How can we improve your Kreg Experience?

[KregRep]

At Kreg, we make it our top priority is to ensure that our customers get real use out of their Kreg products. The tips and tricks provided in the Kreg Plus Newsletter, Kreg Jig Project Plans, educational videos on YouTube, and the forums found right here on the Kreg Jig Owners Community are all designed to add to your woodworking success.

What we'd like to know from you, is how we can improve...
Do you find the Kreg Jig Owners Community helpful?
Could you have used more detailed instructions with a product?
How was the product packaging and materials included?
Are there any tools you need that we aren't yet offering?
Is it difficult to find accessories at your local store?
Is the newsletter content too simple? Too complex?
What other content would you like to see included in the newsletter?
Were the Kreg Trim Carpentry videos useful to you?

Please use this thread to give the Kreg Family a better idea of what you need in order to advance on your woodworking journey, and to let us know where we're succeeding so far. Thanks!

[robert pettijohn]

I have a k3 and a miter gage for a table saw I got my k3 about 1.5 years ago and it was in a black box that ws molded on the inside but no dvd like I saw here. I agree the kid that works at lowes is not up to speed on the difference between a k3 and a k4 but what do you expect I found out reading on the internet I LOVE KREG products not just the pocket hole jigs I think that my miter gage is probably the best money I have ever spent fo my shop. I have discovered that it carries a blue KREG label I will poney up the cash for the top of the line.

[KregRep]

Kevin said:

not sure how much of a suggestion it is, but many cabinet companies among countless other types of companies have "groups" or "libraries" of drawings in the Google SketchUp library..
SketchUp is pretty user friendly and drawings are alterable, you can spin them around and look at them from every angle and as close as you want. What if Kreg put together maybe 20 or so assorted projects in a SketchUp format? Not that I'm her advertising for Google. Man, is that a joke or what. But I recently found it and really like it. Any of us could access the SketchUp drawings, and say you had a bookcase on there that we liked but wanted it 6" taller and a foot wider. Seems like it would be easy enough to print out the drawing as is or alter it and be able to construct it from there.
Another suggestion: we call this a "community", right? How about a place on here where those of us who could use a little help with a design just ask? Surely there are some of us on here who could throw together a basic drawing for the ones that could use the help?

Kevin,
The SketchUp suggestion is a good one. I'll talk to a few people and see what I can do on that front. Is there anyone else here who might be interested in downloading some SketchUp versions of the Kreg Plans so they can be adjusted, etc.?

As for the community questions regarding design/drawing help, I would suggest using the forums! They should be perfect for these types of questions!



Andrew Cargin said:

It would be great if you could include metric measurement on the jig as well as the imperial.

Andrew, good suggestion. At this time, there are no plans to implement this change on any of the current Kreg Jigs. It's just not requested enough, and we want to keep the tool as simple as possible for the most Kreg Jig users as possible.




Thanks for all of the suggestions, everyone, keep them coming! We're working very hard to make sure your Kreg experience is top notch!

[Sean]

I would suggest more tips on how to put together projects. I bet there are a lot of Kreg users who are essentially beginners. What is the best way to put together a bookcase and keep it square? How about the clamps - how tight should they be for best results? How do you recover from mistakes, such as a piece shifting while the holes are drilled?

These may seem common knowledge, but to someone who does not have a lot of experience with dowel or biscuit joints, they are not.

Sean

[John Frankforther]

Sean

If you didn't get one, Ask the guys at Kreg for the SkillBuilder DVD. It has lots of videos on using the Kreg Jig system. Kreg also offers a website that has free downloadable projects that you can build with their system.

Maybe Kreg could offer the DVD and the plans to those who buy their Kreg Jig system. That would help the new customers get started using the jig, see how to use it properly and get an idea what they can build. Just a thought!!

John


Sean said:

I would suggest more tips on how to put together projects. I bet there are a lot of Kreg users who are essentially beginners. What is the best way to put together a bookcase and keep it square? How about the clamps - how tight should they be for best results? How do you recover from mistakes, such as a piece shifting while the holes are drilled?

These may seem common knowledge, but to someone who does not have a lot of experience with dowel or biscuit joints, they are not.

Sean

[KregRep]

Sean said:

I would suggest more tips on how to put together projects. I bet there are a lot of Kreg users who are essentially beginners. What is the best way to put together a bookcase and keep it square? How about the clamps - how tight should they be for best results? How do you recover from mistakes, such as a piece shifting while the holes are drilled?
These may seem common knowledge, but to someone who does not have a lot of experience with dowel or biscuit joints, they are not. Sean

Phillip said:

I Think Sean has a very important point there. The reason many of us use a product like the Kreg jig or a Dowelmax jig is the completion factor. We want to build stuff. The idea of sitting around learning to hand cut dovetails, or M&T joints, is fine but not what we want to do, for most projects. Enter the Kreg Jig. Easy, fast, stable, short learning curve (if there is one) and reliable. In other words -- very beginner friendly -- even though "old hands" use it too. If manufacturers like Kreg can ensure that a beginner has a quality learning and building experience, there will be more beginners that grow intro "old hands." More successfully completed projects will make the beginner feel like he is a "natural" and want to continue on. The task here is to enlarge the circle of users, NOT to find a way to washout or increase the failure rate. Like Sean said "it may be simple or obvious to us" and if someone doesn't teach the new guys they will go somewhere, most likely a competitor will be waiting. Sort of a grass roots, customer base, building exercise. I hope I am making sense.

Sean and Phillip,
I think you have both tapped into something that we take very seriously here at Kreg. From day one, we've made it our goal to not just sell Kreg Jigs, but to provide our customers with the "complete solution." To help them learn and grow with the Kreg Jig. We've made it our personal goal to make sure that beginners can utilize the Kreg Jig along with our monthly tips through the Kreg Plus Newsletter, the DVD SkillBuilder content (as John mentioned) that comes with every Kreg Jig and Kreg Jig Master System, the rich video content we share online, and a whole lot more to not only learn how to use their Kreg Jig, but to understand basic woodworking concepts and really feel more comfortable working with wood in general. One of our proudest creations has been the Kreg Jig Owners' Community that we're all conversing on right now... a website where Kreg Jig owners are actively sharing their successes/failures through photos, telling detailed stories through the blogs, asking/answering questions through the forums, and even getting creative through their own videos! In addition to being a site to showcase your work, it's an opportunity to learn from others and get ideas for your own next project!

Moving forward, continue to expect more of this type of content from Kreg. We want to be your partner in the woodworking/learning process and help make it as fast/easy/enjoyable as possible. In the mean time, make sure you're signed up to receive the newsletter to get monthly information delivered directly to your inbox, subscribed to our YouTube channel to get notifications of new videos we post, follow us on Twitter, visit this community site and kregtool.com often, and we'll keep working to meet your high expectations!

[Simon Wells]

Love the kreg DVD's and plans, the online videos are brilliant.

As per my current thread the ability to use a supersized Kreg jig for stick and frame joinery for sheds, heavy duty woodwork such as trellis etc would be great, combined with larger, longer, stronger screws would be superb!

Thank you

[John Fuqua]

I just bought the master and micro. I need plugs for the micro, I just realized after drilling and assembling my cabinet that the kreg plugs I bought do not fit.

John

[Don Husslein]

What I would like to see is the measurement markings on the jig made a contrasting color so they are easier to see.

[John Frankforther]

HI Don

Try using some "White Out" correcting fluid. Dab it on the markings and wipe off the extra and let it dry

Don Husslein said:

What I would like to see is the measurement markings on the jig made a contrasting color so they are easier to see.

[KregRep]

Phillip said:

I agree with Don: I have tried the White out but it doesn't last long. A good epoxy ink will. I like the scribing but I want them inked in as well.
Phil

John Frankforther said:

HI Don

Try using some "White Out" correcting fluid. Dab it on the markings and wipe off the extra and let it dry

Don Husslein said:

What I would like to see is the measurement markings on the jig made a contrasting color so they are easier to see.

From the last page... Here's the technique I would suggest!
1) Mix equal parts flour and water (2-3 tablespoons should be adequate) into a paste.
2) Carefully rub the paste into the Kreg Jig® markings with your finger.
3) Wipe away the excess paste with a very lightly dampened cloth.
4) The paste mixture will harden over time. Repeat if necessary.

This paste turns into sort of a glue... and really sticks well. It doesn't flake-out like white-out might be prone to doing.

[Curt Barrett]

Curt Barrett said:

In between each guide on the on top outlet side as in the picture these notches would be nice in my opinion to help center part

[David Roberts]

just got the kreg micro. instructions are pretty straight forward - except i did not find much info on the .75inch screws and the "pluggable holes". the kreg website doesn't even list the .75'' screw in the accessories portion. can you give more info about the kreg micro?