Now I know this is a hotly debated issue. There are some in the camp that think that "pocket hole jigs are amazing", "they are the greatest thing ever." And there are those think "pocket jigs are a travesty", and "you are not a real wood worker if you use them."
I would say that I am a person who falls slightly in the middle, and here is why.
When I started my journey early on, actually it was for my first project, the outdoor furniture. I had found plans for the furniture, and it called for the use of a pocket hole jig. I knew nothing about the subject matter in fact I knew very little about wood working. So, I did some research. Off to YouTube I went. Searching what is a pocket hole, and what is a pocket hole jig. I saw a video that went through in detail the pros of using a pocket hole jig and explained that using the jig allowed you a better chance of achieving the proper angle for your screw to joint the two pieces. Being the son of an engineer and coming from the family that are strong believers in there is always a "right tool" for the job, I thought this tool made sense. Off I went and bought the Kreg tabletop mount jig.
Also, a side note the jigs are not exactly cheap, especially for new people who really don't know the in's and outs of tools. Now I have certainly spent more money on other tools for the shop since, but at the time this was an investment of $150 bucks. So, I thought to myself I better use this and use it often to justify the price.
I got the jig and started fiddling with it and playing around. And not really to my surprise but I was able to joint two pieces of wood together. And it was a strong joint, like I couldn't move them. I was ecstatic, amazed and all the other great feelings for when a plan comes together.
Off I went and put together the furniture. My project was coming along nicely, making great use of my newly purchased pocket hole jig. Then I got to the point of finishing the furniture. Note I mentioned this in a previous blog I was building outdoor furniture using cedar, silly me. I will be building some outdoor furniture this year using cedar and will not be finishing it. Lived and learned.
Back to the storey, I got to finishing the furniture and looked and thought oh boy there are a lot of holes I got to fill. But how do I fill them? Back to YouTube. I did some research and it appeared as though using wood putty was the best way to fill them. I went and bought some putty and started filling them. It got everywhere and was so messy, some holes were filled just right, some were too little, and some were too much.
This brings me to a tip. I have since found the best and cheapest way for me to fill pocket holes is to buy a dowel cut it into 2.5-3-inch pieces and they push the dowel into the hole with some glue. Once the glue dries, take a flush cut hand saw, or a random oscillating tool and cut the end off so its flush. I find this way gives you a relatively smooth surface that is still noticeable as far as the fact there is a hole or piece there, but if you are staining it blends in somewhat better than the wood putty.
So, after sanding the furniture and then staining and sealing, I looked back and was proud of my accomplishment. There was a great feeling of satisfaction that I built this, I tentatively sat on the furniture, and it didn't break, check. This was a fun project. However, there are all these pocket holes everywhere, I guess that's just the way it is.
I then started making anything I could using the pocket hole jig, a stool for my shop, and table for the patio, another chair for the back yard, a storage shelf for the bedroom, a desk to be able to work from. I went pocket hole crazy. I am telling my Dad about this amazing tool. He is looking at me a little confused, I am explaining how it works. I am thinking to myself why everyone doesn’t know about this tool you can build, like, anything with it.
While I am building all these things, I am filling the holes in where I think it makes sense, basically where the hole may be visible. I am cutting up dowels and gluing, then trimming the excess piece. I start thinking to myself, this sucks I am basically losing half a day with having to trim and glue and all this stuff, onto of the fact that my shop is littered with these cut trim pieces. This part of the job sucks.
Back to YouTube, I started learning about joinery and all that. I then started to try my hand at this. I think my journey into joinery is better served for another Blog post.
But I will now share my belief around pocket holes:
I believe pocket holes are what got me started and excited about wood working. It's a relatively easy and quick way to join two pieces of wood.
There are some drawbacks to them, with having to fill in the hole that is created. (I know you don't need to fill in every hole, but my perfectionist OCD personality kicks in and I want everything to look smooth and uniform.)
They have their place in projects. At this point if I need to join two pieces and I need the joint to be strong, or generally if my project is something for the shop, I often will use them.
Pocket holes are relatively inexpensive and safer. For example, if you were to tell have a new person try to create a box joint on a table saw, that may not be the best idea of running your hands back and forth next to the table saw blade.
With most of my projects at this point I don't use them too often, as I have discovered the amazing satisfying world of joinery.
But bottom line is that pocket holes got me into wood working, it was probably the best $150 bucks I have invested. I would totally recommend them to a new person, but I would also challenge them to not become too reliant on them and encourage them to try different forms of traditional joinery