Drill Bushings for Shelf Pin & Pilot Hole Jigs (10 Pack)

Build the jig once. Drill straight, accurate holes cabinet after cabinet.

A wooden jig on its own starts wallowing out after a few cabinets. Press these steel drill bushings into a piece of good scrap and the bushing guides the bit instead, so the holes stay round, straight and exactly where you put them. Pick the size for the job:

• 5mm for shelf pin holes in European-style (32mm system) cabinets, and the size most store-bought shelf pins use
• 1/4" for shelf pin holes made for 1/4" pins, common in American-made cabinets and furniture
• 7/64" for pilot holes for the #6 screws that hold drawer slides, hinge plates and most cabinet hardware

Easy on your drill bits. On purpose.

These bushings are steel, but they are not case-hardened, and that's a feature. Most jig work is done with brad point bits, and their sharp center point and outer spurs are exactly what a rock-hard bushing grinds down. Ours are tough enough to stand up to the bit, but gentle enough that your bits stay sharp a lot longer.

Long enough to keep you straight.

At .664" long, each bushing gives the bit over 5/8" of guidance before it ever touches the work. That's what keeps a hand-held drill perpendicular to the panel, hole after hole. A slight bevel on the top edge funnels the bit in, so you can work fast without metal-on-metal chatter.

No glue needed.

Ribs milled down the sides bite into the wood and hold the bushing tight. One end is tapered, so it starts straight and taps in easily.

Simple to install. Mix and match.

Bore 3/8" holes in your jig stock on a drill press and tap the bushings in. All three sizes share the same .391" outside diameter, so one jig can carry shelf pin and pilot hole bushings side by side, say for a combined shelf and drawer slide jig. Ten bushings fill about 12" of jig at 32mm spacing, or about 20" at 2" spacing.

See it in action.

Watch the video above, or follow our step-by-step guide: How to Make a Shelf Pin Jig That Lasts, with 32mm spacing and no tape-measure math.

Specifications.

• Bore: 5mm, 1/4" or 7/64" (choose above; match it to your drill bit)
• Length: .664"
• Outside diameter: .391"
• Mounting hole: 3/8"
• Material: Steel (not case-hardened, to protect your bits)
• Features: ribbed sides, one tapered end, beveled bit entry

Here's what you get.

• 10 steel drill bushings in the size you choose