Kreg K3 for pocket holes

you could klick on reviews and check the keywords such as kreg k3

http://lumberjocks.com/reviews/103

I bought a small Kreg set (guide, drill, driver) from Ebay for about $40, new. I like it for making built in cabinets, but I don’t think I would ever use it for furniture. Cut your long board tenons on your table saw or by hand with a tenon saw.
My $0.02.

-- Tim -- http://tmuli.com

Pocket screws are strong, but not quite as strong as dowels or mortise and tenon. I would have no problem using them in a night stand, dresser, etc. I might not use them on a bed frame, but otherwise I can’t think of any other area in a bedroom suite where they’d be an issue. I’ve used them in many places including a TV stand for a 65” DLP set and I could stand on that thing easily without any give.

This is for the long shorter dresser, the long boards are going to be about 60”. I don’t have the clearance to cut the tenons with my vertical tenon cutter on the table saw. I could lay them down and cut them horizontally I suppose.

Thanks for the input.

-- Rich, WNY, www.nyrockingchairs.com

I am considering buying the same kit – was looking at one yesterday. I had used a neighbor’s to join a stretcher on a podium, and it was very quick and strong. I will probably grab one soon!

-- -Be Blessed!, Patrick

there are also the K2 and other smaller kits from Kreg for $20-$40 range… you might wanna look into those – especially since you said those wood pieces are quite large – you would want a mobile/portable system anyways, and I think that the greateness of the K3 kit is that it ALSO INCLUDES the table mounts for the system – but again, if you’re not going to use them – than that would be equivalent to getting the K2 with un-necessary accessories…

but like other mentioned – If I was in your position and especially since you dont see any future projects for a Kreg Jig – I’d go for a Tenon saw,and handcut those mortises and Tenons – like I did on my latest Bed project (all hand work – no powertools involved (almost)). sometimes handtools are just more fitting.

just my $.03 (today it’s on sale)

-- My Drinking Club has a Woodworking Problem...

I agree with PurpLev – the K2 is very portable and works well with large work pieces. The nice thing about pocket joinery is that you can disassemble the parts when you are required to move it. I have found a lot of uses for the Kreg pocket joinery systems. I highly recommend them whether you use it for this project or another.

-- Tim from Iowa City, IA

I have a K3 Master system and I used to exclusively for my latest project.

It is a really quick and easy way to join wood. I know you think this project would be your only use for it but I’m sure you will find many other uses for it once you have it. They have also had some rebates on the K3 Master system but I don’t see anything currently.

Here are some more reviews I found on Lumberjocks:
Blog entry by David
Review by Hawgnutz

-- Kyle, Michigan

I’m in the process of building a Murphy bed with 3/4” oak plywood using a small kit. It does a great job of joining flat panels and very reasonable job of joining right angle panels (without blocking). I looked at the “K3 Master” kit and decided that there were just too many things that I would never use. My short experience with the small kit has born this out.

Phil

The K3 Kit is great. My only advice would be to hook a vacuum up to it. The shavings are annoying.

I have one, too. Invest in a 90 degree clamp: The one with a disc and a pin. It hold corners together better than the clamps with two pads. I used the k3 when I built a cupboard for my workshop. It turned out okay. It would have been better had I used 3/4 inch sheet stock instead of the 1/2, but it’s enough for what I need. You probably won’t want to use it on stock less than 3/4. You can do it if you spend extra time experimenting with depth settings.

Mounting the kit on a board is a good idea if you’ll be doing long horizontal stick.

-- Made lots of sawdust and pounded some nails. Haven't finished anything, though.

re: Searching

once you do the original search you can then select “FORUMS” to refine your search.
the “all except store” is also a good option.

-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

I have the K3 kit and an extra right angle clamp. The system is very useful but you can get away very nicely with the K2 set but I don’t think that has vacuum capabilites. It is a nice system and I find myself using it frequently. You could, as others have suggested, cut the tenons lying flat on the TS with a wide dado set. I cut all my tenons with the dado on the ts.

-- John, Long Island, NY

I have the previous generation of the kit and I love it. Used it the other night to make a couple of temporary clamp racks. Glued and screwed, nice thing is you don’t have to wait for the glue to dry), mounted to wall and claps attached in under an hour. The right angle clamp suggested earlier is great for case work though you will want at least a pair.

-- //FC - Round Rock, TX - "Experience is what you get just after you need it"

I built both these dressers using the Kreg system and Titebond II,

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/7721
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/4630

might be the older one, not sure, got it at a woodworking show years ago…. but it is the one that is screwed down and attached to my workbench and has the three holes you can select from, I was using 2” rails and stiles so I used the two outer holes, turned out very solid, even the sides and the top (no glue on the top) are attached with pocket holes, but I used the little mini jig, freehand with a clamp to space my pocket holes..

The end result is you can see no fasteners from the outside, they are all on the inside…..I like the system and find new ways to use it all the time, especially repair jobs…

-- Frank, Little River/Academy, Texas , http://www.allthingsrustix.com