# Help with a Kreg pocket hole system



## CplSteel (Jun 22, 2012)

In advance, thank you for your help-
I know how a pocket hole system works in theory… but not how they are actually used. This matters because I went ahead and, at a garage sale, picked up this:










I have no idea if I am missing pieces or not. Clearly the previous owner mounted it to a table (the center part with the clamp and the two similar pieces on either side are mounted to the table), and that seems to make some sense. As for the rest of it, I have no idea how it all works together. Does anyone identify what model system this is, and if you know of a link to a manual that would be great. Any tips would be appreciated, especially 1) why there are these square-tipped drivers and 2) what size screws is this setup for?

Thanks again,
Alex


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## ShaneA (Apr 15, 2011)

They use specialized screws made by/for Kreg. A self tapping square #2 head, very nice screws. Avaliable at Lowes WC or many other places. I would think a manual would be available too.


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## Kookaburra (Apr 23, 2012)

i think you will find a full manual on their website, plus lots of information about the kit you have. it looks like a regular kit with some added accessories, based on what is offered today.

http://www.kregtool.com/InfoCenter-Info.html


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## fge (Sep 8, 2008)

We have used a kreg jig for a very long time now. I use the jig for face frames and on a very occassional basis we might need to utilize a pocket hole combined with wood glue. For the most part they are just used for face frames in our shop.

We used to utilize a jig set like the one you displayed. Now we have a small bench top drill press set up with a clamp/table top that holds our work piece at the correct angle and allows us to drill the pocket hole in any face frame material we need to much quicker then using a hand held drill and in doing it this way I have a lot less wear and tear on our shoulder. But we might drill more pocket holes then you plan.

It does look like you have a great buy from a garage sale as those jigs are costly brand new.


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

It looks to be all there to me. Like above, the Kreg screws can be found at Lowes near the bandsaw blades and such. I really like the screw and use them outside the Kreg system. They come in coarse and fine in a variety of lengths and head shapes. You'll want to locate a chart to gauge the length of the screw versus the placement of the collar on the stepped bit. You should find it in the online manual. Congrats, you'll like it!


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## TechRedneck (Jul 30, 2010)

Watch some of the videos from the website or You Tube. This looks silimar to the master system I purchased a couple years ago. Mine came with a DVD that was fairly good.

This is good for face frames and quick shop stuff. I always use some glue for extra strength. I would not use it on a nice table or quality piece but is a good addition to your set of tools.


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## CplSteel (Jun 22, 2012)

Thanks for the help thus far, does anyone know of a video or site that explains this system well? Thus far I have found some info, but nothing that actually explains all the different pieces and how they are used.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

You have 3 different jigs, the yellow is the K4, blue is the mini-Kreg, red is the original Kreg Jig (No longer sold. It was replaced by the R3/Junior). The original has 3 parts: the main body that you drill through, an extension for thicker wood like 2×4s, and the little piece to the right of the red box is a stop that you hook over the end of your workpiece. I have no idea what the other blue plastic parts are. On the right you have your square drive bits, stepped drill bit, and Vice Grip clamp which is used with the Mini and Original.


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## junebug (Oct 26, 2011)

the other 2 blue pieces not circled above look like the depth gauge for the stop collars on the drill bits.


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## Sailor (Jun 17, 2009)

Youtube! It has the answers you are looking for and you can see the parts and pieces in action!


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## CplSteel (Jun 22, 2012)

wormil, thank you. I had a feeling it was a bit of a franken-kreg. To the others, I have tried youtube, but most youtube videos assume that you have seen the DVD that came with your jig, or have any clue how it works. The manual gave me some info, but it took me 30 minutes to realize that the system is made for self-taping screws (I couldn't understand how the other piece got a pilot hole.)


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

I googled, "kreg jig instructions," and found a bunch of PDFs that explain with pictures how the pieces fit together and how to use them. You just gotta get them hamsters running on the wheel upstairs and figure it out.


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## Howie (May 25, 2010)

Why can't I find something like this at garage sales…....


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## ADHDan (Aug 17, 2012)

This is a sweet garage sale find. As Wormil explained, the yellow is the main body of the "clamp and drill" jig - you clamp your workpiece against the plastic backer block with bushings, and drill through the bushing guides to bore an angled hole in your workpiece. The two plastic parts on either side of that are gauges for the bit stop/collar - these gauges were made part of the base unit on the newer Kreg jig, so if you end up with a manual for a newer jig don't let that throw you off.

I was going to post a guide on how to use a Kreg jig, but it is surprisingly hard to describe in text. Literally one or two youtube videos would be worth 500 words. This may be a good start: 



.


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## CplSteel (Jun 22, 2012)

Thank you for the help, I am going to try and build a new drill press table/cabinet with this thing this weekend.


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## ducky911 (Oct 6, 2010)

i love my kreg jig…I was worried when I bought it because it was plastic…but it does not work like plastic.


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## CplSteel (Jun 22, 2012)

So I used it today, I will probably post project pics when I am done and I have to say I am a bit impressed. I came from the camp that screws are not joinery. They are useful, but they aren't strong enough or durable enough to make a "real" joint. I may have been wrong.

While I don't know if I would pay $150 for it, the $20 I did pay is definitely worth it. I was drilling pocket holes on play sheets, the largest was 23" x 32" x 3/4" ply and, while the holes weren't as clean as I would want them with some splintering around the edges, it worked just fine. I still had to clamp up my boards to screw them in because the coarse 1 1/4" screws I was using would threaten to strip before they brought the two boards together (problem solved with clamping, but I could probably drill a pilot hole to fix the problem when clamping is not an option).

One small problem was that I would have prefered to have the kreg clamp in front, like on the K3 system. I guess there is a reason they moved it, but for big panels I would have to keep reaching around and that took about 2 seconds per hole, which added up to about half the total time I had to spend on the operation. Overall, very nice for hidden joints but I would want to do something else, or at least play around with the hole plugs for anything else.


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