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A pocket screw jig is a tool used to drill pocket holes for butt joints in woodworking. It is affordable and saves time. Pocket holes are drilled at a sharp angle towards the end of the workpiece and are usually drilled in pairs. Commercially purchased jigs are made of metal and come with instructions. Some woodworkers prefer to make their own jigs using a drill or router.
A pocket screw jig is a device used by carpenters to drill pocket holes, a technique used to strengthen butt joints, which are often used in cabinetry and other woodworking applications. Some woodworkers design and build their own jigs, but the quality and affordability of those available on the market are good enough to justify most woodworkers buying them. When used correctly, a pocket screw jig will dramatically reduce the amount of time spent drilling pocket screw holes. The first use of pocket screws is believed to have been in ancient Egypt where two pieces of wood were fastened together and a hole drilled from the outer piece into the inner piece. A glued dowel was then inserted into the hole and cut flush with the surface.
A butt joint is created when two pieces of wood are joined face to face. When fixed with glue only, they are very weak, especially when one of the glued surfaces is grainy, which is difficult to glue securely. There are several ways to strengthen a butt joint, including mortise and tenon connections, dowels, biscuits, and pocket screw holes. For many joints, carpenters will prefer one of the other methods, but when many butt joints have to be made, such as in making cabinet frames or face frames, a simple and efficient solution is to use a socket screw jig to drill holes for pocket screws.
Holes for the socket screws are usually drilled in pairs for added strength, near one end of the workpiece being pulled together. The holes are usually drilled from the back side of the piece, so they won’t show on the finished piece. The pocket holes should be drilled at a very sharp angle to the surface, towards the end, so that the screws stick out of the end of the workpiece. Once the holes are drilled, self-tapping screws are inserted and used to join the two pieces. If done without a template, the cabinetmaker should measure carefully and attempt to drill the hole freehand; most freehand pocket screw holes will have problems, the most common of which is that the hole will exit the other face of the workpiece rather than the end.
A commercially purchased pocket screw jig is made of metal and, when set up correctly and secured to the workpiece, aligns mating drill bit guides to drill holes neatly and accurately. It can be configured to accommodate workpieces of different sizes and screw lengths so that the screws have maximum gripping power. Special step drill bits are used and care is taken to control the depth of drilling, usually with collars secured with a set screw. A commercially purchased pocket screw jig will also have full instructions for the carpenter.
Many dedicated woodworkers prefer to make as many jigs as possible, eschewing store-bought products for shop-made equipment. Making a pocket screw jig in your own shop can be a very rewarding project that has been undertaken by many woodworkers. There are many approaches, some of which use a drill to drill the holes, and the jig itself is portable, moving from one point to another on the part. Other approaches require a router to be the cutting tool, making a large cut in the workpiece, after which the screw hole is easily drilled. Plans for shop-made pocket screw jigs can be easily acquired from other woodworkers online and give the home shop woodworker the added benefit of being able to modify them as desired.
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