Shelf Pin Jig Preference

[Matt Hankins]

I have to believe that this question has been raised before, but I couldn't seem to find any posts. I have separated my questions so that they are easier to read.

Which shelf pin drilling jig do you all prefer?

Do you use a purchased one or a shop made one?

Do the more expensive ones preform better?

Should I buy or make one that references the pins on both the inside and outside edge of the cabinets or one that has to be reset on each edge?

Have the width restrictions posed a problem for base cabinets?

Can the jig be modified to eliminate this problem?

Do you use a drill or a router?

Lots of questions, I yield the floor.

Matt

[Matt Meiser]

Which shelf pin drilling jig do you all prefer?

Do you use a purchased one or a shop made one?

I use a shop-made one based on one Norm made on NYW, which he based on the commercial MEG jig.

Should I buy or make one that references the pins on both the inside and outside edge of the cabinets or one that has to be reset on each edge?

Mine needs to be reset on both sides if you want them to be the same front and back, but I never bother--I just pick a width that will work front and back. They end up being a little closer to the cabinet back but its really not noticeable and not worth the time IMHO.

Do you use a drill or a router?

Plunge router with a 1/4" spiral upcut bit. Never had a problem with chipout.

[Bill Huber]

What Matt said.....

I made one, took all of 30 min. and I do use the router, it makes a nicer hole I think then a drill bit and you don't have to use a drill bushing.

jigT.jpg

[Nathan Callender]

I use a strip of 1/4" pegboard with a scrap of wood attached to the top as a fence to hold the holes in the correct location. I drill the holes out with a forstner bit. I skip every other hole. (So, 2" OC).

[John A. Schaefer]

Do you use a purchased one or a shop made one?
Used a shop-built one made from pegboard at first. Got a great deal on a WoodRiver jig and bit - so that's what I'm using now.

Do the more expensive ones preform better?
From a performance (e.g., does it do what it needs to do) standpoint, I'd have to say no. But from an easy of use standpoint, I prefer the purchased unit. I'm a little concerned about how long it will last, though, since it's all plastic & polycarbonate. One accidental push off the workbench, and it will probably be toast.

Should I buy or make one that references the pins on both the inside and outside edge of the cabinets or one that has to be reset on each edge?
Yes. Seriously, though, I think this is personal preference. I'm a little OCD, so not having the same offset front and rear would bug me - even though most of the time I can't see it.

Do you use a drill or a router?
Drill with special peg bit. I find it to be incredibly quick and precise.

[Jerome Hanby]

Shop made out of scrap MDF. Basically, the jig that Bill Hylton describes in one of his books.

[Quinn McCarthy]

I made mine from steel flat stock. 1 1/4" wide and 1/4" thick.

I bought a stepped 1/4" drill bit from Rockler I think that is designed for drilling shelf pins. Each hole in the jig is stepped. I started by drilling a hole part way through the bar with the drill bit that matched the out side of the bit I bought. I was real careful about layout. After that I drilled the rest of the way though with the 1/4" bit. THe reason I did that was so that the bit didn't tear on melamine and plywood. The first jig I made was just the big diamterer all the way through and it started tearing on certain material. Work like a charme. The jig is about 18-20" long and I use another 1/4" dill bit to index the jig on runs greater than 20". Works great. Been using it for years. I have done 6-8' runs without a problem.

[Jim Heffner]

I use a shop made jig and found it works well for me. All the jig is...is a piece
of steel with holes punched in it from the big box stores. They sell it in their metal section of the hardware dept. or the garage/ overhead door area.

The door people call it" pre-punched metal" they use for hanging door opener
devices from the ceiling joists. A four ft. piece is only a few bucks and is
easy to work with, all the holes are evenly spaced apart and makes a consistent jig. I marked top and bottom of the jig with a permanent marker
for orientation purposes, you could shorten it to what ever length you need
and use it that way. To use this "jig" clamp it to the inside edge of the
work piece and drill the holes you need. I use a drill and bit, didn't like the router way of doing this...the drill method is easier for me. The good thing about my "jig" is the holes won't enlarge themselves over time with a lot of
use like the plastic or peg board shop jigs will do.

[Will Overton]

I use a strip of 1/4" pegboard with a scrap of wood attached to the top as a fence to hold the holes in the correct location. I drill the holes out with a forstner bit. I skip every other hole. (So, 2" OC).

+1 It doesn't get much easier.

[Chip Lindley]

IF shelf holes are drilled once in a great while, it might be fun to go through all the gyrations of set-up and measurement; and getting both sets of holes in a side panel exactly in-sync. I tired of all that, over n over. My Gloat Jig:

[Kent A Bathurst]

IF shelf holes are drilled once in a great while, it might be fun to go through all the gyrations of set-up and measurement; and getting both sets of holes in a side panel exactly in-sync. I tired of all that, over n over. My Jig:

Hooo, buddy - you don't screw around, do you?

[Gene Howe]

I built two. One utilizes peg board and a reference strip glued on the edge to give a consistent spacing from the front/back. The other is made for the router and a rub collar.

Both are built for full 24" deep cabinets. I always drill or rout the sides before assembly.

[Prashun Patel]

I bought this one - despite that it seems easy to make one. Rationale:

1) It was cheap - $24.
2) It comes with the self-centering drill bit.
3) It's made of plastic, so it doesn't chew up like pegboard.
4) It's registered on both sides. You can use it on any cabinet upside down and right side up.

After a house full of closets, I think it's one of the best tool purchases I ever made.

[Greg Portland]

I have tried them all. Besides a dedicated machine, the best and most accurate solution that I've tried is this one. It also happens to be one of the cheapest & fastest options. Two years ago I had ~2400 holes to drill in a very large built-in project and went through a rigorous evaluation of the various options. Unfortunately the posts from that forum are lost so I can't link to it. Most systems work fine for -small- shelves where you're only drilling 30-40 holes. If you are going to be drilling a lot of holes then either spend the $$$ on a dedicated line boring machine or build the jig that I listed. I use a Dewalt router with a custom base plate, Woodrat plunge handle & 1/4" spiral bit. It takes close to 1 second per hole and they are perfect (clean, accurate, and straight). I have 2 versions, a long (8') rail and a short (4' rail) to maintain portability.

[Van Huskey]

That will do...

IF shelf holes are drilled once in a great while, it might be fun to go through all the gyrations of set-up and measurement; and getting both sets of holes in a side panel exactly in-sync. I tired of all that, over n over. My Gloat Jig: