I love my wife, the short tale of the HF pocket hole jig...

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  • dbhost
    Slow and steady
    • Apr 2008
    • 9209
    • League City, Texas
    • Ryobi BT3100

    I love my wife, the short tale of the HF pocket hole jig...

    So my wife knows I have been eyeballing the HF Pocket hole jig for the last couple of years. I just haven't, well had the heart to spend the money on something I already have a functional equivalent, but I never really liked my General jig... I just got it because, well honestly I worked at a hardware store in college, and got employee pricing on merchandise, so I bought the old General for something like $7.00 back in the mid 90s...

    So nearly 20 years later, I am driving with my wife when she nudges me at the stop light, hands me a HF 25% off coupon and tells me to go to the new HF during lunch and buy it...

    Hey who am I to turn my wife down right?

    So anyway, with the current sale price of $64.99, that puts the 25% off at what, ~$16.25 if my State University math still works right... So less than $50.00 before tax and somehow it managed to end up in the car with me, waiting, smelling the car up with that coating HF uses on everything. Yep, I think I am going to build something with pocket screws this weekend just to play with the thing...
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  • atgcpaul
    Veteran Member
    • Aug 2003
    • 4055
    • Maryland
    • Grizzly 1023SLX

    #2
    I look forward to a review. I've been using my Kreg mini for more than 10 years now. The bit needs sharpening and if there are a lot of holes to drill, not too quick to reposition the clamps. Time for something more robust.

    Comment

    • JimD
      Veteran Member
      • Feb 2003
      • 4187
      • Lexington, SC.

      #3
      I googled it to see what it looks like. I don't know what the two different angles are for but otherwise it looks a lot like one I bought from Penn State a long time ago. I'm sure the Kreg work well but plastic for this just doesn't seem desirable. Mine works well enough I have no desire to try a Kreg. It also came in a nice little finger jointed wood box that is handy for storage.

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      • Cochese
        Veteran Member
        • Jun 2010
        • 1988

        #4
        Originally posted by JimD
        I googled it to see what it looks like. I don't know what the two different angles are for but otherwise it looks a lot like one I bought from Penn State a long time ago. I'm sure the Kreg work well but plastic for this just doesn't seem desirable. Mine works well enough I have no desire to try a Kreg. It also came in a nice little finger jointed wood box that is handy for storage.
        There's very little about the plastic that is fragile or not up to the task. You would have to abuse it for it to matter.

        Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
        I have a little blog about my shop

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        • LCHIEN
          Internet Fact Checker
          • Dec 2002
          • 20914
          • Katy, TX, USA.
          • BT3000 vintage 1999

          #5
          I believe that the plastic allows features to be incorporated and reproduced en masse that a machined fixture can't economically provide. The plastic fixture allows hardened metal guides to be molded in place that wear better than a single metal block.
          In order to make a molded plastic fixture the design and expense of a mold must be invested and amortized among the units sold.
          Thus reasons the Kreg has potential to be better. I believe they have delivered on that potential with several generations of improving jigs.
          Loring in Katy, TX USA
          If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
          BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

          Comment

          • JimD
            Veteran Member
            • Feb 2003
            • 4187
            • Lexington, SC.

            #6
            I guess I stirred it up a little by saying I prefer a metal to a plastic jig. The body of my jig is aluminum as I suspect the HF is too but the bit guides are chromed steel.

            I have a Krieg jig for drilling holes in bookshelf sides. It doesn't look like much but works really well. The storage for the bits is really nice, a thoroughly thought out design. I am not against Kreig, but for pocket holes, I like my metal jig. I suspect there are nice things about the Kreig too.

            Comment

            • eezlock
              Senior Member
              • Feb 2006
              • 997
              • Charlotte,N.C.
              • BT3100

              #7
              short tale about the HF pocket hole jig

              I have had mine(HF) for a couple of years now and I really like it. It is way better than all the set up work to try and use dowel joints for sure. You won't regret buying it, setup is real easy and a snap to use. If you plan on using it
              as mounted jig, you'd be better off to put it on a good piece of plywood
              and clamp the entire thing to your workbench. The two different sets of guide holes are for different thicknesses of lumber 1/2" and 3/4". I really like the
              adjustable hole spacing and flexability with this jig...a lot easier to use I
              think. Eezlock

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