Bench Dog - 1/4" Shelf Pin Jig (Rating: 2)

I have used large acrylic shelf pin drilling jigs in the past, which worked fine. Some models are actually too big to fit in an existing cabinet, so the small size of this unit was appealing. After all you can use the index pin and cut as many holes as you need. The plastic template itself works fine. It is well thought out, and has some nice features. The "clamping zone" should be longer, because the clamps sometimes interfere with the drilling operation.

The indexing pin is hollow plastic. I think metal would have been better. It works, but feels a little flimsy.

As far as the bit goes… wow is it terrible. It drilled exactly one and one-half holes before it exploded into many pieces. I gathered all the parts to see if it could be salvaged. The set screw that holds this spring-loaded bit together is a soft gold colored metal. After reassembling the bit and tightening the set screw, I resumed drilling… and it broke after 2 more holes. To make matters worse the holes in plywood had significant tearout and splintering.

The bottom line… the plastic jig is really a good tool worth having, but replace the bit with a quality unit (like Rockler 1/4" Pro Shelf Drilling Bit Item #: 40604). It looks almost identical, but has a black set screw that is durable. Use that bit as a replacement because it cuts cleaner holes too.

I really like my Bench Dog Tools, but this one needs improvement. With the replacement bit from Rockler this is a 4 star tool. If Bench Dog can find it in their hearts to make the indexing pin metal instead of plastic, it would be 5 stars.

I would much rather pay ten dollars extra for a tool, and have it work right the first time.