Another pocket hole jig question..

[Knot Competent]

starts with a Gloat - I went to Yandles yesterday! I managed to get away without spending much, but I found it so useful to see stuff demonstrated, and I came away with all sorts of ideas.

I was impressed by the Kreg jig, but the literature says it'll cope with material up to 1 1/2" thick. Now I don't want to buy something that looks really good, but won't cope with my requirements. To be specific, I make a lot of racks out of 2" x 2" p.a.r. softwood, finished size 44mm x 44mm, and I wonder if the jig will cope with that. Is there anyone out there who has the Kreg, and would be good enough to do a test piece of that size for me? A simple T-joint would be ideal.

Thanks for any help or advice. Regards, John

PS the jig, normal MRP £82, was on offer for £59.99 for the two days.

 

[tim]

John

You might be unlucky - I have the jig and would be happy to do a test piece for you. However, I don't have the correct length screws ie I rarely use it for anything other than 3/4 or inch stuff. If I use those shorter screws, it won't give you a fair answer as to suitability.

Cheers

Tim

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi John

John, You might be unlucky - I have the jig and would be happy to do a test piece for you. However, I don't have the correct length screws ie I rarely use it for anything other than 3/4 or inch stuff. If I use those shorter screws, it won't give you a fair answer as to suitability.

Sorry, I've obviously got the same screws as Tim.

Cheers
Neil

 

[Knot Competent]

Isn't there anyone out in the woodyard who uses longer screws? I'd be so grateful if someone could run this test for me.

Regards, John

 

[tim]

The prob is that you need the pan head type screws or they will pull through the joint.

Cheers

Tim

 

[Knot Competent]

If the worst comes to the worst, I'll take a couple of short pieces of 2" x 2" to the Axminster Show in November, and hope that the same helpful guy is there. And some money, of course, to buy a Kreg if it does the job I want it to.

But it'd be nice to know the answer earlier...
:roll:
Regards, John

 

[MikeW]

Hi John,

You can join thicker material than they state...the issue is where on the board that the screws exit and then enter the other board.

In other words, their idea is to have the screw exit/enter as closly the center of the thickness as the angle of the drill jig allows. This is what provides a joint that keeps racking force as low as possible.

Your finish size is just under 1 3/4" which will place the screws at about the one-third area from the back of the piece. This could allow the piece to seperate some on the face side unless the pieces were fixed really well to something else. Using the clamp-on pocket jig, you can position it higher which would mean you could control the exit point manually. This would only take a couple attempts until you found the correct setback distance.

Then it is a matter of finding panhead screws of the correct length. Also, after finding the correct setback for the pocket jig, I would determine how far to drill the real pieces and mark their drill bit so it stops further up from the exit point. You would then need to use an 3/16 drill to finish the pilot hole.

All of this sounds like a hassle, but in practice I don't think it would be. I'll try to get out to the shop and play with this today.

Mike

 

[Knot Competent]

Mike, thanks for that. I'll await your findings with interest.

On a totally different subject, can I ask you if you know what a cord of wood is? Read about it in a book written by an American, and I can't find any info. Thanks!

Regards from across the pond, John

 

[wizer]

One cord is a volume of 128 cubic feet, about 3.6247 cubic meters

 

[MikeW]

Hi John,

Certainly can let you know. Think firewood. A 4' x 4' x 8' stack of firewood. As tightly stacked as possible.

Our first winter in our log cabin we built in Idaho back in the 1970s took 18 cords just for the heat stove (we also had a wood cooking stove).

Thereafter when we learned how to make the cabin a tad better insulated, it took 11 cords a year to heat and cook with.

Mike

 

[SlimShavings]

Mike W is right about putting together thicker material. It also helps if you find a pocket hole drill where the center bit is adjustable. McFeeleys over here carry pocket hole screws up to 3 inched long No8. They carry no 6.7.8
I'm sure they should be available over there


Mike W
It only takes about 4 cords of hickory,oak (red & White) and maple (a lot of quilted,worm and spalted) to heat my place for a year. Trouble is I'd rather not burn a lot of it. My save pile is usually bigger than the burn pile.
You do any back-to the-land stuff ??

Gotta go time for Garrison Keeler
:lol: :lol:

 

[MikeW]

...You do any back-to the-land stuff ??
Gotta go time for Garrison Keeler

Try here:
Little House in the Big Woods topic

Mike

 

[SlimShavings]

Mike
Very nice. My first venture was a barn I took down, remortised and tenoned the whold thing and put it back together. Still standing last i was that way. I'm still fighting the good fight. guess I never will get smart. :lol: Oh well. But havent locked my doors since I don't know when. Not sure I can find the key. :lol: e

I 'd love to set up and old steam sawmill out here. I know where to get the fuel to fire the boiler and the guys that would help