Value of a Kreg Jig

It's not surprising that you would think that.

Yep, but if 16' means a 16' wide built-in unit with face frames and whatnot, a pocket hole jib will be quite helpful.

"Pete C." wrote in news:4e52f93e$0$12803$ snipped-for-privacy@newsreader.readnews.com:

you use the pocket screws for the case and face-frame,not the shelves. (unless you're making shelves with a reinforcing edge.)

plus,it would not look very good. better to build a couple of smaller cases.

I would buy the $40 kit like this one at Lowes.

The $20 kit for rare use, the $40 kit is perfect for occasional and even routine use. For book cases, pocket holes would be good for the face frame, if using a face frame.

Dry wall screws would work, but poorly. You want pan head screws or washer head screws for pocket holes. The bugle heads on drywall screws would sorta work on very hard woods, but would be hard to control depth on soft woods and would be prone to splitting the wood. I would never use drywall screws in pocket holes, unless you could find pan head dw screws, and you can't:-)