DIY Pocket Screw Jig

Cut the 1-1/2-inch-by-2-1/2-inch piece of wood -- commonly called two-by-three lumber -- to 3-1/2 inches in length. Use a power miter saw set at 90 degrees to get a perfectly straight cut.

Measure and mark a line 3/4 inch up from the bottom on the 1 1/2 inch narrow side.

Place the block of wood flat on its broader 2 1/2 inch side. Draw a 15-degree angle line from the 3/4 inch mark to the top of the block of wood.

Draw a line perpendicular to the 15-degree angle line, starting about a third of the width from the edge at the top of the block. Use a miter saw to cut along this line. The block will now look from the side view like a rectangle with one corner lopped off.

Find the exact center on the top edge you cut out. Draw pencil lines from one corner to the corner diagonally opposite. Repeat with the other two corners. The point where the lines intersect is the center.

Drill a hole the width of the 1/4-inch metal tube using a spade bit. If you are using a drill press, place the block of wood upside-down with the cut off edge down. Drill down from the narrow angled side so the bit comes out from the center of the cut off edge. To drill with a hand drill, clamp the board to your workbench and drill carefully from the center point marked on the cut off edge so that the bit comes out at an angle on the narrow side of the block. Use the 15-degree angle line as a guide for drilling the angled hole.

Squeeze epoxy glue in the hole and on the outside of the metal tube. Insert the metal tube in the hole with one edge flat and level with the cut off edge. Let the glue dry before cutting the other end of the tube flush with the narrow edge of the block.

Clamp the block on the surface you wish to start the pocket screw with the angled metal tube edge flat on the surface to be fastened. Insert the drill bit in the tube and drill through both surfaces. The tube will keep the bit at the correct angle. If you use self-tapping screws, you can drive the screws directly into the wood.