Drilling "issues"

[Susan]

I'm using the mini-jig and not having a "happy first outing".  We just got a Kreg Master Jig set and I thought it'd be no big deal to put together some small shelves to stick in the back of a closet.  3/4" thick wood that's 3.5" wide.  No such luck. 

I promise that I've read through several threads.  I've found that I need a 2,000+ RPM drill and possibly, the $35 industrial version of the drill bit. 

I started out with an 18V cordless DeWalt impact drill.  I set the speed as high as it would go and played with the torque settings from high-end to middle to low-end.  When the bit literally turned into a wood-burning tool and still didn't complete a pocket hole, I switched to our corded drill.  By then the battery had run down considerably (it's almost new and hangs in there for everything else we use it to do).  I'll have to check the rpm limit on the corded drill.  I got through one pocket hole and then was back to not being able to drill past the half-way point — even with stopping and clearing out the debris several times.  And, when it did almost work, it was because I put as much strength into an assist as I could.

I admit to being a wimpy thing.  But that's why I like power tools; they make up for my mightiness deficit. The very first pocket hole that I drilled was a beautiful thing and I was grinning big time!  But it all went downhill oh so quickly after that.  I don't give up easily and I stayed with it and attempted every fix I thought might be helpful.  I even switched from the mini to the full-sized jig without any better results.   I really want this system to work since I can see almost endless possibilities around our place.

 

Is it possible to pre-drill a starter path for the KregJig drill so that it can get there from here?  Or do I need to get a new drill with the power of front-end loader?  Or that industrial strength bit?  :-)

 

[Susan]

James.  Thanks so much for answering so quickly.  But.....  Color me embarassed!  My husband and I took a field trip out to our garage and the corded drill I was using maxes out at 800 RPM.  It's almost wimpier than me!  We checked our other corded drills and found a vintage Black & Decker that shows 2250 RPM.  My husband transferred the drill bit and I expect things will go much better this time.

 

I just wanted to post something so that everyone would know that there might not be a problem after all....

[John Schaben]

Hi Susan - Mini jig doesn't have a vac attachment. I suspect you are getting chips built up in there. Higher rpm will help but try lifting the drill in and out of the hole. Don't need to clear the jig, just sorta pulse it up and down instead of trying to get there all at once. That should lift the chips out and let them dump.

Susan said:

James.  Thanks so much for answering so quickly.  But.....  Color me embarassed!  My husband and I took a field trip out to our garage and the corded drill I was using maxes out at 800 RPM.  It's almost wimpier than me!  We checked our other corded drills and found a vintage Black & Decker that shows 2250 RPM.  My husband transferred the drill bit and I expect things will go much better this time.

 

I just wanted to post something so that everyone would know that there might not be a problem after all....

[steve kidd]

wow, the dewalt with a half charge should have done the trick, could you have had the drill in reverse? i have drilled hundreds of pocket holes with out a full charge on my dewalt 18volt with out a problem. what kind of wood are you drilling? if this dosent work please contact me and i wil try to help. good luck

[Susan]

Would you believe... the wood is pine.  Maybe it was, as John suggests, because I was using the mini-jig.  Although I did stop and clear the drill and jig pretty regularly.  Same problem with the 800 RPM drill.  I do have to admit that the "wood-burned" pocket holes are kind of "decorative".  I'll do my best to post photos.  Is there an "If you want to feel really good about your project, come take a look at mine" or maybe a "There's hope, even for this person, so you can probably do it too" category?

I did switch over to our Black and Decker vintage drill that lists 0-2250 RPM and switched over to using the full-sized jig setup, complete with vacuum attachment connected and running.  Things went much better, but the drill still really slowed down at the end of the process.  Also, it is a 1/4" not 3/8" drill.  I was kind of surprised, however, that the drill never really got all that hot.

So... We went up to Lowe's on Sunday and picked up a new corded drill.  We couldn't find anything that was rated over 2500 RPM.  We did find an 8 AMP DeWalt.  Thinking that a 3 AMP drill might not have had enough power to maintain higher RPMs, we're hoping that there'll be a difference.  The drill was marked down and there' was a short-term 15% off sale on some DeWalt products, so the price was a pleasant surprise (around $50?).  Since we bought it for a specific purpose, we asked if we could return it if it isn't doesn't do what we need.  No problem — as long as we get it back in time to meet their return policy.

 

I'll probably take the new drill out for a test 'drive' sometime today.  We also picked up the right-angle clamp and are looking forward to using it.

 

Note - (I was in error when I said we had the Kreg Master Jig.  It's the regular one.)

 

 

steve kidd said:

wow, the dewalt with a half charge should have done the trick, could you have had the drill in reverse? i have drilled hundreds of pocket holes with out a full charge on my dewalt 18volt with out a problem. what kind of wood are you drilling? if this dosent work please contact me and i wil try to help. good luck

[kenny from Sundre]

Hi Susan;  

Knots in the wood are something that will slow and even stop the bit, and often extra pressure is needed to get the bit through the knot to complete the pocket hole. I have run into that even in plywood. It may not be the problem that you are experiencing, but it is something to watch for.

 

[John Schaben]

Hi Susan - Wow - 8 amp drill!!! I have that one and if you aren't satisfied with the holes it drills, something else is wrong. Could be that with the old drill the bit got hot and is dull. Heat kills cutting tools very quickly, if the bit has a bit of a blueish tint, it is ready for retirement.

 Good luck.

[Susan]

John ~ I'm so glad to hear that we did good when it comes to picking a drill.  I did notice a really, really, big difference in that the drill never slowed down.  I think you might have already addressed my remaining concern, as well. 

   Using the full-size jig with the vacuum attachment activated, the drill bit processes in "stages"; not smoothly.  It runs, then "drops" two or three times.  However, when it gets to the last part, unless I put considerable pressure on the the drill, the bit just spins and doesn't feed through any more.  That seems strange since it feeds through fairly steadily up to that point.  It doesn't matter if I pull up the bit.  Happily, there's noting to clear from the tube or the grooves on the bit; so the vacuum feature is obviously working.  I was thinking I might need to pick up the better drill bit, but it would be nice if we only need to replace the original one that came with the jig.  But then what happens when we're drilling oak, not pine?

   The good news is that I've managed to put together the little shelf I needed.  It's definitely one fine example of a learning curve.  The nice thing about the Kreg jig is that all the 'connections' are hidden or kind of obscured from view.  If I had put this thing together this badly using screws, nails, or L-brackets, it would really be a mess.  But it'll do what I need it to and actually looks a whole lot better than it should; excepting, maybe, where the 1 1/2" coarse threaded screws we bought poked through the side 3/4" boards in a few spots.  I just backed out the screws and replaced them with the 1 1/4" fine threaded screws that came with the kit. :-)

We really like how there doesn't seem to be any need for cross-bracing.  It's probably because the shelf is so small — 20.5" high X 26" wide X 3 1/2" deep.  Even with backing out some of the screws and repositioning some of the shelves a number of times, the connections are really sturdy even though I didn't use glue excepting for the first, top shelf.  I kind of wish I hadn't used the glue, 'cause that top shelf could have been aligned a bit better.  Oh well, this thing is going to be at the back of the top shelf of a very deep bathroom closet and I actually get to use my "practice" boards.  Better yet, if I had been using a proper drill, and/or was an experienced user, I would have been able to put this little shelf together incredibly quickly since I was working with precut scraps from one of my husband's earlier projects.

'Truly appreciate all the feedback and encouragement!

     ~ susan

[dwaine c. schneider]

Im old so maybe I dont quite get it but the talk of corded drills to me means that it has a cord on it and you plug it into a socket for work... If the drill has a battery that you recharge I call that  a cordless drill.  I dont know of the industrial bit but all I use is the ones that come with the jig.  I think it would be a good idea to have it sharpened, or spring for a new one.  No reason for it not to go through the wood in a quick action, on the pine with the sap it is a good idea to pull it up part way through to clear it as has been suggested, the sap in it makes it harder to get rid of than most other wood.  Evenas a beginner this should work flawlessly for you...