Kreg R3-EUR Jig

I have now used this may times for assembling items of furniture that I have built. It is a great time saver & enables a tidy, consistent, quick screwed but joint time & time again

Aaah... I've sadly become addicted to pocket holes and use them more often than is reasonable. Very handy set for occasional use, doing its job well especially with a "pistol" type one-handed F-clamp (I mean those that you trigger like a caulking gun).If using it a lot for repetitive jobs you'd be looking at a faster fix/release setup with one of the bigger versions.Even if using less intensively, you may also need to invest in a shorter "square nr.2 bit" (or check your collections of screw bits): As seen from the photo, there's only the long screw bit, as long as the long drill bit; often in the (almost) finished product you don't have enough space to insert that loooong screw bit as well as a drill/screwdriver... Then you need either an "angle drill", or a 2--3inch square bit (shorter can't reach the screw!), or a totally differently planned order of construction. Also with short bits, given the angle of the screws, the rotating head of your drill driver may damage your workpiece (so use a hand screwdriver, not a drill)!But these are things you know if you've been working with pocket screws before, and mostly independent of the quality of this thing! I've used it quite a bit so far (my first 500-screw bag is 3/4 empty), mostly for 3/4inch = 18mm hardwood ply, plus occasional 12mm as well as sandwiched 2x18=36mm, plus to invisibly fix wobbly oak chairs with 1.25inch struts. It's easy to change thickness settings (comes with a table for settings on drill bit, blue-grey jig, and choice of screwlength); it still works well no worn out positioning or so.

If you are unfamiliar with the Kreg pocket screw system but need a cost-effective, and more importantly time-effective, means of building solid right angle joints then you could do far worse than this. Yes, it is not 'joinery' in the sense of beautiful dovetail joints that the purists advocate as a means of hiding from their partners in the shed for several hours, but it very much gets the job done and couldn't be simpler to use. Kit contains everything you need bar, as others have noted, a face clamp, which really is essential if you're not going to negate the time you've saved by faffing around with G clamps or similar (I'd recommend the Kreg face clamp shown for this job) and comes in a handy case with a few samples screws, which is a bonus. Again, as others have noted, don't scrimp and buy cheap screws - having experimented with others I had knocking around to see if other reviews were being hysterical, I promise you'll only do this once before you crack and buy the genuine Kreg ones. One word of warning; although the kit suggests you can go down to around 1/2 inch material, this starts to get a little tricky as the margins become quite tight (causing slight splitting in a plywood joint, in one instance). More able craftspeople than myself may not experience the same problem, but I'd suggest 3/4" is a safer minimum and will produce rock solid joints in no time at all.

Saw one of these on YouTube and found a UK supplier on Amazon. This was quickly delivered after ordering. All packaged neatly in a small plastic box where each part clips into place for storage. This is a clever and easy to use piece of kit. (theres a few videos on YouTube that make it easier to understand. With this, I "knocked together a smallish cupboard frame on a Sunday afternoon, just make sure you have a selection of G-clamps and/or speed clamps and work bench of some description. My only criticism of this product is, 1/ All the sizes are in inches/imperial as it is an American tool. 2/ You just dont get enough of the Kreg screws with the flat shoulders. I think they only supply enough to get you away. The screws are available elsewhere. Not sure if it is OK to just use regular wood screws that are of the correct length.The instruction booklet is quite good and offers a number of conversion charts Imperial to Metric. This makes joing timber easy, as long as you can cut wood squarely and use a tape measure accurately.

I must admit I have never been the neatest DiY'er. Although I have always bought the best of tools, and over the years now have a workshop full of every gadget known to man! Even with "all the gear and no idea" nothing ever turned out as an item to be proud of. However, I purchased this and made a garden planter with climbing trellis out of 2x2 planed timber. It was a doddle, and as long as you cut the ends of your timber square, 90 degree joints are guaranteed! I am very pleased with the jig, and can see lots of uses for it in the future. On reflection, maybe I would have been better buying the model up from this, with the clamping system built in. Also, if there is one disadvantage with the jig, it is that it is awkward on timber less than 2 inches (50mm) wide as it is a bit fiddly to get wood that size positioned on the jig accurately.That said, a marvellous piece of kit, and one that I would immediately replace should I ever lose this one!

Always wanted to try pocket holes. Did a lot of research and was glad I went with Kreg. I know comments about Screw cost etc. But worth it. Just beware Guaged in imperial and exact. So Metric boards are hair thinner on conversion also plained timber. Plywood is also slightly undersized to given measurements. So, worth adjusting the drill collar to drill slightly short to avoid screw showing the surface. Some kit I also bought to make the job simpler and would recommend. The Kreg Clamp and the Kreg right angle clamp. A shorter Kreg dive shaft and a right-angle drill accessory. I do use glue on the joints as well, but that is probably just me, a belt and braces bloke. I am no craftsman joiner, just a weekend warrior. Pocket holes have given me confidence and ability to take on new projects