Juliea Posted September 17, 2015 Report Share Posted September 17, 2015 Hi everyone, I'm a beginner seeking advice. I recently got a pocket hole jig and set it up. I am pretty sure I've done that correctly. Some of the videos suggested using a nickel to set the depth of the bit, and I've set the collar so that the drill stops just short of the base plate. I've been practicing and the holes themselves look pretty nice.However, the joints don't seem strong. Is it possible I'm not using long enough screws? Or do I just need to keep practicing? Thanks so much for any advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodger. Posted September 17, 2015 Report Share Posted September 17, 2015 Which jig did you buy? I would imagine it is the kreg variety, but they have a few different models. Can you let us know which unit you have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juliea Posted September 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2015 Thanks, Franklin. I got the Brand X version from Harbor Freight instead of the Kreg, but it is really pretty nice. I mounted it on a piece of scrap lumber and it seems very stable. It holds the wood tightly.Julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodger. Posted September 17, 2015 Report Share Posted September 17, 2015 I have a kreg model, and the depth of cut is established by the jig (adjustable) and the drill bit collar. The collar has a scale (built into the body of the jig). Makes drilling perfect holes a snap. Not sure about the model you have, does the manual indicate best practice? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juliea Posted September 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2015 Unfortunately the manual doesn't say a lot. But yes, this is similar in that you set the depth of the cut by using the collar on the drill bit.The holes look nice and neat, but I am still not doing something right. I did order some of the Kreg screws and they seem more substantial than the ones that came with the jig. Maybe I just need to practice a little more and experiment with different size screws.I will report back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted September 18, 2015 Report Share Posted September 18, 2015 On my Kreg, when then depth is set correctly, the end of the bit is just barely breaking the surface of the board. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodger. Posted September 18, 2015 Report Share Posted September 18, 2015 Unfortunately the manual doesn't say a lot. But yes, this is similar in that you set the depth of the cut by using the collar on the drill bit.The holes look nice and neat, but I am still not doing something right. I did order some of the Kreg screws and they seem more substantial than the ones that came with the jig. Maybe I just need to practice a little more and experiment with different size screws.I will report back! what is going wrong? Are your joints not lining up? Screws not biting? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted September 18, 2015 Report Share Posted September 18, 2015 Did you glue the joint ? Think of the screws as permanent clamps. Aligning the joints and sometimes adding a clamp or 2 will help with the pieces shifting as you add screws.or look online for a PDF of a Kreg manual ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weithman5 Posted September 18, 2015 Report Share Posted September 18, 2015 clamping the joint tight is importantalso the type of screws should have the flat surface where they mate against the wood to help them draw tight and firm 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juliea Posted September 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2015 Terrific advice, everyone, thank you all very much! Here's where I think I was goofing up: (1) the wood scraps I was using were so junky that they didn't have enough grain to hold the screws. So I found some better hunks of wood. (2) I had the depth of the drill bit set a little too deep. That was making the holes weak. (3) Clamping the pieces while assembling made a huge difference. (4) I hadn't made sure that the pieces I was trying to join were square and free of chips.I still need to practice but there is light at the end of the tunnel! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted September 18, 2015 Report Share Posted September 18, 2015 Julie, not much practice left to go, setup is pretty much the practice you need. Now just go use it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted September 19, 2015 Report Share Posted September 19, 2015 Go find a PDF of a Kreg manual ! It's full of tips how to do angled joints too ! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collinb Posted September 19, 2015 Report Share Posted September 19, 2015 Took me a few tries as well. As you learned already clamping is critical. What I do is first clamp lightly then tap as needed so that all edges are flat. Then tighten the clamp. To make it even tighter sometimes I will drive the screw through the drilled board then remove it. This exposes excess material at the screw exit point. Then I take a drill bit, a large one, and turn it a couple of times into the exit, just enough to remove the material. Then assemble. Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Juliea Posted September 19, 2015 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted September 19, 2015 I am really glad I found this forum. Lots of good advice and support.Check out my first "good" joint. There is still plenty of room for improvement but it's getting there. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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