I'm planning to build about 16 feet of book shelves. A friend suggested I invest in a Kreg Jig. I looks good, but seems overpriced. It also looks like they have you on the hook for their self-tapping screws.
I'll appreciate comments.
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Dick
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'Pends on what else you already have and what type of shelves you're thinking of building imo...
If they're utility shelves for the garage it's suitable joinery; can use them for face frames like kitchen cabinets altho I'm not particularly fond of them. For more general use I'd suggest going the biscuit joiner route instead for about the same entry price other than the little mini-jig.
I'll add to your list rec.woodworking
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I'd never heard of them until now. I checked Lowes (online) and the prices seemed reasonable if you're going to use it more than once.
Why buy their screws? Just get your own. They don't need to be self tapping.
Thanks for posting. Looks like a handy tool. I'd go for it.
If you're going to do *any* pocket holes, the Kreg Jig is fantastic. I bought the cheapie ($20 or less) to do a quick fence gate but having uses that, I will buy certainly the whole Magilla the first real project I do. You really don't need to use their screws, though I would. They're really not that much more expensive than other decent screws.
As far as the bookshelf goes, what sort do you want? ...and why pocket holes?
The screw heads are shaped for the holes (pretty flat on the bottom).
They're amazing for pocket holes. I had a simpler jig, some time back, but there was no good way to gauge the distances. The Kreg jig makes it a piece of cake; perfectly centered holes.
I'd put a little glue in the joint too.
Almost makes me wish I had a project to do. I'm sure I'll be getting one :-) Great idea.
Don' t yet have them, intend to buy soon. Highly recommended by several friends whose talents exceed mine by a whole lot.
Joe
The Kreg jigs are extremely useful as well as being easy to use (I have their 2000 kit). They do not have you on the hook for the screws, pocket hole joinery screws are available from many other sources and pocket hole jigs are available from other sources. The Kreg jigs are some of the best I've seen however.
One thing to keep in mind is that pocket hole construction is sensitive to material thickness, so you either need a thickness planer to get everything sized correctly, or else have a lumber source that can do it for you. For efficiency you also need two good drill/drivers, one to drill the holes and one to drive the screws. A corded drill for the drilling and a cordless for the driving works well.
The Kreg jigs are calibrated for varying wood thickness. I found it really easy to use on even 2x lumber.
That's true for any job where a lot of screws are needed. I've used two cordless drills for years, though more recently I use an impact driver to drive screws. What a difference.
I've got one and have used it many times. The guy that made the cabinets in my house used it, well, sort of. He only used the drill bit. But, I bought the cheapest kit, which was about $40 or $45 at Lowe's. I found that it works just as good with drywall screws, but I have a few boxes of the overly expensive, Kreg screws.
After reading all of these replies I just ordered the simple Kreg Jig Jr from Rockler. $19.95. Free shipping. I will find this useful on what little wood work I do. WW
Works best with the right type of screw. Note the thread on point and the unthreaded shank, unlike a regular wood screw. They are available from other sources though. McFeelys has #8 1 1/2" for 5¢ apiece. At 40¢ for a full face frame, why compromise?
"Art Todesco" wrote
Maybe you got by, but it is not "just as good". Drywall screws are easy to drive, but they are really not a good wood screw, starting with the brittleness. How much did you save last year by using a second rate screw?
The head shape doesn't help, either. I used decking screws in the gate I mentioned above but the gate only has to last a year (the whole fence has to be replaced this fall).
Gee, I've never had a second rate screw. Is there such a thing? ;-)
Though I agree with that, even "conventional" joinery takes some investment in tools. Not enough info. "Book shelves" covers a lot of territory.
--Vic
"16 feet of book shelves" sounds like it could be a fairly involved built-in where the $100 cost of the Kreg jig could be worthwhile. The jig would also be available for future projects.
Maybe. Only reason I mentioned that is I built a redwood set of bookshelves using a box saw and chisels for dadoes. No glue. Crank drill for the screw holes. Wasn't perfect, but good enough it's still in use 40 years later. It's 8' x 8' with 7 shelves. That's 56 feet of shelves. Not saying I would do it the same way now, but I wouldn't use pocket screws for shelving anyway.
--Vic
Agreed. For DIY bookshelves, especially first attempt with limited skill set, slotted 2x uprights with 5/4 shelves spanning around 30" each, is the painless way to go. All you need is some sawhorses, a skilsaw, a couple bar clamps, a good square and straightedge, a chisel, and a hammer. If you can use the entire end of a room, like the living room in a no-fireplace cookie cutter, entire thing can be jam-fit with shims, and you won't even mar the walls. (Although in earthquake country I would still tie it off with screws into several studs, up high.) If you can't go wall-to-wall, 1x8 stiffening rails screwed to top and bottom of back will keep it nice and square.
And it knocks down very quickly for moving. I showed a lot of people how to make these in my college years. You can use fancy lumber with a fancy finish, or cherry-picked framing grade with wiped-on walnut stain, and get acceptable looking results.
I like it knockdown. I'm impressed by the cam lock connectors. If I ever made another shelf set I'd use them for the frame, and pegs to set the shelves on. Flexibility. Used cleats on my big one, and that locked in shelf heights. I saw one I design really liked where the sides were continuously grooved and the shelves edges rounded. You could pull the shelf out and move it up or down in 1" increments. Lots of routing/molding head work, but it looked neat and handy. But there's all kinds of ways to do it, and if pocket screws work for you, go for it.
--Vic
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