1/4" Shelf Pin Sleeves

[Mark W Pugh]

OK, I have the sleeves, and from what I have read, a 9/32 hole should be the correct size. For me, it's too big, the sleeves just fall out.


I know it may depend, but what size hole should I be using? Or, are they suppose to be glued in?

[Mike Henderson]

Try a 17/64" and see if that works. it's nice if you have to tap them in, as long as the shelf pin goes in okay after that.

Mike

[Rich Engelhardt]

OK, I have the sleeves, and from what I have read, a 9/32 hole should be the correct size. For me, it's too big, the sleeves just fall out

Did you put a finish on before or after boring the holes?

I bored all the holes using a 1/4" spiral up cut bit in my router and dry fitted the shelf pins. They were nice and snug - snug enough where I had to twist them a bit to get them in - - IMHO - perfect.
Then I put on a few coats of finish and all the hole were so tight I had to take a 1/4" drill bit and ream them out.

I'd try a test hole or two or three or ten, with how ever many coats of whatever type of finish it is you'll be putting on.

[Mark W Pugh]

Try a 17/64" and see if that works. it's nice if you have to tap them in, as long as the shelf pin goes in okay after that.

Mike

Thanks. I've been trying to use the JiGit from R......... it's 9/32 and it says it's for 1/4 pin sleeves. Not the for the 1/4 sleeves I bought. Always something!!

[pat warner]

Not a b&w answer.
At your earliest convenience you should test.
You don't want a hammer fit nor any slop.
And I'd test with: 7mm, J, or 7.1mm.
17/64" will be a hammer fit unless the sleeves are out of speck.

[Tom Ewell]

I've found that not all purveyors of hardware supply pins and or sleeves within spec that is interchangeable.

Don't recall exact sizes but using the bit supplied by the same company that supplied the pins and sleeves worked. (perhaps it was Rockler as well)

The sleeves required almost a 'press fit' and I had enough of them to warrant getting the insert tool to guide and tap them in.

I've also found same for straight on shelf pins, some "1/4 pins" don't fit well with my 1/4 borings be it router or drill bits.

5mm seems to be much more consistent.

[Mark W Pugh]

I've found that not all purveyors of hardware supply pins and or sleeves within spec that is interchangeable.

Don't recall exact sizes but using the bit supplied by the same company that supplied the pins and sleeves worked. (perhaps it was Rockler as well)

The sleeves required almost a 'press fit' and I had enough of them to warrant getting the insert tool to guide and tap them in.

I've also found same for straight on shelf pins, some "1/4 pins" don't fit well with my 1/4 borings be it router or drill bits.

5mm seems to be much more consistent.

This is probably the reason. I will order sleeves from same place I ordered drilling jig.

[Tom Ewell]

This is probably the reason. I will order sleeves from same place I ordered drilling jig.

Hope it works, at least you'll have some recourse if their particular system doesn't work as intended and they can get it right.

Also don't be surprised if the actual shelf pins aren't 'perfect fit' either if not part of the 'system'.

I keep my stock of pins with sleeves separate from the other pin stocks just to save from the aggravation that you've experienced.