Great video!!!!! FYI...the 2 little screws....you use them for drilling into 1/2 inch wood. You insert the 2 screws into the jig, and that kicks the bottom of the wood out enough that you won't drill thru the wood.
The instructions with my katsu version (exactly the same as this one) says you insert the screws and raise the piece onto the screws. I’ve tried both ways and can confirm that raising the piece is what is required - not pushing it away.
Rick Iriarte ahh thanks for your comment, you reminded me to mention, the drill depth also needs to be readjusted when the screws are in!! Otherwise it’s too short! Also just to reaffirm, if the workpiece was placed in front of the screws, when clamped, the screws would mark the piece!
Thank you for this. I just got one of these, and your demonstration helped me make better use of it. I’ve never done this before, so I appreciated the how-to on the screws at the end.
The little screws are for when you are using 1/2" stock...by placing your 1/2" ONLY stock...it adjusts the angle of the hole for maximum strength without penetrating the outer surface of your stock.
you said your an amateur wood worker, but i’d say your smart in setting up and using this jig. helps newby like me not make mistakes using this tool . great job on this video .
you probably know this but a great way to build cabinets on the cheap is to use Melamine and pocket holes the coating on Melamine has the scratch resistance of a high grade plastic laminate like Formica or any other brand if you build your boxes out of it you wind up with a nice interior that is easy to clean,sanitize ,etc you can use European style hinges to do full overlay doors of your choice you may also check out IKEA cabinets that you assemble about 10 years ago they were one of the best values for the money ! I am a retired Woodworker and at one point those IKEA cabinets and doors were cheaper than my cost of materials to build something comparable IKEA does use a better grade of sheet goods than most other companies you find in the big box stores the resins and materials are pretty dense making them strong and pretty stable nothing like the old Walmart furniture that wouldn’t hold the fasteners plus IKEA does utilize wood dowels for extra strength were needed
Excellent video. I watched it last night to make sure i wanted to buy one. I bought it today and you answered all the questions i was worried about. Thanks again!
I was on the fence on if I was going to order the HF pocket hold jig; seeing how you mounted it on a 2x4, and stored the accessories sealed the deal. great idea!
I just bought myself this.. and I thank you for showing how to use this… I’m going to build myself a stand like yours so I can put it in my visor! And I absolutely love the holes that you made with the magnets to hold your Bit.. Genius! God bless and I hope your cabinets come out beautifully!!!
Great review and instructions for learning pocket hole joinery. I've been looking to get one of these, and your video convinced me. I'm going to copy your jig for the vise too. Thanks for sharing your tips! 👍
Absolutely great video. Will get one now for sure...and add holes for bit and Allen wrench storage like you did. Near end of video I noticed what looks like homemade wooden pads for the bar clamps. Great idea!! Gotta do that to mine vs buying expensive Besseys.
Thank you! Great how-to video. After purchasing this on a whim at HF, I have to admit I was skeptical, especially the way the manual was written. But after watching your video I’m sure That this handy jig will get a lot of use!
Fantastic tutorial on this jig. I just purchased this jig Open Box from Harbor Freight and I was concerned about parts missing. Your video cleared up a lot. I really like the stand you made for the jig. I am making one like yours now. Thanks again!
Same! The ONLY Kreg tools I'm having to buy thanks to Harbor Freight are the drawer jig, a jig for centering drawer handles, a corner clamp, MAYBE a right angle clamp, and a of course the square head driver bit. One of these days I'll learn how to use a large and be good to go!
SOLD!!! Great video...... I’m buying this one over the Kreg Jig tomorrow, I almost bought the Kreg jig on Amazon but then watched this video. Thank You!!
I have to up date my reply, I ended up buying the Kreg4 jig after all mainly because of the adjustments and the reviews. With that said I still think that this harbor fright pocket hole jig would have done the job just fine. Again thanks for the great video 👍🏻
Thanks for the video. Very instructive since I'm getting ready to use this tool. The instructions were OK that came with the tool but you made it crystal clear how this id to be used.
I've used this jig on different projects. I was going to buy a Kreg but I thought they were overpriced. The Drill master is a great tool and I highly recommend it.
Thank you for this, Nicer to watch than reading the instructions. I'm sure others have noted that the two Allen screws are fir when you use fit on half inch material only. I guess they just raise up the bottom slightly so the drill doesn't blow through the other side.
Thanks for sharing man. I just bought a Kreg pocket hole jig for $100 @ Home Depot and then had to go to Harbor Freights for something else and saw this baby for $65. I'm happy to hear you are happy with yours.
Thank you for taking the time to record and post this! The instructions that came with the jig could be a little better, for folks like me who have never used a pocket hole jig.
Great review of this tool, I just got one and needed to know what the L shape artifact was for, i love it the way you set it up on a piece of 2x4, i'm doing the same thing, thanks for sharing.
Very good video, I did not like the Harbor freight because I could not understand exactly how to use that, BUT man with you video is CLEAR as water excellent unit excellent video, Thanks for you.
This was the first tool I ever bought from Harbor Freight and I was blown away by the quality for the money that I paid. I can't remember how much , it was about 14 years ago or so. But I know it wasn't much especially because I was used to paying DeWalt, Milwaukee, and Bosch prices . I just bought my first power tool from Harbor Freight and it is a Bauer orbital palm sander the first one was junk it lasted a couple hours but the second one I've been using and I guess I probably have six or seven hours on it and it's still running good. It was on sale for 20 bucks that's the only reason I took a chance.
If you work with steel you can surely work with wood from the looks of things your a smart young man. So may God continue to bless you on your journey in life .
Just got mine..the 1 I wanted was 3 times the price so I got this one and used the 20 percent off coupon and 5.00 off coupon and paid about 35.00....thanks for the tips I cant wait to try mine out
Wonderfully spoken. The 2 allen screws are to be inserted for one half in material for the wood to ride on. Kind of strange in my opinion. Loved the video nicely done
For larger wood you can get a separate jig for that kind of wood. Krueger has one for a decent price.. some of these new jigs the part that does the pocket holes will come off and you can use it separately. They also have other bells and whistles. I have the Kreg separate tool and I just want something to do pocket holes in a lock down jig.
I've used mine a lot. I have 2 Kreg ones for mobile stuff, but this I personally think is better. My projects are thinner wood so there's no need to adjust with double hole system. I you're part of the Inside Track Club, you can get one now for $54.99. That's 1/2 the price of Kreg's. For screws, I order off EBAY. You can get pan head phillips head screws , 500, for about $10-15. That's all i use. Kregs screws are pretty expensive, plus, I can use any long phillips head bit. Very good review
Thanks and I agree on the glue. Someone on YT did a test with pocket hole joints w/glue vs. without. They were at least 2 times stronger if memory serves me. Almost as strong as a rabbit/dovetail joint. It's a great system for DIY production.
One thing to avoid is angling your screws towards the end or edge of your material. For a stronger attachment. As an example of what I mean, in a box angle your screws towards the inside and not the outside. In otherwords pocket holes on the outside.
Those little screws- put them in the holes you indicated before clamping the 1/2" material to drill the pocket hole. That slight additional distance is necessary, only for drilling into 1/2" material.
If you read the instructions you will find out the two small screws are not for bumping out the half inch wood. Once the two screws are inserted the half inch wood is placed on top of the screws, than clamped and drilled. The screws elevate the half inch thick wood.
Hi, thanks for the demo and those little screws go where you showed and then for much thinner material down to half inch?? Will then sit on top of these screws to raise the board higher to give the correct clearance for the holes! Looking from the side when the material is thinner it will protrude thru the other side of the board but but raising the material will stop the drill going thru? Hope this helps. Cheers from Australia
My issue with this jig is that the holes are too close to the end of the board and I've had split outs. The Kreg jig gives you much more wood to screw into
It looks to me like you could use the shallow arbor even with 1-1/2" material... something looks off with the 1-1/2", I don't know what it is... maybe because the pcoket is so close to the end of the board?
First of all thanks for the Tricks and Tips. Comparing the Drill Master to Kreg Pocket Jig K4, the Drill Master does not have the feature of measuring the thickness of the wood you are going to drill. What do you think of that measurement feature?
Great vid and explanation of jig use. I just bought one at Harbor Freight 50% off Sidewalk Sale. Question... This video is 4yrs ago. Are you still happy with it or did you have to upgrade?
Still using it and very happy. I'm still using the original drill bit. I drop a couple of drops of 3&1 oil in the sleeves just to keep friction wear low. It's one of those hidden gems at HF, as good or better than the entry level kreg.
Great job demonstrating the tool. Question; Do you think this tool is too complex for a newbie? I mean for someone who has never built furniture but has plenty of experience with rough carpentry?
What about thinner material? I can’t get mine to work on 1/2 inch material as advertised on the box. It says it can drill down to 12mm (1/2 inch) but I just get it tearing out with the angle of the jig. Would be good to see someone demonstrate the thinner material
Хобби
Great video!!!!! FYI...the 2 little screws....you use them for drilling into 1/2 inch wood. You insert the 2 screws into the jig, and that kicks the bottom of the wood out enough that you won't drill thru the wood.
Thank you!! Explains why my 1/2 sheets are showing the tip of screws. Wish I seen this a few days earlier but, better late than never.
The instructions with my katsu version (exactly the same as this one) says you insert the screws and raise the piece onto the screws. I’ve tried both ways and can confirm that raising the piece is what is required - not pushing it away.
CJ thanks for the confirmation!!
Rick Iriarte ahh thanks for your comment, you reminded me to mention, the drill depth also needs to be readjusted when the screws are in!! Otherwise it’s too short! Also just to reaffirm, if the workpiece was placed in front of the screws, when clamped, the screws would mark the piece!
Actually, per the manual, you set the 1/2 wood on top of the screws. that gives you the correct center.
Thank you for showing all the features. That was super helpful! I picked up that jig today and looking forward to using it.
Great review and camera work. I have been using pocket holes for many years and you covered everything well.
Thank you for this. I just got one of these, and your demonstration helped me make better use of it. I’ve never done this before, so I appreciated the how-to on the screws at the end.
A great demonstration... Just the essentials, no extra garbage... Thanks very much.
The little screws are for when you are using 1/2" stock...by placing your 1/2" ONLY stock...it adjusts the angle of the hole for maximum strength without penetrating the outer surface of your stock.
This was great. I appreciate your explanations very much. Comprehensive and easy to follow. Thanks!
you said your an amateur wood worker, but i’d say your smart in setting up and using this jig. helps newby like me not make mistakes using this tool . great job on this video .
Thanks Harry!
you probably know this but a great way to build cabinets on the cheap is to use Melamine and pocket holes the coating on Melamine has the scratch resistance of a high grade plastic laminate like Formica or any other brand if you build your boxes out of it you wind up with a nice interior that is easy to clean,sanitize ,etc you can use European style hinges to do full overlay doors of your choice you may also check out IKEA cabinets that you assemble about 10 years ago they were one of the best values for the money ! I am a retired Woodworker and at one point those IKEA cabinets and doors were cheaper than my cost of materials to build something comparable IKEA does use a better grade of sheet goods than most other companies you find in the big box stores the resins and materials are pretty dense making them strong and pretty stable nothing like the old Walmart furniture that wouldn’t hold the fasteners plus IKEA does utilize wood dowels for extra strength were needed
Fantastic tips on this tool. Thank you sir.
I just get one, I know a little about it but your video helps so much. It takes the guesswork out of it.
Excellent video. I watched it last night to make sure i wanted to buy one. I bought it today and you answered all the questions i was worried about. Thanks again!
Excellent demonstration. I like the vise setup with the magnet holding your drill bit.
Thanks 👍
I was on the fence on if I was going to order the HF pocket hold jig; seeing how you mounted it on a 2x4, and stored the accessories sealed the deal. great idea!
I just bought myself this.. and I thank you for showing how to use this… I’m going to build myself a stand like yours so I can put it in my visor! And I absolutely love the holes that you made with the magnets to hold your Bit.. Genius! God bless and I hope your cabinets come out beautifully!!!
Very detail explanation especially the portable “L” bracket that u can use in cramped spaces. I didn’t see in the manual how to use it
Great review and instructions for learning pocket hole joinery.
I've been looking to get one of these, and your video convinced me.
I'm going to copy your jig for the vise too.
Thanks for sharing your tips! 👍
Awesome, thank you!
Thank you so much, really great video. I really appreciate for your time and explaining about this tool.
Really good video. Thanks for your clear and concise explanations.
Well done, very nice explaining how to use this, Thank You. I really like your fixture also, I'm going to do mine the same way
Absolutely great video. Will get one now for sure...and add holes for bit and Allen wrench storage like you did. Near end of video I noticed what looks like homemade wooden pads for the bar clamps. Great idea!! Gotta do that to mine vs buying expensive Besseys.
Cool, thanks.
Thank you! Great how-to video. After purchasing this on a whim at HF, I have to admit I was skeptical, especially the way the manual was written. But after watching your video I’m sure That this handy jig will get a lot of use!
Saved me a 1/2 hour of reading 6pt type and on top of that, a great demo. Your magnet setup is A+ and I'm definitely copying it. Thanks man.
Nice! Thanks for the feedback.
Really smart way to store the bit.
Clever setup you put together there. I'm going to do the same.
Fantastic tutorial on this jig. I just purchased this jig Open Box from Harbor Freight and I was concerned about parts missing. Your video cleared up a lot. I really like the stand you made for the jig. I am making one like yours now. Thanks again!
You are welcome!
Hours and hours of watching videos on the Kreg was really good, learned lots, this little gem is a piece of art, love it! Thank you
Glad you enjoyed it!
@Hank Hill Yes the bit is included.
Thank you. This and a 25% off coupon convinced me to buy this jig today. Plan on making that set up you have for the vice. 👍🏼
Same! The ONLY Kreg tools I'm having to buy thanks to Harbor Freight are the drawer jig, a jig for centering drawer handles, a corner clamp, MAYBE a right angle clamp, and a of course the square head driver bit. One of these days I'll learn how to use a large and be good to go!
Just picked one up. First thing I noticed out of the box was the outstanding machining on it. Definitely not normally seen on HF products.
Just bought one. Good review.
Thank you for saving me time with this video!
Thanks, bud...bought one last night - so much easier to see someone use something than reading instructions!
Great review thanks!! was looking at this today at Harbor Freight. 🤙
This is the best video for this and nice base for the jig.
Excellent! Thank you for this post!
Thank you for the video. I call this a perfect tutorial vid. Cheers from 🇩🇪
SOLD!!! Great video...... I’m buying this one over the Kreg Jig tomorrow, I almost bought the Kreg jig on Amazon but then watched this video.
Thank You!!
I have to up date my reply, I ended up buying the Kreg4 jig after all mainly because of the adjustments and the reviews. With that said I still think that this harbor fright pocket hole jig would have done the job just fine. Again thanks for the great video 👍🏻
Just got one today, really pleased 😃
Thanks for the video. Very instructive since I'm getting ready to use this tool. The instructions were OK that came with the tool but you made it crystal clear how this id to be used.
Great video, way to explain everything. Going to get this one now. Nice to buy and already know how to use it. Thanks.
Awesome, thank you!
I've used this jig on different projects. I was going to buy a Kreg but I thought they were overpriced. The Drill master is a great tool and I highly recommend it.
Just picked one up for 25% off, seems like a steal. Can't wait to try it out and make a similar jig as yours
Great video! For someone that says they are relatively new to woodworking you sure sound like you know what you're doing :) Thanks for the info.
Thank you very much!
Great video. Lots of very informative useful content. I am thinking about getting this and your video is helpful thanks.
Thank you for this, Nicer to watch than reading the instructions. I'm sure others have noted that the two Allen screws are fir when you use fit on half inch material only. I guess they just raise up the bottom slightly so the drill doesn't blow through the other side.
Great video! Thanks for sharing and have a great day.
Amazing video. Thank you I just bought one
Very good video. I like the jig you mounted it on. Thank you.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for sharing man. I just bought a Kreg pocket hole jig for $100 @ Home Depot and then had to go to Harbor Freights for something else and saw this baby for $65. I'm happy to hear you are happy with yours.
Good stuff!
Dude great video. The set up you made is brilliant. Nice engineering of everything you didn’t 👍🏻
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for the video. I'm on my way to Harbor Freight!
Great video. Very well explained.
Thank you for taking the time to record and post this! The instructions that came with the jig could be a little better, for folks like me who have never used a pocket hole jig.
Thanks for the video! You saved me a ton of time, trying to figure this out.
You're welcome!
Great job dude. I really liked your vise set up. Be Safe and God Bless.
Thanks, you too!
Great review of this tool, I just got one and needed to know what the L shape artifact was for, i love it the way you set it up on a piece of 2x4, i'm doing the same thing, thanks for sharing.
Thank you for watching. You will love this tool.
Very good video, I did not like the Harbor freight because I could not understand exactly how to use that, BUT man with you video is CLEAR as water excellent unit excellent video, Thanks for you.
Two screw is when using 12mm sheet
Thank you for the great tutorial!
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the informative video! I purchased one today.
Hope you enjoy it!
This was the first tool I ever bought from Harbor Freight and I was blown away by the quality for the money that I paid. I can't remember how much , it was about 14 years ago or so. But I know it wasn't much especially because I was used to paying DeWalt, Milwaukee, and Bosch prices . I just bought my first power tool from Harbor Freight and it is a Bauer orbital palm sander the first one was junk it lasted a couple hours but the second one I've been using and I guess I probably have six or seven hours on it and it's still running good. It was on sale for 20 bucks that's the only reason I took a chance.
If you work with steel you can surely work with wood from the looks of things your a smart young man. So may God continue to bless you on your journey in life .
Thank you. God bless you my friend!
Very good instructional video!! Very helpful!!! Sold me!!! TC from Nevada
Awesome! Thank you!
Awesome video! Thanks for the information. Very helpful!!
Glad it was helpful!
Well done best vid I've seen for this tool, thanks.
Wow, thanks!
Nice, thorough explanation, thanks.
Glad it was helpful!
I LOVE my Drill Master Pocket Hole jig.
Super great video. Grabbing my coupon now !!!
Thanks for making this video, I'm pretty handy but I still needed someone to explain it to me and you did a fine job. -Thank you.
You're welcome!
Just got mine..the 1 I wanted was 3 times the price so I got this one and used the 20 percent off coupon and 5.00 off coupon and paid about 35.00....thanks for the tips I cant wait to try mine out
That is awesome!
Wonderfully spoken. The 2 allen screws are to be inserted for one half in material for the wood to ride on. Kind of strange in my opinion. Loved the video nicely done
Muchas gracias por tan importante video. Thank you very much for such an important video. It helped me decide to buy this over the other major brand.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for the knowledge.
My pleasure!
Nice demo as I was not quite sure how to use this. Thans
You're welcome!
Steady customer. Will look in to that. Thanks.
Good video, very in-depth. 👍👍
Thank you! 👍
Good video, thanks!
For larger wood you can get a separate jig for that kind of wood. Krueger has one for a decent price.. some of these new jigs the part that does the pocket holes will come off and you can use it separately. They also have other bells and whistles. I have the Kreg separate tool and I just want something to do pocket holes in a lock down jig.
Very helpful! Great detailed review! Sold me....
Glad to hear it!
sir.I have that same type of jig, but sold by WEN tools. Great video
Cool, thanks
Great video
Thanks!
thank you much for the vid.
I just bought this tool a couple of days ago and I couldn't figure out what the L shaped bracket was for. Thank you for explaining that.
You're welcome.
I've used mine a lot. I have 2 Kreg ones for mobile stuff, but this I personally think is better. My projects are thinner wood so there's no need to adjust with double hole system. I you're part of the Inside Track Club, you can get one now for $54.99. That's 1/2 the price of Kreg's. For screws, I order off EBAY. You can get pan head phillips head screws , 500, for about $10-15. That's all i use. Kregs screws are pretty expensive, plus, I can use any long phillips head bit. Very good review
Thanks for the info on the screws. I didn't think of ebay.
what exactly do I search for to get the screws on EBAY?
Thank you sir!
You're welcome.
You got it. That’s how you do big or odd stock.
Great job FYI always use glue with the screws unless you want to take it apart later but always use glue.
Thanks and I agree on the glue. Someone on YT did a test with pocket hole joints w/glue vs. without. They were at least 2 times stronger if memory serves me. Almost as strong as a rabbit/dovetail joint. It's a great system for DIY production.
One thing to avoid is angling your screws towards the end or edge of your material. For a stronger attachment. As an example of what I mean, in a box angle your screws towards the inside and not the outside. In otherwords pocket holes on the outside.
The answer to your question about the 1/2 inch elevation screws is in the instructions on of 5. Nice job.
Those little screws- put them in the holes you indicated before clamping the 1/2" material to drill the pocket hole. That slight additional distance is necessary, only for drilling into 1/2" material.
If you read the instructions you will find out the two small screws are not for bumping out the half inch wood. Once the two screws are inserted the half inch wood is placed on top of the screws, than clamped and drilled. The screws elevate the half inch thick wood.
Hi, thanks for the demo and those little screws go where you showed and then for much thinner material down to half inch?? Will then sit on top of these screws to raise the board higher to give the correct clearance for the holes!
Looking from the side when the material is thinner it will protrude thru the other side of the board but but raising the material will stop the drill going thru?
Hope this helps.
Cheers from Australia
So they act as a spacer when cutting thinner materials to prevent blow through. Excellent, thank you.
The screws are for half inch material. It's right there in the manual
Enjoy this video! Could you put it on Rumble? Thanks!
My issue with this jig is that the holes are too close to the end of the board and I've had split outs. The Kreg jig gives you much more wood to screw into
Operator error. PEBKAC
Use Allen screws for thin material
It looks to me like you could use the shallow arbor even with 1-1/2" material... something looks off with the 1-1/2", I don't know what it is... maybe because the pcoket is so close to the end of the board?
First of all thanks for the Tricks and Tips. Comparing the Drill Master to Kreg Pocket Jig K4, the Drill Master does not have the feature of measuring the thickness of the wood you are going to drill. What do you think of that measurement feature?
It hasn't been an issue for me, but I always use a scrap/test piece before I drill my piece.
Great vid and explanation of jig use. I just bought one at Harbor Freight 50% off Sidewalk Sale. Question... This video is 4yrs ago. Are you still happy with it or did you have to upgrade?
Still using it and very happy. I'm still using the original drill bit. I drop a couple of drops of 3&1 oil in the sleeves just to keep friction wear low. It's one of those hidden gems at HF, as good or better than the entry level kreg.
Great job demonstrating the tool. Question; Do you think this tool is too complex for a newbie? I mean for someone who has never built furniture but has plenty of experience with rough carpentry?
Yes, just practice on some scrap wood first and you'll have it mastered after a few projects.
What about thinner material? I can’t get mine to work on 1/2 inch material as advertised on the box. It says it can drill down to 12mm (1/2 inch) but I just get it tearing out with the angle of the jig. Would be good to see someone demonstrate the thinner material