Thread: Dowel jigs

Make a pattern out of moderately thick hardwood thick enough to guide the drill bit accurately and use double sided tape to hold it in place. You could use a thicker piece and saw it in half after drilling the holes and be assured the holes would line up.

Thanks Chris. It's a good option. The drill bit doesn't bite the sides? It's what I did first time around but the holes still weren't 100%. Probably my lack of skills there.

Ive had to fix such stuff with English Antique chairs made that way from 1870 to 1900 .
Dowled , no reference faces left as they were all shaved or carved off before polishing when it was made.

The best first step for me with them was, because they were glued in with a water based glue , HHG, we would get it apart, they usually had broken dowels , We would center punch the dowel and drill out at 80% the diameter of the hole , leaving a thin amount of dowel that could be loosened with hot water . You get the original hole back to use . As far as I was concerned that was the only way to go with that type of job . Re jigging and new holes could be done but it was a much longer job and a lot less satisfactory because on antique stuff you don't want to be re shaping the finished surfaces too much that are to be polished if you can help it.

One possibility with this sort of thing these days is to get someone with a domino to jig it and machine it to take a domino / tenon. And use better glue .

Originally Posted by auscab

IAnd use better glue .

Thanks for your insights. I am back to the original holes already. However I want to plug them and drill new holes that are straighter to avoid any potential gaps.
What are you recommending as better glue? As a musical instrument I need this joint to be reversible. I do use other glues for other parts of the harp. I have used titebond on multiple instruments without problem but open to something better. On researching hide glue based on what you said, it apparently will grip without having to penetrate the wood (which titebond requires)?

Originally Posted by bcp

Thanks for your insights. I am back to the original holes already. However I want to plug them and drill new holes that are straighter to avoid any potential gaps.
What are you recommending as better glue? As a musical instrument I need this joint to be reversible. I do use other glues for other parts of the harp. I have used titebond on multiple instruments without problem but open to something better. On researching hide glue based on what you said, it apparently will grip without having to penetrate the wood (which titebond requires)?

I think all glues do best where they penetrate the wood the tiny amount that they can . HHG on fresh wood is better than HHG on older HHG glue . Ive seen HHG Fail many hundreds of times in repaired furniture. Its got to be used on high quality fresh joinery for the best outcome.

If you get straight perfect holes like new ones with no sloppiness then HHG is better out of the reversible glue choices. It sets rock hard and has no creep that I know of or have seen.

If the job has been done once and failed using TB then your going to have to try something better. I would have suggested two pack epoxy. Great for gappy joins as you can get on dowel repairs. Only reversible with a saw though .

Where as Titebond does creep apparently. I use TB 1 and 3 but have not noticed it creep . I haven't really been doing the sort of work where I would notice creep for many years.
We used to use the old white PVA many years ago and creep really stood out if we used it on table top joints under a highly polished finish. You dont really notice creep around leg joints and stuff like that.

I have that jig from Carbatec, don't think much of it to be honest, you cant do corner joints and stuff like that, only end to end joinery.
The best one I have found and is very accurate is this by the German manufacturer Wolf:

Wolfcraft Dowelmaster - dowel gauge | Carbatec

Don't pay Crabatec prices though, I got mine off Amazon for $27 + free postage for prime members.

Other option is dowel pins.

Would Beadlock joinery work for you? They are a cross between dowels and Dominos; essentially you drill dowel holes using a jig that overlaps them slightly then insert a shaped wooden tenon.

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It doesn’t look like it’s available any more in Aus but you might find someone local with one; or you could put up a “Wanted” notice here on the forum.