Kreg Foreman

alboston

I searched and found some good plugs for the kreg foreman. I am looking more and more into buying the electric one. Was wondering if anyone else could chime in with their thoughts on it. I am doing more and more built in cabinets and I mostly use pocket screws and some biscuits. The kreg manual jigs are great but are slow when pumping out many face frames and cabinet boxes. I do run mostly a mobile shop setup but the foreman looks fairly portable. Let me know, thanks.

pinwheel

Best 8 bills I've spent in a long time. Would be very portable if needed on the jobsite. If you do much cabinetry at all, buy it & don't look back, you'll not regret the investment.

Gus Dering

Leo has one and speaks favorably about it.

We have a Castle machine now but back in the day when I had more time than money, I made my own pocket cutter. I think it was on line for 3 or four years of pretty steady use.

I still have it. It's out in the storage container. I can't seem to disassemble it.

So if you don't want to cough up for a ready made machine, there are alternatives.

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WarnerConstInc.

For 800 bucks I would buy a domino.

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Fyrzowt

For production work?
I'm not knocking the Domino, I would love to have one. I just don't picture it being fast enough for a shop setting, and the tenons seem pricey for quantity work. I know how fast a dedicated pocket screw machine is.
Educate me.

Gus Dering

I was ready to predict you chiming in with that, Dr. Tool. You are so predictable.

There are draw backs to your domino as it pertains to a standard face frame construction.

- pocket screws generally require no clamps. Way faster

- Using pocket screws you line up the two pieces and screw them together. domino's need to be layed out then machined and brought back together for clamping. We would bury you.

- Pocket screws can be tapped into final location. I'm not sure how much you can do that with a domino unless you oversize the hole.

- Pocket screws are cheap. I can buy a huge box for about $150. Has to be cheaper.


Don't get me wrong, I want to get a domino machine. But we won't be building basic frames with it.

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Bergstrom

Gus, I think that I understand how the router works but how is the drill bit engaged to the workpiece?

I use a PC 552 which has now been discontinued and Castle has picked up as a starter machine and they call it the TSM-11. With the rougher mill it is hard to beat. I wish I had the pnuematic cycle sometimes but I bet that I could beat you in arm wrestling

It is also around $800 http://www.castleusa.com/pocket_joinery.html




I would also agree that the Domino would be a poor choice for production cabinet work.....way to slow, sorry Warner

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WarnerConstInc.

I agree it is slower then the foreman machine.
Op said he may like to use it in the field and
I did not hear him say anything about looking
for big production numbers. For that reason I
said domino.

I have used pocket screws and they are ok,
you guys plug all those holes?

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Bergstrom

Here is my rig. I put it up on a stand and pretend it's green

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WarnerConstInc.

Gus- there are 3 size settings for each domino.
You just need the first one tight, use the fence/spacer
for quick easy repeatable layouts. Just as easy to use in the
shop or in someones living room.

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Gus Dering

That home made rig?

There is an old craftsman router trigger on the handle. Squeeze and pull up,that cuts the pocket.

The drill is mounted on a drawer slide. Squeeze and pull towards you.

Notice how the drill is mounted? It has an angle adjuster built into it. I could fine tune the drill axis to the drawer slide.

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Bergstrom

We'll have to find a spot for that in the Gus museum right next to the flush router and the electric draw knife

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alboston

Thanks for all the responses. I am not doing huge production but enough where the manual drilling gets a little old and I could use a good excuse to buy a new piece of equipment. I like the idea of laying the pieces flat in the foreman instead of upright in the kreg jig. Have to say I know nothing about the domino's but will look into.

Gus Dering

Nice to see someone is paying attention in class. Are you sitting in the front row?

I might give that pocket cutter to a young up and comer that would put it to good use. I just have not met him yet.

The other two, no way.

By the way, Castle tools is in Petaluma CA. Jut one town south of my shop.
They used to get royalties from every PC pocket cutter sold. I'll have to stop and see those guys and get the back story as to why they are now making them.

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MarcP

I have the electric version of the Foreman. It is very portable, I bring it out into the field all the time. I'm guessing it weighs maybe 25-30lbs.

catawba

That's the same rig I've got ,I've had to change out the switch(regular single pole laying around shop) and needs a new clamp pad,normal maint. To be honest I don't know how many hours it has on it in the past 7 yrs but it's built a lot of face frames.

Leo G

I got the pneumatic for just that reason. I don't want it to leave the shop for any reason.

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tcleve4911

oh yeah.....where's ALBOSTON.... he got kinda lost with you guys showing off your shop stuff.

He's trying to stay portable to do onsite cabinets..........nice

Hey Leo....can you hook up your pneumatic rig to a portable compressor?
Would you consider your Kreg to be portable?

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Leo G

It takes 5 cfm to operate. The compressor I have would struggle, 1 HP. But it is very portable., except for the fact that I attached it to a rolling cart

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alboston

I am here, just taking in all the responses. I am probably leaning towards the electric Kreg Foreman. Have to pencil in few more jobs before I can pull the trigger and buy it, but I am close.