Kreg Jig Mini Measurements?

[Dan Coes]

Hi All...

I purchased the Kreg Jig Mini today, planning on joining some 1" (actual thickness) hardwood stock. Is there a chart that lists jig position and depth collar information for stock with an actual thickness other than 3/4", 1/2", and 1 1/2"?.

I've spent the last hour scouring Google and these forums, and cannot for the life of me find any information about this. Without this simple information the jig is basically useless to me :(

I would drill some test holes to try and figure it out, but I'm making a table out of an old door and therefore don't have any extra wood to use for testing...

Thanks for any help you can provide!

-Dan Coes-

[Ken Darga]

John,

Have you tried a ''wrist support'' bowling glove?---or---

equiv suitable devise (the type without the elevated pad---it features an integral brace/support)

It helps keep the wrist from torquing---reducing the stresses on the tendons. 

John James said:

>>>....(and intermittent carpal tunnel syndrome doesn't help) so driving the larger screw instead worked for me./p>

[Peter Taylor]

Hi John,

I know this was posted some time ago but thanks so much for your geometrical solution to the Kreg Mini settings for different timber widths other than the 3 standard sizes listed in the instructions. This is a pretty fundamental shortcoming in my opinion.

Anyway I have made a table for a range of timber sizes using your formula and I have a question:

Isn't the formula for tan(Theta) = (1/2w)/(x +y) and not (1/2w)/(z+y) as you have staed or am I missing something here.
 
John James said:

Having just taken delivery of my Mini Jig, I had the self-same question.  I emailed Kreg Customer Support, but they were unable to provide this information, which really surprised me.  So I thought I'd try to work it out.  Essentially it's a problem in trigonometry.  After taking a couple of key measurements from the jig (Kreg could not, or would not, provide these dimensions, other than the angle of the drill at 15deg), and making a couple of assumptions* based on the figures Kreg have supplied on the jig's user guide sheet, I worked out a couple of formulae.

I've knocked up a SketchUp diagram of the key measurements used, and an accompanying Excel 2003 Spreadsheet to calculate values for offset and collar settings for timber (lumber) between between 12mm-75mm thickness (and convert to Imperial measures for our US members).  The spreadsheet is attached.

Change the timber thickness using the Spin Button; the resulting offset and collar setting will be calculated.

I'd be interested in any feedback on it's accuracy, particularly as it gives a different value (-11mm) for the offset for 13mm (½in) timber compared to Kreg's -6mm.  Values for 19mm and 38mm agree with Kreg's.  Unfortunately at the time of posting I have not yet had an opportunity to test these values.

* The assumption, based on Kreg's figures, is that the depth of wood left from the bottom of the pocket to the timber face is equal to the thickness of the timber. Length of the drill guide in the jig is 70mm, and the distance from the point where the drill first hits the wood, to the face of the jig is 35.45mm.

[John James]

Hi Peter,

Looking at the diagram I provided, I think you're right.  Sadly, I cannot recall/have mislaid the passwords I used to protect both the workbook and worksheet, so I can't check the formulae I actually coded.  You're reply suggests, however, that you have cracked them?

 
Peter Taylor said:

Hi John,

I know this was posted some time ago but thanks so much for your geometrical solution to the Kreg Mini settings for different timber widths other than the 3 standard sizes listed in the instructions. This is a pretty fundamental shortcoming in my opinion.

Anyway I have made a table for a range of timber sizes using your formula and I have a question:

Isn't the formula for tan(Theta) = (1/2w)/(x +y) and not (1/2w)/(z+y) as you have staed or am I missing something here.
 
John James said:

Having just taken delivery of my Mini Jig, I had the self-same question.  I emailed Kreg Customer Support, but they were unable to provide this information, which really surprised me.  So I thought I'd try to work it out.  Essentially it's a problem in trigonometry.  After taking a couple of key measurements from the jig (Kreg could not, or would not, provide these dimensions, other than the angle of the drill at 15deg), and making a couple of assumptions* based on the figures Kreg have supplied on the jig's user guide sheet, I worked out a couple of formulae.

I've knocked up a SketchUp diagram of the key measurements used, and an accompanying Excel 2003 Spreadsheet to calculate values for offset and collar settings for timber (lumber) between between 12mm-75mm thickness (and convert to Imperial measures for our US members).  The spreadsheet is attached.

Change the timber thickness using the Spin Button; the resulting offset and collar setting will be calculated.

I'd be interested in any feedback on it's accuracy, particularly as it gives a different value (-11mm) for the offset for 13mm (½in) timber compared to Kreg's -6mm.  Values for 19mm and 38mm agree with Kreg's.  Unfortunately at the time of posting I have not yet had an opportunity to test these values.

* The assumption, based on Kreg's figures, is that the depth of wood left from the bottom of the pocket to the timber face is equal to the thickness of the timber. Length of the drill guide in the jig is 70mm, and the distance from the point where the drill first hits the wood, to the face of the jig is 35.45mm.

[John James]

Hi Peter again,

Having cracked my spreadsheet passwords, you're quite right; I had mis-typed the two formulae noted on the spreadsheet, though the actual calculation was right*.  I've updated the spreadsheet, and uploaded the revised version together with the diagram, with this reply.

*  it still gives -11mm - rather than Kreg's own figure of -6mm - for 13mm or ½inch timber.

[Troy]

Nice Job John,

I found your spreadsheet very useful. Thanks for all your effort on it!

--

Cheers

[Peter Taylor]

Great thanks John - makes much more sense now.

It would be a lot better if Kreg simply said Collar Settings is just timber width plus 70 mm.

Then, in the absence of a table for other wood dimensions - users could then set Jig Offset by trial and near the standard settings.

This way there is only one variable. I cant understand why they don't make it that simple

 
John James said:

Hi Peter again,

Having cracked my spreadsheet passwords, you're quite right; I had mis-typed the two formulae noted on the spreadsheet, though the actual calculation was right*.  I've updated the spreadsheet, and uploaded the revised version together with the diagram, with this reply.

*  it still gives -11mm - rather than Kreg's own figure of -6mm - for 13mm or ½inch timber.

[David Jackson]

Can you email me ( [e-mail] ) a working, unlocked copy of the XLS file. I don't seem to be able to get them working, the old OR new version 33kb.

I have tried Excel 2007 and 2013.

[John James]

Hello David,

It is working.  I've just run it, from this forum, in Excel 2007 on a different machine, under Win10 (this machine is still Good 'Ole XP and Office 2003) and it worked just fine.  What problem are you having?  You'll get a Security Warning (just above the grid) because the spinner is an ActiveX control and is regarded by more recent versions of Excel as potentially dangerous by default.  Same would apply if it contained macros (but it doesn't).

When you get the warning, just click on the 'Options' button next to the message, and allow the content to run.

Alternatively, download it to a Trusted Space to run it from, then it won't bother with the warning.

HTH

John

[Klrock]

I have used the data provided by various contributors in this forum and other sources to make a graphical representation of the setting for the Kreg Jig as a function of material thickness.  When the offset is negative, it means that the jig overhangs the material by that amount.  

[Peter Taylor]

Thanks, This is really useful.

Would it be possible to post the values in a Table.

Her in Australia we have metric building materials and I'll make one up for the standard thicknesses we use.

Peter

[Klrock]

Here are the values in a table.

Material	Kreg Jig	Screw	Collar
Thickness	Offset	Length	Setting
1/2	-  1/2	1	3  5/16
3/4	0	1  1/4	3  1/2
1	1/2	1  1/2	3  3/4
1  1/4	15/16	2	4
1  1/2	1  1/4	2  1/2	4  1/4

[Peter Taylor]

Thanks one again really helpful

Klrock said:

Here are the values in a table.

Material	Kreg Jig	Screw	Collar
Thickness	Offset	Length	Setting
1/2	-  1/2	1	3  5/16
3/4	0	1  1/4	3  1/2
1	1/2	1  1/2	3  3/4
1  1/4	15/16	2	4
1  1/2	1  1/4	2  1/2	4  1/4