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Thread: Doweling Jig Recommendations Please

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
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    Huntsville, AL
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    Doweling Jig Recommendations Please

    I am thinking about getting a doweling jig. I would greatly appreciate recommendations.

    Thanks!

    Mike

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2005
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    walnut creek, california
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    dowelmax gets good reviews. search for it on this forum.

  3. #3
    I had a dowel max for a couple years. 100 percent satisfied. I believe the Jessem gets better reviews and is cheaper. If you buy either, take heart that if ou are not satisfied you will likely be able to sell it for close to your purchase price.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
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    I've used and abused this model for about 30 years now, never needed anything more.
    TASK
    41Y3ciz0UvL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
    - Beachside Hank

  5. #5
    Mortise Pal does dowels and floating tenons. A little pricey, but you get a tool that is versatile and lines up your work in an almost fool proof way (coming from an occasional fool, this is something I can attest to). http://www.mortisepal.com/

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2005
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    bill wrote a great review on the jessem version:

    http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...-dowel-jig-WOW!!!!

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Peter Hawser View Post
    Mortise Pal does dowels and floating tenons. A little pricey, but you get a tool that is versatile and lines up your work in an almost fool proof way (coming from an occasional fool, this is something I can attest to). http://www.mortisepal.com/
    The Mortise Pal will do dowels but it is not very versatile in doing it. The DowelMax and the Jessem are much much more versatile then the MP. The MP also uses a router were the other 2 just use a drill and they both have drill bushing on them.

  8. #8
    Here is my write up on the Jessem, I was a DowelMax user and the DowelMax is a very good tool.

    http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...ghlight=Jessem

    Now that I have had the Jessem about 2 years I am still very happy with it and would not go back to the DowelMax, again the DowelMax is a good jig but I like the Jessem better.

    Here are some pictures of my Jessem case and a few other things that I have done with it.
    http://www.pbase.com/wlhuber/jessem_doweling_jig

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
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    I have a Dowl-it. Made in Michigan.
    http://www.dowl-it.com/
    You can fine tune the centering by loosening a screw, and turning the threads in the back. Handy feature.
    Never, under any circumstances, consume a laxative and sleeping pill, on the same night

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
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    Quote Originally Posted by Myk Rian View Post
    I have a Dowl-it. Made in Michigan.
    http://www.dowl-it.com/
    You can fine tune the centering by loosening a screw, and turning the threads in the back. Handy feature.

    I had the same one. Worked very well, IMO. But, then I stopped to think and said to myself "Why?". Sold it here, when I stumbled across it in the way-back, after it had collected 10 years of dust.

    I actually have a question.....when and why would one use dowels? They did not improve the quality or alignment of joinery over M+T. In fact, my M+T was better. Maybe it was nothing more than an improving skill level on my part, which most certainly had a lot of headroom on the learning curve...and still does.

    I am not saying one should not use dowels, nor am I dissing any of these products. If it works for you, then it is absolutely the right approach.

    I'm just asking the question......??

    Thanks

    Kent
    When I started woodworking, I didn't know squat. I have progressed in 30 years - now I do know squat.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Kent A Bathurst View Post
    I actually have a question.....when and why would one use dowels? They did not improve the quality or alignment of joinery over M+T. In fact, my M+T was better. Maybe it was nothing more than an improving skill level on my part, which most certainly had a lot of headroom on the learning curve...and still does.

    I am not saying one should not use dowels, nor am I dissing any of these products. If it works for you, then it is absolutely the right approach.

    I'm just asking the question......??

    Thanks

    Kent
    For me the dowel are much faster and much easier and after the joint is done no one will know what is in there anyway. It could be dowels or it could be a M&T.

    As to the alignment with the DowelMax and the Jessem setting dowel for a joint will be spot on, that is the really nice thing about those tools.

    I agree there is more glue surface with a M&T but at this point the things I am building really don't need more strength then a good dowel joint provides.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Huber View Post
    For me the dowel are much faster and much easier and after the joint is done no one will know what is in there anyway. It could be dowels or it could be a M&T.

    As to the alignment with the DowelMax and the Jessem setting dowel for a joint will be spot on, that is the really nice thing about those tools.

    I agree there is more glue surface with a M&T but at this point the things I am building really don't need more strength then a good dowel joint provides.
    In support of Bill's position; good enough, satisfactory, sufficient, acceptable, suitable, reasonable, agreeable, adequate, all right- these words do not necessarily mean compromise in any construction, just a point at which nothing further of substance will be gained by additional effort.

    - Beachside Hank

  13. #13
    I agree with Kent (above). For strength, I'd much prefer mortise and tenon. You'd have to put in a lot of dowels to get the equivalent long-grain-to-long-grain surface area as you get with a mortise. You may not even have room in the joint area for that many dowels.

    For alignment during panel glue-up, I'd use cauls. The only thing I've ever used dowels for (in furniture) is the alignment pins for the leaves of an expanding dining table.

    Mike
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    May 2005
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    walnut creek, california
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    what do you suspect the furniture manufacturers use? they could probably get away with dowels since all the corners are usually braced anyways.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by frank shic View Post
    what do you suspect the furniture manufacturers use? they could probably get away with dowels since all the corners are usually braced anyways.
    I've repaired a lot of chairs that used dowels in the joint between the back and the seat. Usually, the only thing holding the chair together was the corner block. But the chair was more like a rocking chair than a dining room chair - but it was not supposed to rock.

    Mike
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

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