I just picked up a $16 'minimalist" (my phrase, BTW) Kreg set that has only a single-hole jig and a stepped bit. I added some boxes of Kreg-branded self-tapping square-drive screws. I already had a Harbor Fright version of the vise grips clamp Kreg sells so I passed on their (way overpriced) rebranded clamp.
Here's what I observed while doing the first two pocket screw joins of two pieces of Melamine...By following the directions to the letter, there was no problem making two pocket holes in one of the pieces of Melamine. I then started the screws into the pocketholes but didn't drive them all the way "home".
Kreg did not provide any instructions to follow for making the actual join of the two pieces of material, so I winged it.
I butted piece #2 up against the piece that had the pocket holes and screws. Dince those screws are self-tapping I didn't think much about anything other than just driving them home to fasten the two pieces together.
I tightly held the two pieces together by hand and began applying slow and steady turns (with my power drill of course) to the first screw. That screw pushed the receiving block away and slightly off center before the self-tapping took effect. The screw did pull the pieces together as it seated. Same thing happened when I began to turn screw #2.
Now my experiment was with particle board and we all know what sort of structural integrity that stuff is about :-/ But none-the-less I was a bit dismayed to discover that not only were the two "boards" not flush as expected but that the darned screw was rather shallow into board #2. (The join separated too easily.)
This left me with the decided notion that the jig itself did not allow the step drill to burrow deeply enough into the first board when making the pocket hole to begin with. (I sure hope I'm wrong on this point -- If I'm correct, I'll be a tad irritated with Kreg!)
Point Learned: the two pieces need to be clamped together when the screw(s) are sent home. (They might even need to be clamped down to a surface so they remain flush to one-another).
Point Pondered: With all the needed clamping, might as well forget about screws and use glue and (maybe) biscuits and be done with it?
Here's what I observed while doing the first two pocket screw joins of two pieces of Melamine...By following the directions to the letter, there was no problem making two pocket holes in one of the pieces of Melamine. I then started the screws into the pocketholes but didn't drive them all the way "home".
Kreg did not provide any instructions to follow for making the actual join of the two pieces of material, so I winged it.
I butted piece #2 up against the piece that had the pocket holes and screws. Dince those screws are self-tapping I didn't think much about anything other than just driving them home to fasten the two pieces together.
I tightly held the two pieces together by hand and began applying slow and steady turns (with my power drill of course) to the first screw. That screw pushed the receiving block away and slightly off center before the self-tapping took effect. The screw did pull the pieces together as it seated. Same thing happened when I began to turn screw #2.
Now my experiment was with particle board and we all know what sort of structural integrity that stuff is about :-/ But none-the-less I was a bit dismayed to discover that not only were the two "boards" not flush as expected but that the darned screw was rather shallow into board #2. (The join separated too easily.)
This left me with the decided notion that the jig itself did not allow the step drill to burrow deeply enough into the first board when making the pocket hole to begin with. (I sure hope I'm wrong on this point -- If I'm correct, I'll be a tad irritated with Kreg!)
Point Learned: the two pieces need to be clamped together when the screw(s) are sent home. (They might even need to be clamped down to a surface so they remain flush to one-another).
Point Pondered: With all the needed clamping, might as well forget about screws and use glue and (maybe) biscuits and be done with it?
