Kreg Shelf Pin Jig

[David Dean]

Getting ready to start on a vanity and twin glass tower's and glass shelfing.So I just pick up a Kreg shelf pin jig so will see how it works on this project any tips would be nice.

[Rita B.]

Only advice I can provide is have lots of fun on your project!   Will be waiting to hear how it works for you and looking forward to seeing pics.

[james wilhelm]

David , I have the Kreg shelf pin jig and it works great , the only tip I can give you is if you are going to have doors on the front is to  use the far setting on the jig and keep the holes for the pins back from the front edge, we all learn from our mistakes , other than that it is a very good tool , JIM !!!

[David Dean]

Thanks Mrs.Rita and James.But James I was thinking about drilling my shelf pins before I put it togather Im one of these poeple who nows were each hole is drilled and how long each peice wood is befor I walk out to the shop.

Thanks again.

[Scott]

Having drilled many thousand shelf pin holes, here's my 2 cent's worth...

• When shelf pin holes are going to share space with pocketholes, i.e., along the front edge of a cabinet side panel, drill the shelf pin holes before the pocketholes! I found it really hard for 2 holes to occupy the same space! ;~0 I got myself out of sequence the other day and had to re-do 2 shelf pin holes that tried to land directly on top of pocketholes, that then had to be recreated after assembly and the pocketholes plugged. ("Doofus" I said to myself ;))
• Buy 2 jigs. The vast majority of time I need more than 6 shelf pin holes and have to advance and reset the jig up-the-line. Easy enough, but I finally realized the extra $30 was well worth the investment in time and effort savings.
  
  And I still spent less than what most other pin hole jig outfits cost, with the added bonus of now having a nice fresh drill bit!

For building cabinets, you'll find this invaluable tool has a role in virtually every single unit.

Scott

[David Dean]

Thanks Scott Ill keep that in main when I got it on the drawing board ( dont line up the Kreg hole's with the shelf pen's hole's) got it but the shelf pin's run about $ 40.00 here so one will have to do. And thanks again.

[KregRep]

One of the best pieces of advice I can give with the shlef pin jig is to insert the bit in the guide, lift slightly so that the drill bit isn't touching the wood, and then squeeze the trigger so that the drill bit gets up to speed before it contacts the wood. This will help ensure that the bit enters the wood properly to make a clean hole free from tearout.

KregRep

[Joseph M.]

David,

Ya don't need two of them - it comes with a guide pin - after drilling your first set of holes you move the jig up and set the guide pin in the last hole you made - then the jig is set correctly to continue drilling.

Just my two pennies

[David Dean]

Thanks guys but this time out Im only going to try two glass shelfs pre cabinet I thank.

Thanks again

[Jay Boutwell]

David, The only thing I will say about boring for glass shelves,  Be sure to bore the pin holes far enough from the edges of the glass to avoid breaking problems.  I bore about  at least 1 inch in  from the edge in the front from the rear as I have seen even the tempered glass chip and the 1/4 thick shelves crack.    It is also good to use the steel pins with the protective pad. 

[David Dean]

Thanks Jay I was thinking 1 1/4" center but I was thinking pixyglass you now how hard my girls are on furniture and the frist time the wife gets pissed and slams the door.

thanks again

[Derek Gould]

Hi David;

A bit late to be commenting, but here goes. I bought one this past winter to use on a cabinet project. I found the jig worked very well; instructions are clear, results were good. Make sure you're careful in marking your starting holes, but after that everything goes smoothly.

One suggestion; I drilled my holes before I finished the inside of the cabinet, since I wasn't sure how much tearout I might get from the drill. When I stained and urethaned, the holes picked up some of the urethane and I had trouble getting the shelf pins in. I should have waited until after the wood was finished and drilled all the holes then.

[David Dean]

Thanks Derek I found shlef pin jig alot easyer to use than may home made jig.