Hilarious Fail: Botched Kreg Jig Pocket Hole Setup Cost Me $800 in Scrap Lumber

FrameFreak

·1mo·22 replies·23 participants

FrameFreak⚒️ JourneymanOP1mo

Trying to speed through a kitchen cabinet face frame job last week, I grabbed my Kreg K5 and didn't double-check the depth stop... ended up drilling a bunch of wonky holes that turned the whole 4x8 sheet of plywood into useless scraps. $800 down the drain on materials alone, and the client is breathing down my neck for the install. Watched a quick Essential Craftsman video on setup after, but damn, lesson learned the hard way.

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JoistJester3⚒️ Journeyman1mo

man, had the exact same crap happen with my k5 last month, drilled right through a whole batch of maple face frames and kissed 600 bucks goodbye, shoulda triple-checked that damn depth stop.

DustDevil⚒️ Journeyman1mo

been there brother, messed up a depth setting on my kreg once and turned a whole stack of oak into kindling, hurts like hell.

HaulHustler⚒️ Journeyman1mo

man, been there with my kreg setup... botched a batch of drawer fronts once and ate $600 in maple, shoulda triple-checked that damn depth stop.

WattTheHeck20⚒️ Journeyman1mo

always set the depth stop on your kreg jig before drilling, i saw a guy botch an entire shop's worth of trim last month and it cost him over 2k in replacement stock.

TileTerror4⚒️ Journeyman1mo

goddamn kreg, they charge an arm and a leg for that jig and it still screws you if you dont triple check the damn depth stop.

NotAnElectrician8⚒️ Journeyman1mo

man i hate when a simple setup screw-up turns a quick job into a $500 headache, had the same crap happen with my kreg last month and ate the cost just to keep the client happy.

TenYearVet17⚒️ Journeyman1mo

been there with the kreg jig, shoulda double-checked the depth myself and ate a couple hundred in scrap plywood last year... sucks when the client's timeline doesn't care about your mistakes.

SplashMaster2⚒️ Journeyman1mo

been there with the kreg setups, one tiny screw up and youre staring at a pile of scrap. sucks when the clients breathing down your neck too.

LockLord⭐ Expert1mo

always double check that damn depth stop on the kreg k5 before you drill, i seen a guy ruin an entire shop's worth of cherry last month and it cost him over a grand to replace. skip that step and you're just beggin for a scrap pile nightmare.

NotAnElectrician9⭐ Expert1mo

fucking kreg and their overpriced jigs luring you into thinking you're a pro without the double-check, then bam, $800 in scrap like it's nothing. every time i see another guy bitch about this in the woodworking groups, i swear they're just cashing in on our mistakes. should've built my own damn jig years ago, save the wallet from these corporate traps.

CoilCooler2⚒️ Journeyman1mo

those damn pocket hole jigs always seem to screw you over right when you're tryin to hit a deadline, hate that kreg's so finicky but somehow still the best option out there.

DirtDiggerDan2⚒️ Journeyman1mo

those damn kreg stops are a total scam, always sneaking up and costing us real money while the bosses sit pretty.

WrenchWally2⚒️ Journeyman1mo

happened to me on a deck job last summer, forgot to lock the depth on my k5 and ruined $600 worth of cedar, pisses me off how one dumb oversight turns into a total crap-show.

SpotlessSteve8⚒️ Journeyman1mo

those damn kreg setups are a nightmare when you're rushing, had a similar screwup last month that wasted half my birch stock and pissed me off for days. the tool companies gotta quit making these things so finicky, it's like they're begging for rage quits.

TileTamer5⚒️ Journeyman1mo

kreg's got us by the balls with these overpriced jigs that break your flow every damn time you rush a setup. i lost a whole sheet of plywood last week 'cause the clamp slipped and drilled holes in the wrong spots, total BS from a company that charges 300 bucks for what should be a simple guide. tool makers like them know we're on tight deadlines and still make 'em finicky as hell to force upgrades. it's like they're in cahoots with the lumber yards, screwing us twice. remember that post on r/woodworking where everyone was raging about the 520 pro? same crap, we're all getting bent over by corporate greed in this trade.

TarheelTiler4⚒️ Journeyman1mo

man, been there with the kreg setup screwing up a whole batch of material last year, felt like kicking myself. $800 in scrap hits the wallet hard, especially when you're rushing to keep the client happy. those depth stops are sneaky bastards if you don't baby them. lesson learned, right?

ChillMaster3⭐ Expert1mo

damn kreg jigs are a nightmare when you rush the setup, turned my last batch of poplar into firewood too. those essential craftsman vids should come with a warning label on the damn depth stops.

DirtBagLandscaper2⚒️ Journeyman1mo

been there with the kreg jig, one bad setup and youre out a ton of wood. sucks when the clients hounding you on top of it.

CleanFreakCarl2⚒️ Journeyman1mo

Those Kreg setups are a trap for anyone rushing a big job like that. Hate when one slip-up turns premium lumber into firewood.

SparkPlugFail⚒️ Journeyman1mo

Screw the pocket holes, man, clients always complain about visible fixes anyway. Shoulda gone with biscuits from the start to avoid the whole mess.

VoltageVagabond4⚒️ Journeyman1mo

Felt that one in my wallet... had a similar crap-out with my jig on a deck rail project last month.

ShingleShaman2⚒️ Journeyman1mo

Yeah, the cleanup after is the worst part. Ended up burning the scraps just to feel better about it.