Kreg Jig K4 User Manual [en, fr, es]

Quick-Start Guide

Guía de inicio rápido

Guide de démarrage

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Assembly

Introduction

Our hope is that your Kreg Jig® opens up a whole new world of project
possibilities for you. We’ve made every effort to make the Kreg Jig® as fun
and easy-to-use as possible. Along with this Quick-Start Guide, here are
several other resources you may fi nd helpful along the way.

SkillBuilder™ DVD:

information you’ll need to start building (and keep building)
with your new Kreg Jig®. Once you’ve mastered the skills on this
DVD, you’ll be ready to build just about anything!

Kregtool.com: Your online resource for everything “Kreg.” Whether you can’t

remember how to make a particular joint, need to order some more self­tapping screws, or just want to see what kind of accessories are available for
your jig... this is where you’ll fi nd it.

Woodsmith: Kreg Tool Company is a proud sponsor of the popular

Woodworking TV Show, “The Woodsmith Shop.” Instead of focusing on
larger projects, the Woodsmith Shop focuses on tips, techniques, and
woodshop fundamentals. Currently airing on many public television
stations across the country. Learn more at www.woodsmithshop.com.

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Start here! This DVD includes all the

A

Parts

D

Toggle Clamp:

Secures workpieces while drilling Pocket-Holes. Use fi rm pressure to lock in place.

Clamp Pad:

B

Rotate clockwise or counter-clockwise to compensate for workpiece thickness.

G

Drill Guide:

C

B

H

F

A

I

E

J

K

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C

The “core” of the Kreg Jig®. Can be used in the Kreg Jig® or removed for repair applications.

Drill Guide Adjustment Markings:

D

Markings indicate the Drill Guide’s height setting. Match with workpiece thickness.

Screw Holes (4):

E

To minimize movement during use, secure the jig to your workbench using 4 wood screws.

F

Clamping Recess:

For a less permanent solution, clamp your jig to your workbench with a Bar or C-Clamp.

G

Drill Guide Pin:

Locks Drill Guide into place while adjusting height for different material thicknesses.

Drill Guide Spacer Block:

H

For repair applications. Each spacer compensates for an additional ¼” in material thickness.

Depth Collar / Allen Wrench:

I

Sets the maximum plunge depth of drill. Use Allen Wrench to lock into place on the bit.

Depth Setting Gauge:

J

Helps you fi nd the correct Depth Collar setting for varying workpiece thicknesses.

Master Systems Components

K

Parts unique to the Kreg Jig® Master System. Detailed information on components pages.

Settings

2

Drill Guide Adjustment

To create the strongest joint possible, you’ll need
to set your jig to match the thickness of your

®

workpiece. The Kreg Jig

makes this easy, in just

three simple steps!

1

Depth Collar Adjustment

To get the right Pocket-Hole depth, you’ll have to
adjust the position of the collar on the drill bit. Place
your bit inside the Depth Setting Gauge on the Kreg
Jig®, with the step of the bit at the marking which
matches your workpiece thickness, as shown. Slide the
Depth Collar towards the jig base and lock it in place
with the included Allen Wrench.

For 3/4” material, place the step of the bit

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at the 3/4” marking and tighten depth collar.

To ensure the exit-point of your screw is near
the center of the workpiece, (for the strongest
joint possible) you’ll need to adjust position of
your Pocket-Hole by raising or lowering the
Drill Guide’s height to match your workpiece
thickness. Loosen the Drill Guide Pin, lift the
Drill Guide until the correct mark is showing
just above the jig body, and re-tighten the pin.

3

Clamp Pad Adjustment

For a fi rm hold on the workpiece, you may
have to adjust the position of the clamp pad.
To do so, release the lock-nut, rotate the clamp
pad in or out, and test the hold by depressing
the toggle. Repeat this process until you get a
secure hold on the workpiece. Then, re-tighten
the lock-nut.

Settings

Drill Guide shown set for 3/4” material.

Release lock-nut, adjust clamp pad
position, test hold, and re-tighten lock-nut.

Pocket-Hole Placement

Repair Applications

Along with the Kreg Jig® Settings, another important part of getting the
strongest possible Kreg Joint is to space your Pocket-Holes evenly across
the workpiece. Your Kreg Jig® features a patented 3-hole Drill Guide
which lets you do this in a wide variety of workpiece widths without the

For repair applications, the Drill Guide can be removed completely
from the benchtop base, and taken directly to the problem joint
serving as a ‘mobile Kreg Jig®’.

need to reposition the workpiece after each hole is drilled. Use the guide
below to determine how to best clamp your workpiece and drill your
Pocket-Holes.

1” to 2”
Wide Material

Use B and C Holes Use A and B Holes Use A and C Holes

2” to 3”
Wide Material

3” to 4”
Wide Material

For panels, we recommend placing the fi rst Pocket-Hole roughly 2 inches
away from the exposed edge of the panel, and every 6” after that. When

When you bring the bottom of the Drill Guide to the
edge of the joint for a repair, the jig is set correctly
to center a screw in
larger stock, you’ll need to compensate with the
included Spacer Block. Each Spacer Block you add,
compensates for another ¼” in material size. For

3

⁄4” material, use 1 block. For 1” material, use 2

blocks, etc.

Additional blocks can be purchased from your local
Kreg Dealer.

In repair applications, when using the Drill Guide
separately, remember that you still have to set the
Depth Collar and ensure that the Drill Guide is
fi rmly secured to the workpiece using a bar clamp
or c-clamp. In certain situations where the use of a
clamp is not possible, you may also screw the Drill
Guide directly to the workpiece, as shown.

1

⁄2” material. If the joint uses

drilling panels, you can use any of the Drill Guide’s three holes.

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Choosing a Screw

Kreg offers a complete line of specialized screws for every workpiece size
and type. Use this graph to fi nd the correct screw. All are available online,
at www.kregtool.com or at your local authorized Kreg dealer.

Screw Selection / Kreg Jig® Setting Chart

Material

Thickness

1

⁄2” (12 mm)

Screw

Length

3

⁄4” (19 mm)

Kreg Jig

1

⁄2” Marking

®

Setting

Choosing a Screw

Fine Thread

Fine thread screws are recommended for
hardwoods as they reduce the chance of the
material splitting when driven.

Use in woods such as:

• Ash • Oak • Maple • Walnut • Hickory • Cherry • Mahogany • Birch

Deep Square Drive

improves driver

engagement and

reduces the

possibility of

cam-out.

5

⁄8” (16 mm) 1” (25 mm)

3

⁄4” (19 mm) 11⁄4” (32 mm)

7

⁄8” (22 mm) 11⁄2” (38 mm)

1” (25 mm) 1

1

⁄8” (29 mm) 11⁄2” (38 mm) 11⁄8” Marking

1

1

⁄4” (32 mm) 2” (51 mm) 11⁄4” Marking

1

3

1

⁄8” (35 mm) 2” (51 mm) 13⁄8” Marking

1

⁄2” (38 mm) 21⁄2” (64 mm) 11⁄2” Marking

1

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1

⁄2” (38 mm) 1” Marking

11⁄4”

*Note: Screw length is measured from bottom of
the head to the tip of the screw

5

⁄8” Marking

3

⁄4” Marking

7

⁄8” Marking

Coarse Thread

Due to a signifi cantly larger thread diameter,
coarse thread screws offer a much stronger hold
in composite materials such as MDF
and plywood.

Use in woods such as:

• Pine • Cedar • Basswood • Poplar • Plywood • Melamine• Particle Board

Self-Tapping

Auger point

eliminates the

need to drill a

pilot hole.

Tips

Tips

Mitered Corners

There are several ways to join mitered pieces with your Kreg Jig®. Depending on the
width of the boards, choose the method best for you.

For wider boards, simply place the mitered joint on the
jig, clamp it down and drill as normal.

Base

For more narrow boards, you may need to raise the
heel of the miter off of the base to get your pockets in
the correct space.

Heel raised off
base of jig

®

For creating mitered corners with the Kreg Jig

, we
generally recommend at least 3” wide boards. For smaller
stock, it may be helpful to place one Pocket-Hole on either
side of the joint, instead of two holes on one side.

Base

Common Board Sizes

Nominal Size Actual Size

1x2
1x3

1x4
1x6
1x8
2x2 1
2x4 1
2x6 1
2x8 1
4x4 3
6x6 5

Nominal
(2˝ x 4˝)

3

⁄4” x 11⁄2”

3

⁄4” x 21⁄2”

3

⁄4” x 31⁄2”

3

⁄4” x 51⁄2”

3

⁄4” x 71⁄4”

1

⁄2” x 11⁄2”

1

⁄2” x 31⁄2”

1

⁄2” x 51⁄2”

1

⁄2” x 71⁄4”

1

⁄2” x 31⁄2”

1

⁄2” x 51⁄2”

Nominal Size vs. Actual Size

When you look at the labels on boards at the
home store or woodworking store, you may see
simple sizes like “1x6” or “2x4.” That’s the ‘nominal’
size of the board, which describes the board’s
dimensions before it was machined to fi nished size.
The fi nished size, known as the ‘actual’ size, will be
slightly less.

The markings on your Kreg Jig® refer to the ‘actual’
size of your boards. If you buy a “1x4” at the
store, but measure it at home and it’s actually ¾”
thick, set your jig and depth collar to their ¾”
settings before drilling.

4˝

3½˝

2˝

1½˝

Actual
(1½˝ x 3½˝)

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Tips Additional Components

For more detailed instructions, please

visit us online at www.kregtool.com.

6 Tips to Reduce Wood Splitting

Face Clamp

Test Pieces

1

Test the joint with some scrap workpieces cut from the same stock as your fi nal workpiece.

Make sure you’re using Kreg Screws

2

Kreg screws have several features designed to limit/eliminate wood splitting in your joints.

Use Fine Thread Screws in Hardwood

3

Coarse Thread screws displace more wood thanks to a more aggressive thread pattern.

Screw it In, Back it Out

4

By driving your screw half way in, back out, and then in again, you’ll reduce excess wood in the
hole and reduce the chance for splitting.

Reduce Friction

5

By applying some bee’s wax or other lubricant to the screw, you’ll reduce the friction of the
screw entering the workpiece.

Clamp, Clamp, Clamp

6

Correctly clamping your joints reduce workpiece movement/vibration, both of which can cause splitting.

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Perfectly fl ush Kreg JointsTM, in no time.

For the best results, place the Face Clamp™
on the joint directly over the center of the
joint line. Make sure the large pad of the
clamp is on the face side of the joint (opposite
the Pocket-Holes) to keep the workpieces
perfectly fl ush. Clamp fi rmly to reduce the
possibility for workpiece movement.

Dust Collection Attachment

Keep a clean shop.

This simple attachment is a real time saver. It
snaps easily into place on the back of your
jig providing compatibility with any standard
1-1/4” vacuum hose. In addition to a clean
shop, it also provides faster/easier drill
strokes and extends the life of your drill bit.

TM

For more detailed instructions, please

visit us online at www.kregtool.com.

Additional ComponentsAdditional Components

Material Support Stop

Repeatable Pocket-Holes.

The Material Support Stop serves two great
purposes. Supporting long stock on either
side of the jig, and providing the ability to
drill consistent repeatable Pocket-Holes, at
equal distances.

To use the Material Support Stop as a
repeatable stop, simply screw the stop to the
work surface at your chosen distance from
the jig and fi ne-tune the arm to the exact
distance desired.

To use the Material Support Stop to support
your workpiece, simply swing the stop arm
out of the way and slide the workpiece into
position.

* This kit includes one Material Support Step

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Portable Base

Work from anywhere. Connect the brass pin to
the Portable Base.

Prepare the Portable Base for use by either
screwing it to your work surface, or securing it to
a Kreg Face Clamp™.

Match the markings on the side of the Drill Guide
to the thickness of your workpiece.

Clamp each workpiece securely to your jig and
your workspace before drilling.