Pocket screw joinery has become a mainstay for woodworkers, makers and DIYers of all sorts, but typical pocket-hole jigs still require several setup steps for use: adjusting the jig for workpiece thickness and adjusting the drilling guide collar. Then, once the holes are drilled, users must carefully select the correct screw lengths for the joint being made.
The new Auto-Jig Pocket Hole System from Armor Tool™ is designed to make this setup procedure easier and faster than the competition. The company’s patented Auto-Adjust clamp mechanism, at the heart of this jig, self-adjusts both the drilling guide and the drill bit collar, and these processes take place simultaneously when you insert a workpiece into the jig and tighten the clamp. That convenience eliminates manual setting, measuring and adjusting in preparation for drilling.
For added convenience, the jig’s workpiece-holding platform on the drill guide enables 2x4s to be used for extension wings, so no special extensions need to be made or purchased. Armor also has developed a color-coded system for its pocket-hole screws. When the jig self-calibrates for use, the correct screw color is displayed on the jig for the workpiece thickness and depth being drilled. Choosing the correct screws is a simple matter of matching the screw color to the jig color indicator. This Color-Coat™ technology also provides anticorrosive protection when the screws are used for outdoor applications.
The Auto-Jig kit comes with everything required for making pocket screw joints: a self-adjusting drill guide block with dust collection port, self-adjusting drill bit, auto-adjusting clamp, #2 square drive bit, drill bit collar, a 6-in. face clamp and a 50-screw assortment in five color-coded sizes.
The Auto-Jig Pocket Hole System Project Pack from Armor Tool (item AJPHS-1) will begin to ship this week (anticipated to be Jan. 25) and currently is available for pre-order. It will sell for $149.99. A 750-piece washer head Color-Coat Screw Set is available separately (item A-750-CC-Screw Set; $35.11) and includes quantities of both coarse and fine screw pitches in 1-, 1-1/4-, 1-1/2-, 2- and 2-1/2-in. screw lengths, to suit softwoods or hardwoods. Packages of 100 fine-thread, 1-1/4-in. screws (item AW-F-125-100) can be purchased for $4.69, and 1-1/2-in. fine-thread screws in 100-packs (item AW-F-150-100) are available for $5.19.
