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System 32 shelf-pin holes: 32 mm pitch, 37 mm setback, 5 mm and 1/4 in holes, depth + drilling templates
What spacing and hole size do 5 mm and 1/4 in shelf pins need in the 32 mm system? · Standard part · basis: Wikipedia's 32 mm system page and four tool-maker pages (Rockler, Kreg, Veritas, Shaper) for the grid; McMaster's category for inch pin sizes. Files: two drilling templates (5 mm and 1/4 in) at the published pitch and setback, plate and fence are Xem choices
Also called: system 32 hole spacing, shelf pin hole size 5mm, 32 mm system 37 mm setback, 1/4 inch shelf pin hole spacing, shelf pin drill depth, shelf pin template 32mm stl, shelf pin jig dimensions, cabinet hole spacing 32mm
Exact dimensions. Every file is drawn at true size with no tolerance added. The holes and pins that meet another part are listed below under Mating features, with the fit each joint needs; open those by your process's clearance before making the part. Mating features
- length
- 328.0 mm
- width
- 60.0 mm
- height
- 14.0 mm
Notes
- The 32 mm system puts holes on a 32 mm pitch in columns set 37 mm from the front edge of a cabinet side; shelf pins sit in the 5 mm holes (or 1/4 in holes for inch jigs) in the same grid. The 5 mm pins themselves (diameter and length variants) are on the page shelf-pins-5mm; this page adds the grid and the 1/4 in hole.
- Agreement: 32 mm pitch (five pages), 37 mm setback (four pages), 5 mm hole (three pages). Rockler also prints a 64 mm setback for its farther row; Veritas prints 8 mm holes for fittings alongside the 5 mm. Hole depth appears only on Wikipedia (12–14 mm); Rockler, Kreg, Veritas and Shaper pages do not print it, so it is a single-source figure. Wikipedia's pin length (15–16 mm) and flange (about 7 mm) are likewise single-source.
- Hole sizes on the template files are the published 5 mm and 1/4 in (6.35 mm). The plate is 60 mm wide and 6 mm thick with ten holes and a 14 mm fence on the front edge; 20 mm end margins. Those are Xem choices (Rockler's jig plate is 6 mm thick and 20 in long, which is not copied). Print the template and use it as a drill guide with a stop for the depth.
- Inch shelf pins: McMaster-Carr's category lists peg diameters of 1/8, 3/16, 9/32 and 1/4 in and peg depths of 5/16, 3/8 and 7/16 in; it prints no separate hole size, so the peg diameter is treated as the hole size only for the 1/4 in pin that matches Rockler's 1/4 in bit.
- Not here: the 5 mm pin shapes (see shelf-pins-5mm), any hole spacing for rear rows beyond 64 mm, and a pitch for a 1/4 in grid other than 32 mm.
System 32 shelf-pin holes: 32 mm pitch, 37 mm setback, 5 mm and 1/4… size chart
| quantity | value | source |
|---|---|---|
| hole pitch in a column | 32 mm | Wikipedia; Rockler (32 mm on centre); Kreg (1-1/4 in = 32 mm); Veritas; Shaper |
| shelf-pin hole diameter | 5 mm | Wikipedia; Shaper; Kreg 5 mm jig |
| shelf-pin hole diameter, inch jigs | 1/4 in (6.35 mm) | Rockler: 1/4 in and 5 mm bits and indexing pins at 32 mm spacing |
| fitting hole diameter (not for pins) | 8 mm | Veritas: system uses 5 mm and 8 mm holes |
| first column from the front edge | 37 mm | Wikipedia; Rockler; Veritas; Shaper |
| second column from the front edge | 64 mm (Rockler's 'farther row') | Rockler |
| hole depth | 12–14 mm | Wikipedia only (the other pages read give no depth) |
| shelf pin length / flange | 15–16 mm / about 7 mm | Wikipedia (for 5 mm pins) |
| McMaster pin peg diameters | 1/8, 3/16, 9/32, 1/4 in | McMaster-Carr shelf-pin category |
| McMaster peg depths | 5/16, 3/8, 7/16 in | McMaster-Carr shelf-pin category |
Mating features
Drawn at the exact size. Open press, slide, run and socket features by your process's clearance (tolerances by process); leave designed gaps and clamp fits as drawn.
| feature | exact | mates with | fit | files |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hole grid | 32 pitch; first column 37 from the front edge (second 64, Rockler); hole depth 12–14 (single source) | shelf pins in Ø5 holes (or Ø6.35 for inch jigs); Ø8 holes are for fittings, not pins | designed | shelf-pin-template-* |
Where the files are
Other publishers' files are linked, not hosted. "verify" = check the license at the link before commercial use.
Free files
★ Free files 2 parts. Generated by Xem Studio from the standard; threads are plain cylinders at major diameter. CC BY 4.0. index.json
| shelf-pin-template-5mm-32mm-pitch | drilling template, 328.0 × 60.0 mm plate, 6 mm thick, with a 14 mm tall front fence: ten Ø5 holes on a 32 mm pitch, 37 mm from the fence face; plate size, thickness and fence are Xem choices | STEP · STL |
| shelf-pin-template-quarter-inch-32mm-pitch | drilling template, 328.0 × 60.0 mm plate, 6 mm thick, with a 14 mm tall front fence: ten Ø6.35 (1/4 in) holes on a 32 mm pitch, 37 mm from the fence face; same layout as the 5 mm template | STEP · STL |
https://xemstudio.com/mcp to Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or any MCP client (free, no account, one minute) and it can look up exact sizes, mating fits and free STEP/STL from every chat.Plain text: sheet.txt · JSON: /api/geometry?object=system-32-shelf-pin-holes
Fits with
Questions
What is the hole spacing for shelf pins?
32 mm between hole centres in a column, with the first column 37 mm from the front edge.
What size hole does a shelf pin need?
5 mm for 5 mm pins, 1/4 in for inch pins (Rockler's 1/4 in bit).
How deep are System 32 holes?
Wikipedia prints 12–14 mm; the tool-maker pages read do not print a depth.