Thread: Do I need to switch to 6mm dowels?

6 mm would be better.

if you have a Domino, that would be better again.

I think the rule of thumb was that the dowel should be about 1/3 the thickness of the pieces being joined. 6mm is your closest suggestion but 5mm dowels appear to be available on the web.

Originally Posted by ian

6 mm would be better.

if you have a Domino, that would be better again.

I can't afford to stand in the Festool section of the store let alone buy a Domino. Maybe one day.

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A simple edge to edge join without dowels is just as structurally sound as a dowelled joint, & in some cases moreso. If your boards are straight & flat & the edges mating properly, you could just forget about dowels altogether.....

Cheers,

Originally Posted by IanW

A simple edge to edge join without dowels is just as structurally sound as a dowelled joint, & in some cases moreso. If your boards are straight & flat & the edges mating properly, you could just forget about dowels altogether.....

Cheers,

That's an answer to the unasked question. Is this for edge to edge joining or face to edge?

It's a series of end grain to edge joints which will support a stone top and will also come under lateral forces when moved.

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Yes, I should've asked the obvious question! I just assumed the boards were going to be edge-joined.

So, obviously, my glue-only suggestion was silly. What about M&T? Even a not-so-perfect M&T is better than dowels, imo. You may be getting the impression I don't like dowels - I don't, seen far too many dowel-joint failures to have any confidence in them at all...

Cheers,

Originally Posted by burraboy

I think the rule of thumb was that the dowel should be about 1/3 the thickness of the pieces being joined.

1/3? You can safely go up to 1/2 no problem, we always did 10mm dowels in a 22mm rail, but it also depends on how your dowels fit; some manufacturers run oversize and they just split everything

By "lateral forces" if you are suggesting that the joint will be subjected to loads that try to either open open or close a 90 degree joint then you should really consider something much stronger than dowels or dominos. Mortise and tenon joinery would work if the joint was away from an edge but if this is for a corner joint then finger/box joints or dovetails may be needed.

Any chance of a sketch so we can better understand what you are trying to achieve here?

Here is a picture that is almost exactly the same concept.


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Sliding dovetails would, I think, work very nicely for the centre joints, adding a decorative element.

M&T's for the outer.

Oh yeah, them is likely to be dragged around if you are putting a heavy top on them, alright! The design concept is attractive, but the 'minimalist' undercarriage allows for virtually no sheer bracing, so you are reliant on those corner joints holding fast. I would definitely be using M&T or bridle joints, if you like a bit of exposed joinery. Bridle joints wouldn't look out of place on such a 'modern' piece, imo, and a bit easier to make if you are nervous about tackling M&Ts...

Cheers,

I'm thinking that wedged through M&Ts would be just the thing for that design -- especially in 14 mm stuff

What Skew said.

If you use blind M&T joints you could peg them for extra strength, this would also add a small decorative feature.