I was skeptical at first, but Armor’s Auto-Jig for pocket holes proved to be a pleasant surprise. The jig’s primary design feature is that the depth guide on the drill bit is set when you clamp material into the jig, so it is always right for the material thickness (from 1/2 in. to 1-1/2 in.). A color-coded system of screws tells you which screw length to use for each material thickness. A starter set of screws is included. The jig and screw system work as designed, with the exit holes well centered in material of varying thicknesses.

The jig is almost entirely plastic, but the most important components—the clamp mechanism and the drill guide blocks—are steel. There’s a small set screw to adjust the clamp pressure. I especially like the reversible steel guide block that can be rotated for narrow or wider spacing of two pocket holes. A dust-collection port is surprisingly functional because chips from drilling fall through port holes on the back side of the guide blocks. (Other systems require multiple plunges to pull the chips out the top side.) The color code for the screw system is mounted to both sides of the jig.

Armor Pocket Hole Jig Model APJ14001

The jig’s primary design feature is that the depth guide on the drill bit is set when you clamp material into the jig, so it is always right for the material thickness (from 1⁄2 in. to 1 1⁄2 in.). A color-coded system of screws tells you which screw length to use for each material thickness. A starter set of screws is included. The jig and screw system work as designed, with the exit holes well centered in material of varying thicknesses.

Price: $149.99 at the time of writing

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—Tony O’Malley is a cabinetmaker in Emmaus, Pa.

Photo: Barry NM Dima

From Fine Woodworking #301

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