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Dug North has a nice write up and review of the Kreg pocket hole joinery system, he writes -
Are you inclined to make things yourself from wood, but are short on the skills required for complex wood joints? Are you an accomplished woodworker who just wants a faster way to make a variety of clean joints?Kreg K3MS K3 Master Pocket Hole Jig System: Home Improvement - [via] Link.You've got to look into pocket hole joinery. The idea is simple: a jig and special drill bit allow you to drill an angled hole that both pre-drills the wood pieces and provides a recess for the screw head. Special pan-head screws hold the wood pieces together. This technique can be used to make a wide variety of wood joints -- even face frames.
Kreg is the leading brand and they offer systems from $50 to $140 -- all are highly rated. I bought the $50 version and now wish I had the case that comes with the $75 version. Note: you need screws of the right length to match your project.
I took a basic cabinet making course and was introduced to pocket hole joinery near the end of it. I was a firm believer in the method and purchased the $125 set, along with several boxes of different sizes and a book on pocket hole joinery projects. If you don't care about making something to show off joints, you can make a simple drawer with a wood front on it very quickly and easily. I made a bookcase for my brother in a couple hours, making sure to place all the screws in the back piece (basically, instead of using some thin laminate, I just use the same stock plywood I used on the sides for the back too). I'm not a very talented wood worker, but I can make nice looking stuff with pocket holes pretty easily.
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Kreg didn't invent pocket holes, but their drill guides have earned a good reputation. The guides do two things for you: they position the drill at a 15-degree angle, and they put the hole at the correct distance from the joint so that the screw will go through the center.
Pocket holes are typically used with wood in thicknesses of 0.5", 0.75" (the actual thickness of most "one-by" lumber), and 1.75" (the actual thickness of most "two-by" lumber), so the Kreg guides have preset stops for those sizes. Some are also adjustable for other sizes, and have multiple guide holes for drilling two pockets at once.
They also sell a special stepped drill bit (which drills both the pocket hole and a pilot hole for the screw), and special quick-release clamps to hold the guide in place. You can substitute other parts for these, but theirs are well made (note that some of their kits don't include clamps, and most of the guides, clamps, and bits are also sold separately). They also have a sharpening service for the special bits (one caution-- some users have discovered that the pilot tends to break off if you drop the bit on the floor).
The cheapest way to get started is with the "mini" pocket guide ($20, with a drill bit but no clamp), but it's not as convenient to use as the others. If you think you'll be drilling a lot of pocket holes, the more expensive guides can save you a lot of time.
McFeely's also sells an adapter that allows Kreg's drill bit to be used in 1/4" quick-change chucks.
McFeely's Pocket Hole Page
Kregtools
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Small correction, the presets are for 0.5", 0.75", and 1.5" (not 1.75"). Most "two-by" lumber actually measures 1.5" thick.
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