Pocket Holes Without a Jig

glenn bradley

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Many of you probably do this or are at least aware of the method. For those who aren't it can be handy if you only use a pocket hole occasionally or your neighbor permanently borrowed your jig :). I have a spot where you might traditionally use a glue block or nothing at all. Being a belt-and-suspenders kinda guy, I wanted a little mechanical strength in a certain location that didn't provide enough width to accept a Kreg-style pocket hole without tunneling in from a perpendicular edge. That is; the counterbore for the screw path would have normally started 2-1/2" back from the edge . . . but, the piece is only about 1-1/4" wide. This was too narrow even for the mini pocket hole jigs geometry. Be that as it may . . . .

Drill a 3/4" hole 1/4" deep.

PH-no-jig (1).jpg

The hole bottom and entrance edge act as an angle guide for drilling the pilot hole.

PH-no-jig (2).jpg . PH-no-jig (3).jpg . PH-no-jig (4).jpg

Normally I do not let the pilot exit the far end (much like a Kreg jig approach) but, I wanted you guys to see what's up.

PH-no-jig (5).jpg
 
Glenn, was the piece that you needed the pocket hole in already installed in your project ???

Slick idea. I usually stick a glue block in those spots but have always kind of worried that they don't help all that much.
 
The piece was not already installed (although I have had to work my way out of that before :eek:), the piece is just too narrow to take a typical oval pocket hole.
 
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