doweling

[Bill ThompsonNM]

I've been thinking some about dowel joints as I put together a cabinet for my recently acquired Inca jointer/planer (without any dowel joints) since more shop and kitchen and pub cabinets are to follow. When I order euro boxes and customize with my own doors, they almost always use dowels and are usually rock on square and to dimension. Most dowel jigs seem to be aimed at end to edge joints or edge to edge joints yet industrially, most dowel joints are probably those edge to face joints on the boxes. Although you couldn't crank them out as fast as those line boring machines, it would seem that if someone made a 30 inch long fixture with a bunch of movable drill guides that would center along the edge and then with a right angle clamp, set the same distance off into a face it would still be really fast to just drill, drill, drill with the clamp set once on each surface . Bonus points for some scheme to move the face version in enough for other euro shelf and slide holes.
Has anyone seen something like this?

[david brum]

This should do the job:

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/pag...at=1,180,42311

[Herbert Mulqueen]

I just received my Joint-Genie from England this week. So far I done about 50 dowels-------edge to edge and edge to face.

One panel was 40 inches X 30 inches with dowels edge and face---

Fast and no problems---A very simple system.

I going to do a review with pictures if I can figure out how to load the pictures.

What nice about this system is that you can do short and long work with lots of holes and also can do two rows or three rows for thick pieces.

There are lots of YOU tube videos and also videos on the web site of J-G

Note for our metric friends ----they have a whole line of metric .

Herb

[Herbert Mulqueen]

If you need pictures-----just email me and i send them to you--wish i could figure this computer out to load pictures on SMC

Herb

[Peter Quinn]

Herbert, some where in a book I have a picture of a jig similar to that lee valley thing posted above but shop made. Imagine a piece of QS stock, with holes drilled in it to accept hardened steel bushings (available in the hardware section of my local true value for about $.89 each) that are glued in with CA glue (super glue). You make it accurate on a drill press, Voila, super easy dowel joints for frameless cabs. You still have to cut the parts dead square for it to work well, but you can certainly jig something up that is quick to make and easy to use, and leaves you enough money for plywood! That lee valley thing looks more suited to hinge holes and shelf pin holes to me than carcuss construction personally.

[Herbert Mulqueen]

This is a very high end of what I believe your talking about BCT DJ-1.

It will do all sorts of drilling in lots of angles with different sizes of drill bits.

The unit comes standard with either metric or Imperial size drill bushings.

So far I had the Joint -Genie for 2 full days and the DJ-1 for a week or so.

The YouTube videos of both jigs are visual instructing. There are a number of Joint-Genie videos and only two Bridge city Tools videos of the Dj-1.

If I was doing precision drilling of one off items the DJ-1 is superb.

As to drilling accuracy it hard to beat a drill bushing. The BCT literature says they have kept the accuracy to less than 6 thousands.
My results so far say the drill bushing have much closer tolerances and
this is using Chicago-Latrobe drill bits.

So if I wanted to drill a ball, center drill a hole in a board edge or face without measuring ----the DJ-1 is very fast much faster than a drill press.

If I wanted to grab and drill and odd shape item the DJ-1 would beat most drill presses for speed any day.

Where can you put a drilling station in half of a bread box and have it more accurate than a drill press. It be fun if BCT had a contest with a drill press operator in general drilling. If I was a hobbyist , laboratory , repair facility doing small Jacob chuck size bits this would be a nice addition to my tool box.

Also since you are using drill bushing the " Neanderthal " group could use egg beater or drill brace. Thus they can remain purist and not be taken over by the "Dark Side ".

As to doweling-----the Joint-Genie is a specific tools for dowels.
It is fast and quick in the set up. The tool is close to employee proof for destruction. It is hardy and robust. For lots of dowel holes ---use the JG--for weird shapes, high precision the DJ-1 seems like the way.

The Bridge City Tool DJ-1 is a precision piece of equipment ---which to me is delicate. Not to be used by employees who grunt when they lift something. If I made watch parts, HO train or One Scale train parts and match box type items the DJ-1 is fine.

The DJ-1 is fine for a few dowel holes, but last night the second day I had the JG I put in dowels in 4 pieces of 3/4 plywood face and edge- 160 inches-I believe you be faster with the JG----however the Joint Genie is not a true drill station which can do various shapes and angles.

Please do not flame me too bad but I think the high quality drill bits are a prudent investments. So if you truly want precision, a set of Chicago-Latrobe bits or equivalent is important.

When I get to learn how to post pictures and cut and paste---I add more information.

I once saw Hyman Rickover give a speech before a sub-committee. The Senator said that what the Admiral was saying was 180 degrees different than he had testified a few years earlier. The Admiral looked the Senator in the eye and said " Yes senator you are correct" " But now I have more information".

Regards,

Herb

Note----the first production run of BCT Dj-1 has been sold out. So it is difficult to find on their " Normal " web page.

Search for john's forums on the current web site----there is a lot of information about this drill jig and a cool accessory to use with jig.