Pocket holes are used to join two pieces of wood together without having the screws visible. Many times furniture is made using pocket hole connections on the underside to give a more finished and refined appearance.
It is very easy to create a pocket hole, using a pocket hole jig. A great brand for all kinds of jigs and other handy woodworking tools is kreg. The jig in above photo is the Kreg jig mini. It is fairly inexpensive and easy to learn to use. It comes with the jig, a drill bit with an adjustable collar to set depth, and an allen wrench to tighten the collar. There are other types of Kreg jigs to choose from for different applications, also.
To use this mini jig for a 3/4-inch thick board, just line the jig (blue piece) up with the end of the board, and clamp it tightly to the board. Follow the instructions that come with the Kreg jig mini for jig positions when using other board thicknesses. The screw in the pocket hole should emerge near, or at the mid section of the board’s thickness when the mini jig is properly positioned. Check the depth you need and set the collar to that position. You want the jig’s drill bit tip to reach near the end of the board but not go through it. See photo below. The collar will stop the drill bit at the depth you choose.
It is so easy to use you will wonder how you ever got along without it! These joint connections are very strong. If you are planning on building a deck, this brand also makes a deck jig that will make connecting the decking boards to the joists a breeze. We used pocket holes for our Corn Hole Toss DIY project – you can get the instructions here to build one of your own.