Home made dowel jigs

[Cherryville Chuck]

FWW sent me an email showing a home made dowel jig. I've been using ones exactly like it for some time. One of my favorite uses for it is drilling dowel holes in the carcass of cupboards/cabinets to locate and lock in divider panels. For doing just a few holes an all wood jig is fine. If it needs to drill a lot of holes then it's a good idea to use drill bushings like Lee Valley sells.

Dowel joints often get a bad rap but the only difference between it and a tenon is that one is square or rectangular and the other is round. The problem is usually the wood the dowel is made from. You can make your own by driving a square through a hole in a steel plate and I know LV has sold a plate for making your own and maybe still does.

https://www.finewoodworking.com/2020/12 ... 8888712A2Y

[Stick486]

nice find Charles,,,
thanks..

[DaninVan]

Sort of related. If you're looking for very high quality dowels, in a selection of different hardwoods, and very accurate by the way, look at Bear Woods...
Canada:
https://www.woodparts.ca/
US and International:
https://www.bearwood.com/index.html

[Cherryville Chuck]

Thanks Dan. Good ones are hard too find. Lee Valleys are usually pretty good but they've been out at times with no idea when more would be available. I bought some at either KMS or Summit and they were junk. You could take a 1/4 and lay it across your index and middle fingers and snap them in half by pressing down with your thumb in the middle. I was on Bear's site earlier this year looking at clock parts. A friend gave me a plug in style mantle clock made in 1929 but the motor was fried. I've been looking at either trying to replace the motor or getting a battery powered and replace the whole works. I have to find one with the same bezel size and Bear has a good selection.

[Bushwhacker]

I usually use those sponge brushes for staining and some painting, When I am finished with the brush, I break the wooden handles off and save them. They make very good dowels.

Bushwhacker