The best Power Tool Accessory Jigs: Reddit reviews

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Best tip:

Get a chop saw from harbor freight

And a jig from Amazon if you're doing more than 20 rounds. It will change your life for the better.

If there is clearance on the bottom for the plates this is a good option. Otherwise, if you have a drill you could get a small Kreg jig for doing pocket holes and use that for the but joints.

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I drilled "pocket holes" using a kreg jig then I wood glued the seam pretty heavily and tightened it up with the screws in the pocket holes. Mine is made out of 3/4" plywood, which has some integrity to it. If yours is out of particle board then pocket holes may not work that well. Really once the wood glue sets that's as strong of a bond as the wood itself but you have to get a tight clamp at the seam during setting which is what the kreg screws helped with.

https://www.amazon.com/Kreg-K4-Pocket-Hole-System/dp/B001DYFISG/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=kreg+jig&qid=1600200696&sr=8-1

I’m sorry your MS has been flaring up:( what are you crocheting right now?

My wife wants a planter box to plant some herbs and vegetables this year. I don’t want to pay for a planter box as they are all pretty pricey, so I decided to make my own! However, I need to get a pocket-hole jig to help me screw everything together! I’ve needed one for a while but I’ve always been able to get away without needing it....I’m afraid those times are over!

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It's nice but not required. You can use a dowel jig if you have a drill. Here's the first one I saw on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Milescraft-1309-DowelJigKit-Complete-Doweling/dp/B01MTUUWD4

EDIT: To clarify, a biscuit joiner is better for table top glue-ups because of how wide the biscuit is which makes a stronger joint. But a dowel will be fine for 99.9% of applications, so it's not much of a trade-off.

Though the picture looks like 1"x12" interior pine boards, I'd stick to making this with 3/4" interior sanded ply.

Probably would take two sheets by looks.

Buy a Kreg Jig Jr for like $40 (The one I got from Lowes came with 150 1.5" pocket screws free.... buy some more, you'll need em.)

Then sand and paint it. I'd also stiffen/shore up the legs with some 45" triangle pieces "glue & screwed" (as shown in the picture).

If you want "natural" then get hardwood ply and some matching 1" iron on edge veneer. (I'd also recommend a router with a flush trim bit.)

If you have access to a friend or community center wood shop, a table saw will make this much more precise. It's all a bunch of pieces the same width and a bunch of same length for the vertical pieces.

Tools needed at a minimum: Circular Saw (Or hand saw if using pine boards) Jig Saw or Coping Saw Wood Glue (I'd use Tightbond 3 or Gorilla Glue) 90" Angle ruler (or t-square)

Optional: (But you won't e disappointed) Pocket Screw Jig Drill Table Saw Clothes Iron (if using edge veneer) Razor knife or Router (If using veneer)

That's actually not too bad if you drilled them freehand!

I've had good results with cheap doweling guides like this, though. Could be worth it if you plan on doing a lot of dowel joints.

I also found this video helpful, where he uses a similar cheap guide and shows some ways to clamp it

I am in USA, so different stuff, but very expensive.

I built frame work using what we call 1x3 (1= about 20mm) clear pine lumber. The connecting points were done with pocket screws and glue. Then there are a variety of thin stuff to fill the sides, such as 1/8 ply, perforated aluminum where ventilation is needed, and some solid aluminum where strength is needed. To mount my electrical stuff, I found some old street signs.

These don't seem to be in your area of the world.

https://www.amazon.com/Kreg-MKJKIT-Mini-Jig-Kit/dp/B00065WPP2

I understand. I ran into the same problem. With a doweling jig kit, you get a little metal center punch that dents the exact spot on the matching piece where you need to drill. This takes the guess work out. Practice a few times until you get a feel for it, and results are very satisfying. Here is the one I own:

https://www.amazon.com/Milescraft-1309-DowelJigKit-Complete-Doweling/dp/B01MTUUWD4

https://www.amazon.com/KREG-KMA3200-Shelf-Pin-Drilling/dp/B005FKX6D8

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40 dollar investment but the jig has everything you would need and should make aligning easy

If you don’t want to go the mortise and tenon route, the milescraft joint mate is a sure fire way to get proper dowels every time. It’s cheap too.

The absolute easiest way to recreate to pocket holes the (4holes with screws at an angles) is with pocket hole jig you can get a cheap one HERE

The rest is just cutting a matching piece and drill straight holes for those bolts

Freehanding a dowel joint will be an adventure if they have never done any carpentry work before.

Use a jig.

Milescraft 1309 DowelJigKit - Complete Doweling Kit with Dowel Pins and Bits https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MTUUWD4/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_D4BT0M9EFZT7D3C4HPBK

This simple dowel jig is handy and sold at most local hardware stores.

I realized I should've bought the one you linked. I bought this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M8L1WVN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and I just couldn't make it work. Likely I got the wrong jig for the job.

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The jig kit is pretty affordable for how much use you can get out of it. It's $20 on Amazon right now, but you would probably want to buy a bucket of dowels to go along side it. You might also want to check Woodcraft (I got mine from there due to stock availability early into lockdown).
https://www.amazon.com/Milescraft-1309-DowelJigKit-Complete-Doweling/dp/B01MTUUWD4/

I got this one and I liked how it worked. I wouldn’t claim to be a heavy user though.

Milescraft - 13190003 1319 JointMate - Handheld Dowel Jig Black/Red

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M8L1WVN/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_K393A87Y4P7BPRGE13FJ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

It’s a Kreg pocket hole jig like this https://www.amazon.com/Kreg-K4-Pocket-Hole-System/dp/B001DYFISG/ref=asc_df_B001DYFISG/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309802506143&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10246808649195375979&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&am...

For sure you will find more uses for a drill press than the doweling jointer.

I have a drill press, but I'm not sure I would ever use it to make dowel joints.

I have a $20 doweling kit that works great every time.

I used a Kreg shelf pin jig from Lowe’s, $34 on amazon

It comes with a sturdy template with 6 evenly spaced holes, a drill bit, a cuff you attach to the bit to make sure it doesn’t go too deep, and a pin for realigning it after you slide the template. You line it up with the edge of the board, clamp it, drill holes, slide it, repeat.

You could follow this same process with your own template and bit, but I also didn’t know where to start and wanted to use an official tool. It was very easy to use, and making the shelves adjustable was the best thing I did. I hope you do it!

i have this Kreg pocket hole jig that is ideal for shelves

https://smile.amazon.com/Kreg-R3-Pocket-Hole-System/dp/B000J43A7W

it is a great investment!

Deal link: Amazon

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how much do you think a Kreg Pocket-Hole Jig costs?

And then add the screws and gotta either make or buy plugs or it looks like shit. In the long run it all adds up.

Sure, you can get a cheap pocket screws jig but you can also get a cheap doweling jig.

I too started out with an inexpensive set of HSS tools. You tool is going to get dull, you need a low speed grinder and either homemade sharpening jigs or a something like Wolverine Grind System.

Bigger tools come with several advantages. Usually they are higher quality steel so they will hold a edge longer. Longer handle means more leverage and more control. When roughing a bowl you can take bigger cuts and shape the piece quicker.

It's extremely simple. I cut the sides to be 3/4" longer than the 12u rails I picked up from Amazon. This allowed space to attach the top. The three pieces of wood are held together only by pocket hole screws. The pocket holes were made with a Kreg pocket hole jig (the specific one I used doesn't seem to be available anymore, as I purchased it ~5 years ago). For the cost of what the 'alternative sellers' are asking for the kit I purchased, you can get this one, which is basically the same kit. There are other brands that make pocket hole jigs, but Kreg is the one with which I have any experience. Beyond the pocket holes that were created, and the miter saw I used to cut the wood, a standard cordless or corded drill can be used to drive the fasteners (both for the rails, which I juse used 1/2" wood screws for, and the pocket hole screws) into the wood itself. ;)

Thank you everyone that replied. I bought this the Jointmate Project dowel jig from Amazon https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01M8L1WVN and works amazingly well. I was able to use 1/4 inch dowels that I cut from a dowel rod I bought and because of the jig everything up. I had my partner hold up the larger board at an angle so I could easily mate the two end-end pieces.

After test fitting all of them, I took them off and applied a generous bit of glue. Here is the final result:

https://imgur.com/a/A9YKbbM

I have a lot of weight sitting on it now and it's fairly solid. I will see how it will holds up, I can use the methods described below if needed. It's been a good learning experience, thanks again.

Unfortunately no blueprints for this one, I more or less made up the design myself. I made a few mistakes along the way, but overall wasn't too difficult. Hardest part is just thinking of the design and dimensions you want, then going on Amazon (or any hardware supply place) and ordering the pipe and fittings in correct lengths to match your wants. The tabletop is just 4 8x2's cut to 75", pocket holes every 6" on the bottom using [Kregg R3 Jig(https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000J43A7W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s04?ie=UTF8&psc=1)and then glued and clamped overnight. Sanded a lot and then lightly stained with Varathane 304559 Carbon Gray stain.

there are several handheld dowel jigs on Amazon for about 15 bucks. https://www.amazon.com/Milescraft-1319-JointMate-Handheld-Dowel/dp/B01M8L1WVN/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=handheld+dowel+jig&qid=1583094459&sprefix=handheld+dowe&sr=8-3

For a router. This seems to be the basic model to make through dovetails:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/PORTER-CABLE-4216-Super-Jig-Dovetail/dp/B000HGL59M/ref=pd_sbs_60_1/262-3073480-8111056

(Cost £172.63)<-- was hoping for something a lot cheaper.