New Lee Valley Kreg 520 Pro Pocket-Hole Jig

From the latest generation of Kreg’s pocket-hole joinery system, this compact, portable jig lets you make strong pocket-hole joints in the workshop, on a jobsite or anywhere you happen to be working.

Its built-in pistol-grip clamp lets you position the jig one-handed, and an adjustment knob lets you control the clamping force to permit a firm hold without marring the work. With jaws that are lined with a non-slip material to prevent shifting in use, the quick-release clamp has a handle that rotates for clearance next to an adjacent surface.

Made from glass-reinforced nylon with a hardened steel drilling insert, the jig lets you center two holes 9/16″, 7/8″ or 1 7/16″ apart, depending on material width. It comes with a 6 1/4″ HSS stepped drill bit with a 3/16″ diameter by 1/2″ pilot, a 3/8″ diameter counterbore, and a 1/4″ hex shank that’s grooved for use in quick-change chucks. For easy, accurate depth settings, simply align a hole in the included depth collar with one of the engraved markings on the drill-bit shank, indicating the correct placement for 1/2″, 3/4″ and 1 1/2″ thick material.

The kit also comes with a combination hex key and material-thickness gauge, a 6″ #2 square-recess driver and 100 pocket-hole screws (sixty 1 1/4″ screws and forty 2 1/2″ screws) as well as a robust all-steel step-over clamp with a 2″ jaw capacity, used to hold both parts of the joint in position while you drive the screws.