Thread: Beadlock

Adam

You're not alone. The rest of us just don't like to admit we stuff up.

I use Beadlock joinery all the time and I'm very happy with the results. Lately though I've ditched the beadlock stock and just used the jig as a dowel-joint jig. You can easily use the 3/8 block to do triple dowel joints simply by only drilling the first three holes and not sliding the jig across for the other two. Likewise, the 1/2 inch block is great for double dowel joints. For stock, Bunnings sells fluted Tas Oak dowel (about $3 for 1.8 M) which I just cut to length.

strong enough?

I read this fairly quickly as I'm on my way out and I didn't see any reference to the beadlock router bit to make your own dowel.
Does it still exist and if so why pay $13 metre when you can make your own?

I've seen them make it and it's prettyfiddly. Because its the stock is small and you need really good accuracy it can be quite dangerous on a router table. They use a "tunnel" thats purpose built to hold the stock and protect the operator. And a meter goes a long way. The bit is $90 as well, thats not insignificant.

Hi Everyone,

I too use beadlock as well, and I think it is quite and dust free. Has anyone used this for joining two piece of timber at an angle? I am bulding a couple of bar stools, and legs need be joined with strechers at an angle. Any feedback will be appreaciated.

Cheers
Sam

Hi Adam (and others),
I have the router bit. I dont consider it dangerous or fiddly, at least no more then any other router job. It takes a little while to get the dimensions right then I just bang them through. I also cut some slightly undersize to be used for trial fitting, which is then discarded and replaced with stock of the exact right size.

I made a heap of stock out of fence palings, most of which got used for other jobs just because it was handy.

I havent used my beadlock for quite some time, but still think they are a clever system. They let you do a competent join with just a handheld drill - and out of all the powertools the drill is the least noxious.

Arron

Originally Posted by LineLefty

strong enough?

Double dowels? Yeah, I think so. Let's say you're joining a piece of 45x19 mm timber to another piece. I would use a double 3/8 (10 mm) dowel which means a cross section of joining timber (pi.r.squared) of about 1.6 cm2. If I made a M/T joint the tenon might be 6 mm wide and 30 mm long, for a cross section area of 1.8 cm2. Not much in it really, and the double dowel will also have about the same glue surface area.

Well triple dowels really.

How would you go using a different router bit, I think it's called a reeding bit. It has concave cutting edges like a roundover bit but they meet at a point in the middle.

If you could get one with the radius matches the beadlock, ie. 3/8 or 1/2, careful setup and multiple passes on the router table could yield the stock far cheaper I'd reckon than $90.

I imagine you could use the original stock to assist with setting up the bit depth & fence position.

Just did a google image search but reeding bit yielded something different, the site with this image called it a radius grooving bit, they had it in 3/8 & 1/2 radius.


Carbitool, Linbide, or someone else local would have it I'd reckon.


Good luck................cheers...............Sean

Scooter what you are proposing there looks like a real pain, getting the profile just a tiny fraction out will give you stock which either binds or has voids when inserted. It seems a hard way to save some of the $90 cost of the bit. Using the real bit is a dream. What you do is cut the stock to the exact outer dimensions of the beadlock. Then you mount the router bit in the table so that it protudes just the right distance beyond the fence, set up a couple of featherboards, and then put the stock through once for each side. It is a simple and safe because the bit is not cutting thick stock down to the profile, it is just skimming off the indentations without changing the overall dimensions, so there is little dust or force required.

Arron

If you want to make your own stock and know someone in the US, Amazon currently have both bits on special for $45 US each. Amazon won't ship anything other than books (and music?) overseas so you will need to get the bit(S) sent to someone in the US and have them send them on to you.

Mick

I hear you Arron, just suggesting an alternative to what was mentioned as an expensive router bit, with pretty much just a single use, ie. making tenon stock.

I thought there may be some out there that are prepared to invest a bit of time to do a precision setup with their router depth & fence position, and do a few test cuts, to save some coin to put towards something else.

A different spin on things


Cheers......................Sean