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Just had a Kreg jig bit snap clean off inside a pocket hole on a maple face frame
Happened yesterday afternoon on a job in Elmhurst. Bit was maybe 2 months old, not abused, drilling at a normal pace. Snapped right at the collar. Had to dig the broken piece out with a pick and a magnet, wasted almost 30 minutes. Anyone else have this happen with those bits or did I just get unlucky?
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jenny_lane123mo ago
Wait you had to dig it out with a pick AND a magnet? That's wild, I've never had a bit snap that clean off before, like right at the collar where it's thickest. I've had cheap bits twist and bend but never a Kreg bit just pop like that, especially on maple which is tough but not like steel or something. Two months old too, that's not even close to worn out unless you're putting in like a thousand holes a week or something. I bet there was a hairline crack from when it was made, even good brands mess up batches sometimes. You got seriously unlucky there, man, I'd be mad about the wasted time more than the bit itself honestly.
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flores.emma3mo ago
Honestly though, maybe it was the maple that did it. That wood is hard and it puts a lot of stress on bits, especially if you're drilling at a normal pace but with a bit that's already been worked. Two months of use could mean a lot of holes if you're on a job daily. Kreg bits are decent but they're not indestructible, and snapping at the collar usually means the bit was getting hot or maybe there was a tiny crack you didn't see. People act like a tool failing is always a defect, but sometimes it's just the material winning. My buddy cooks his bits on oak all the time and never has a problem until he tries to move fast on maple. Could just be bad luck with that specific batch too, but maple is a beast.
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adam_baker3mo ago
Funny how that applies to everything though... people always blame the tool first.
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