The Framers Forum

I've been looking in to the idea of buying a pocket hole jig and there are not cheap to buy, but there was some talk about them some time back and tought of getting one are still bouncing about in the old grey matter. I am just wondering if anyone has bought one to use in their framing workshop and it has proven to be a useful thing to have? If so, what sort of things do you use them for and is there any indication of the minimum thickness of wood you can use these for.

Thanks in anticipation,
Mark

Mark,
Here is a link to a DIY project.
https://makezine.com/2017/03/27/diy-pocket-hole-jig/

Yeah, got one about 4-5 years ago, used it once ......................

I have one and as well as using for canvas stretchers, i use them when building out box frames. This is in place of using biscuit joints and provide a better fit and one that you can continue to work on as it is screwed in place whilst glue going off.

For example, i could make a frame using wessex pw129
https://www.wessexpictures.com/PW129.html

Then i would run the same moulding through my table saw to lose the rebate, cut its mitres on its side, drill in pocket holes and glue clamp and screw and you have a box frame that will be up to about 90mm deep (for smaller, take more off on the table saw).

Hope that makes sense (i have just had surgery and i am taking morphine so it may be babble)

I use this all the time and you can use pocket holes on qbout 12mm width wood.

This frame was built out using pocket holes
As the canvas was sitting in a moulding within a moulding, i needed to build this frame out as it needed security fittings.

I do use pocket holes for joinery jobs, so i am not sure i would have bought it specifically for framing, but having said that, if you make a lot of frames where you are building them together, they will save you a load of time and are well worth the money.

Nick

So far no one is suggesting that this is one those things that you must have. So I guess that rushing out to spend about £80 at this moment, is not any great piority. However, the link posted by Jerome just so happens to be about making your own DIY pocket hole jig and does mention that pocket hole jigs have an angle of 21 degrees.

Thanks Jerome, that little bit of information may be all I need to make my own pocket hole jig. An interesting fact is that stepped diameter drills can be bought with drill a pilot hole and a counterbore to sink a screw head below the surface of the would. One product name for such a drill is called a "screwsinker".

I know about screwsinkers, because I have got a couple of these and while I think that commercially made pocket hole jig is likely to be of greater precision that something you could easily make yourself, I'm pretty sure that most of us could make something that will make fairly satisfactory job of doing what's needed and use a screwsinker to drill the counterbored hole.

Thanks you guys.
Mark

I love my pocket hole jig, use it all the time. On large frames I use ply as a subframe, joined together with pocket hole jogs, though if you've got a biscuit joiner I guess you would use that.

You can use this simple version https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/232004452950?c ... 270&crdt=0

or this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kreg-185823-Ji ... s=kreg+jig

or then again this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kreg-256272-K4 ... s=kreg+jig

I have The latest Kreg one but have found I have used the guide on its own around the house more than in the clamp/jig Its a bit like all niche tools when the right situation comes along its invaluable so if you also do a bit of DIY as well as using for framing it would be a good investment they hold there price well so easy to resell if you don’t get on with it


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Thanks Steve for showing the lower cost pocket hole jigs. I'm a lot more likely to go for one of the cheaper ones, than taking a chance on a more expensive ones.

Also thanks Louise for telling me about using them on plywood. That's really significant. I guess if I thought about it would have made sense to do so, but hearing from someone who has proved to works is making my take pocket hole jigs more seriously than before.

This is the one I got...

https://www.trenddirectuk.com/ph-jig-pocket-hole-jig

Thanks Louise,

That is also the one I was looking at, but that's a lot better price that the supplier I was thinking of getting it from. It's making me think about that a lot more. There better price without the screws is fine with me, I don't have any problem about using normal off the shelf screws, as long as it does the job that's fine.

Think the pocket hole jig screws work differently to standard screws. Like the kreg myself, just waiting for the job that needs it!

Rutlands have one on sale for £35. Won't be as good as trend or kreg but still not bad for more occasional use.

https://www.rutlands.co.uk/sp+xact-pock ... kit+XT1000

I haven't used this one myself but reviews seem good.

Nick

I've gone for this one, still one left at £47...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Triton-TW8CPHJ ... ref=plSrch