You can cut your shelf drilling jig the same size as your cabinet sides, mark and drill all your shelf pin holes before you even assemble or drill them after assembly.

If you are unsure about drilling or have any doubts about your abilities, it’s best to seek professional help to avoid any accidents or mistakes. Align the jig with the front edge of the cabinet side where you want to drill the holes. There's a removable hook piece on the jig that makes it easy to keep the correct spacing from the front edge. In case you are a professional woodworker and want a high-end shelf pin jig for your workspace, EZ Align offers one of the best high-end jigs in the market for professionals. As you might already know, each shelf pin jig template is designed to help woodworkers to make holes with proper spacing. However, the spacing between the holes is not the same usually in all the templates when you start comparing the options. While some templates come with 32 mm hole spacing, which is the standard size. But, in some projects, you would require making holes with smaller spacing. That said, shelf pin jigs with 25.4 mm or 1-inch hole spacing are also available in the market which you can consider buying. 4. Offset Distance Use the pegboard's pre-existing holes as a guide to drill the shelf pin holes. Remember to keep the bit as straight as possible, and stop as soon as the flag brushes against the pegboard. Repeat for the other sideThere are several jigs available on the market, such as the Kreg shelf pin jig. These jigs come with drill guide holes, ensuring that your bit stays straight and the holes are evenly spaced and the correct depth. The first step is to cut a piece of pegboard that matches the height of your cabinet side. You can also make it the same depth as the cabinet so you can do all the holes on a side at the same time! Talking about its design and build quality, the template is transparent and comes with pretty clean markings mentioned as well. Moreover, the quality of the template is very satisfactory and feels very sturdy in hand. Pegboard holes are very close together so skip every other one. Circle the holes you will drill with a big, bold marker!

Drilling holes of the same size which are evenly spaced is quite a difficult job, even for professionals. However, using a shelf pin jig allows you to finish the job perfectly. The standard hole size that you will be able to make using a jig is 1/4 inches in diameter which is universally accepted. So, in almost all the jig options, you will find hole sizes of 1/4 inches mainly. However, if you wish to make larger holes, you might have to look for a specific shelf pin jig in the market. 3. Hole Spacing The Woodhaven 781 Shelf Pin Jig is one of the simplest-looking shelf pin jigs that you will find in the entire market. Since it has an array of 15 holes, you can even use it for drilling holes in larger cabinets and shelves. With these tips, you can create a beautiful and functional floating shelf display that will showcase your style and personality. Remember to take your time, measure accurately, and use the right tools to ensure a clean and straight hole. I usually skip the first three or four holes, but make sure you drill at least one! You'll need this hole for the set pin on the next batch. Drill through the jig's holes using the drill bit until it hits the depth stop collar. Use the set pin to keep the hole spacing consistent Once your DIY shelf pin jig is prepared, align the pegboard with the edge of the cabinet side where you want to drill the holes. To prevent the pegboard from moving while you drill, clamp it securely in place. Make sure the clamps don't obstruct the areas where you plan to drill. Drill the shelf pin holesThis jig is purpose designed for drilling shelf pin holes with guaranteed accuracy when adding shelves to assembled, unassembled, new or existing cabinetry. If your cabinet is already assembled, it's easy to know which end is up. But if your cabinet is in pieces, make sure to mark which is the top on each of the side pieces. You don't want to start at the bottom on one side and at the top on the other! I always mark the top with a piece of painter's tape. Set the depth stop Choose a drill bit that is the same diameter as the shelf pin: Make sure the drill bit is the same size as the pins. If your shelf pins are ¼", choose a ¼" drill bit. If it's metric, use a metric bit (not an imperial size bit that's "close enough.") The shelf pin measured below is just shy of ¼", so I'll use a ¼" bit for that hole. Next up, if you are looking for an affordable shelf pin jig out there, Milescraft is quite a good brand to consider as it’s pretty famous for offering budget-friendly tools. You typically don't need shelf pin holes all the way down the side of your cabinet sides, unless you plan on storing paper or other flat items. In general, you'll want at least six inches to get your hand in there comfortably.

Now that your shelf holes have been drilled, you can insert the pins and place the shelves on top! Just count down the same number on all four rows so your shelf is level. How to make a DIY shelf pin jig

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The design of the template is pretty simple, and long enough, so it’ll be a viable choice to use in larger projects. There are two rows of 11 holes provided on this template with a spacing of 32mm while each hole has a diameter of 1/4 inches. I always use 1/4″ shelf pins and 1/4″ drill bit. That keeps things easy. I buy shelf pins in bags of 50 and keep tons of them on hand! Test the fit: Before drilling all the holes, it's wise to do a test run on a scrap piece of wood. Drill a hole with the chosen bit and insert the shelf pin to ensure the fit is secure and snug.