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Why do I need to use a 2,000+ rpm drill to make the pocket holes?
What brand do you recommend?
A drill that is rated at 2,000 RPM or above is considered a woodworking drill. RPM’s be-
low that are normally seen in metal-working drills. The higher the RPM, the cleaner the
hole and the longer the drill bit lasts. A 1,500 RPM drill will do the trick, but you will see
slightly more wear on the bit over time. Most of the major tool manufacturers produce
a drill above 2,000 RPM.
Do I need to drill all the way through the edge of the workpiece?
No. We recommend setting the depth collar so that the tip of your drill bit rests ap-
proximately 1/8” from the base of the jig for 3/4” material. Why you ask? By not drill-
ing all the way through the edge you won’t have to deal with the possibility of having
a burr that you will need to remove before joining your pieces. The self-tapping tip of
the pocket hole screw will easily drill through the last 1/8” of an inch and drill its own
hole into the second workpiece, drawing the pieces tight without having to pre-drill.
Do I need to drill a pilot hole into the second workpiece?
No. The self-tapping tip of the pocket hole screw accomplishes this task for you. Even
in very hard woods like hickory and maple no pre-drilling is required which saves an im-
mense amount of assembly time.
Can I use pocket holes in melamine and MDF?
Yes. They are usually a little more finicky than simple hardwoods so here are a few
suggestions that we find helpful…
1. Make sure you’re using a sharp drill bit.
2. SLOW DOWN! Use a slower feed rate while both drilling the pocket hole and driving
the screws.
3. Set the clutch setting on your driver to a light setting to avoid overdriving the screw.
4. Use a coarse thread, self-tapping screw with a washer head for maximum holding
power.
5. Try to place pocket holes at least an inch from the end of your workpiece.
(The workpiece may split if the screw is driven too close to the edge)
The pocket hole plugs sit well over
fl
ush when placed in the bottom of the
pocket hole. Is this normal? What is the best way to sand plugs
fl
ush?
Yes, this is normal. The depth that the plug seats into the bottom of the hole depends
on the depth of the hole that is drilled. We must make the plugs with a certain toler-
ance of plug length to allow for varying hole depths. As a general rule, the deeper you
drill the hole, the less plug you will need to sand off. There are a couple of different
ways to trim plugs. If you will be trimming very few plugs, a flush cut hand saw fol-
lowed by a light sanding works very well. If you will be trimming many plugs we recom-
mend using a laminate trimmer outfitted with a bull nose bit. Trim off the majority of
the plug, and then finish with a light sanding. See page 31 for more details.
General FAQ
