screw shaft being free to slide through the shaft hole in the first piece, thus rotate freely, as opposed to its threads biting into the shaft hole, which would prevent rotation once the screw head is seated.

One possibility for self-tapping screws might be Tek screws, though haven't tried that. I just drill pilot holes.

Do you drill two concentric holes in the first piece, one for screw shaft and a larger one for screw head? It looks like you have only one jig instead of two. If so, which hole (shaft or head) is it sized for, and how do you do the other hole?

http://www.mcfeelys.com/images/pages/penguide.png

[Armand]

Self-tapping screws are not available in my area...i used only one drill bit just for the screw head..i let the screw make its own hole with the help of my cordless screw driver.

This jig offers alternative for us that can't afford to buy the Kreg K4...what i had in my mind was just to make concealed pocket holes.

Is a self-drilling screw a good alternative for self-tapping screw?..looks like this type of screws are hard to find here also.

[jarod]

@Armand: I believe self-tapping and self-drilling screws are synomymous, we just have different terminologies in addressing them.

Maybe what guad meant was if you only drill for the screw's head to fit the hole and let the threaded shaft of the screw to bore a hole to itself, where would the waste wood that was produced by the self tapping/drilling screw go?

What is happening is that, the screw is just forcing itself to fit into the space that is already occupied by the wood and where there is no room for expansion. In our case, since tanguile is not much dense like other harder woods there is a small room for wood fibers to flex. As good as it may look, the joint is/may be under stress which could provide more risk of splitting the wood.

Guad might be wondering if your using a smaller diameter bit to drill the pilot holes for the rest of the screw below the head. It would be more tedious but may lessen the risks.

In Armand's case, the thickness of the wood may be enough to withstand this setup. I'm just not sure how it would go with thinner wood. But if it works according to his plan, then it's good enough =)

[Armand]

Thanks to Senior Members violaine, jarod and guad for their inputs, this gives meaning to "separating men from the boys".:D (told you i'm a newbie ;) )

Just now after dinner i tried drilling a second hole on the 1st piece for the shaft and using 2" half threaded wood screw (dumaan pa talaga sa Wilcon) and it made a significant difference. Now my jig works perfectly na and offers the cheapest alternative to Kreg's jig.

[jonathanscruz68]

Thanks to Senior Members violaine, jarod and guad for their inputs, this gives meaning to "separating men from the boys".:D (told you i'm a newbie ;) )

Just now after dinner i tried drilling a second hole on the 1st piece for the shaft and using 2" half threaded wood screw (dumaan pa talaga sa Wilcon) and it made a significant difference. Now my jig works perfectly na and offers the cheapest alternative to Kreg's jig.

wow may kalaban na ang kreg,arman na.baka may sobra kang jig pahiram...what size(diameter) of screw did you use,like the #6 or #8?

[Armand]

wow may kalaban na ang kreg,arman na.baka may sobra kang jig pahiram...what size(diameter) of screw did you use,like the #6 or #8?

Hi Jonathan, my office is just in Caloocan area at the back of Toyota Balintawak. I can give you the other half of my jig for free, you just let me know when do you want to pass by so we can have a brief chat.

[jonathanscruz68]

Hi Jonathan, my office is just in Caloocan area at the back of Toyota Balintawak. I can give you the other half of my jig for free, you just let me know when do you want to pass by so we can have a brief chat.

i'm overwhelmed sir armand,don't know what to say...thanks very much... my parents have a house also at morning breeze kaloocan,beside MCU,near your place.and i finished my dental course at MCU.and i can drop by at your place,if time permits(and suppose i will,now that i will be having an armand pocket hole jig)contact # mo sir.

[Armand]

@Jonathan: PM sent, pls check your inbox, thanks.

[jonathanscruz68]

@Jonathan: PM sent, pls check your inbox, thanks.

ok,thanks.

[sadoygidi]

Sir Armand,

I would just like to let you know that I made a pocket hole jig based on your idea... medyo mahaba lang ang screw na nagamit ko [dapat 1" instead of 1 1/2"]... anyway, testing pa lang naman... salamat

http://i54.tinypic.com/286slsk.jpg

[Armand]

It looks the angle of the holes is too low, anyway just keep on practicing your jig before you use it on your actual project. From my experience, it is better to start the hand drill while the bit is not yet touching the material to be drilled. If you are a DIY person like me and you think you won't be using your jig a lot, keep it in a nice storage so that you can easily find it when the need arises. I treat mine as a shop treasure. ;);)

[sadoygidi]

It looks the angle of the holes is too low, anyway just keep on practicing your jig before you use it on your actual project. From my experience, it is better to start the hand drill while the bit is not yet touching the material to be drilled. If you are a DIY person like me and you think you won't be using your jig a lot, keep it in a nice storage so that you can easily find it when the need arises. I treat mine as a shop treasure. ;);)

maraming salamat :)

[xotskiton]

I just got my portable pockethole jig kit by Drill Master. I'm really excited to try.

I bought it from Harbor Freight website.

[jonathanscruz68]

It looks the angle of the holes is too low, anyway just keep on practicing your jig before you use it on your actual project. From my experience, it is better to start the hand drill while the bit is not yet touching the material to be drilled. If you are a DIY person like me and you think you won't be using your jig a lot, keep it in a nice storage so that you can easily find it when the need arises. I treat mine as a shop treasure. ;);)

armand,
just as you said....

yung pocket hole jig mo, 1 time ko lang ginamit for trial,
then afterwards ginamit ko na sya...
ang daling gamitin, sinipat ko lang sandali, then go nako for drilling holes...:hockey1:
i am now happy to have a pocket hole jig in my woodshop....:cool01:

[Armand]

armand,
i am happy to have a pocket hole jig in my woodshop....:cool01:

Like :thumbup:

[sadoygidi]

optional na lang ang kreg jig :)

http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc424/sadoygidi/DSC_0179-1.jpg