Make your own pockethole plugs

Kreg Pockethole Jigs are becoming increasingly popular as DIY enthusiasts realise how these tools can make projects easier and faster.

 

Pocketholes jigs are so easy to use and you can buy individual components or a full on kit, depending on how often you will use your pockethole jig. Kreg Pockethole Jigs allow you to join components together without any visible screws.

Using the patented pockethole jig and accessories the pockethole system creates an angled slot for a strong and sturdy joining method. While the kits do come with a few pockethole plugs, more than this and you will need to buy additional plugs. In this project we show you how to make your own pockethole plugs.

1. To make your own pockethole plugs you will need a pockethole jig, pockethole drill bit and a clamp, as well as an offcut of the wood you will be using for your project. Place the drill bit into the jig and line up as close as possible with the end of the jig. 

2. Place the jig against the end of your block of wood and clamp firmly in place.

3. Drill out a pockethole and you will end up with an exit hole at the end, as shown below.

4. Use a wood chisel to chase out a slot in the block of wood. This should be approximately 5mm wide by 45mm in length.

5. Using a 10mm dowel, place this firmly into the cut pockethole and use a band saw or jigsaw to cut off the dowel just above the edge of the block of wood.

6. Check that the plug fits nicely into the pockethole and then use a small Allen key or thin screwdriver to push the plug out.

7. The slot that you cut in the block can now be used to support the other end of the dowel to cut a second plug.

Repeat this method to make as many plug as you need.

8. Now all you need to do is to add some wood filler to the pockethole and push in the plug.