Thread: Haron Dowel Centre Question

either dowels bought are too big... or drill bits too small.

only callipers will tell you which


its a fairly inexpensive jig, and most dowels should be "tapped" into place with a hammer, unlike ikea and bunnings furniture

You could try using any jobber bit of the supposed same size and see if the metal dowel centres will drop in.

When I used the Haron doweling kit I replaced the 6mm brad bit with one that was:

a) sharp
b) straight
c) didn’t resemble an off cut from a railway spike
d) was manufactured by some body who could make drill bits.

It made a world of difference.

regards

Hello Vinnie, and welcome to the Forum

Dowel centres are a brilliantly simple idea that does not work very well, or requires an exceptional level of accuracy and precision. Just my opinion!

Dowel Centres.jpg Dowel Centres

In my experience with dowel centres, I have found that:

• A minor misalignment, more than 0.1 mm, means that the dowels do not line up with the holes and will not go in, or
• The holes are not perfectly vertical and the dowels jam when only partly inserted.

Both problems can often be solved with brute force, but at the risk of splitting the host timber.

I have used three solutions:

1. Super Accuracy. Drill all holes with a drill press to ensure absolutely vertical and always use a brad point bit so the brad point aligns perfectly with the dowel centre mark.

2. Epoxy. Drill holes oversize (or use smaller dowel) so dowel easily and loosly fits into hole. Fill hole with thickened epoxy, insert dowel, wait 24 hours. This is probably the strongest joint.

3. Change Technique. Use domino, biscuit joint, mortice & tenon, bridle joint, half lap joint, etc, as appropriate.