I was just wondering if dowels are used much these days since biscuits??
I bought a "job lot" at an auction recently and ended up with a zillion dowels, not sure what to do with them??
Tx
Bob K
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I was just wondering if dowels are used much these days since biscuits??
I bought a "job lot" at an auction recently and ended up with a zillion dowels, not sure what to do with them??
Tx
Bob K
Yes dowels are used lots more than biscuits,although that ultimately depends on the project.We use predominately more dowels than bickies and still use mortice and tennon joints more,especially on chairs.:2tsup:
if ya dont want them you can send them my way.:2tsup:
sorry weisyboy, I paid more then I wanted to for the items I was after and need to offset this by selling off the bits I have no use for. I thought about getting myself a dowelling machine (I had previously seen one like a biscuit machine but they seem scarce now). But then I'm spending more money to save money if you know what I mean?? They may end up on Ebay. I'd imagine they'd be uneconomical to post too far??
I have a GMC dowelling machine used only once last year to make my fence gates- don't see myself doing more joinery work soon. If you want it cheap, just tell me and we both save the bother of Ebay or similar.
Doweling machine?? Man, a drill guide and drill bit is all you need. Call me old fashioned ( and I will say thank you) but I use dowels a lot more than biscuits. I find I get better alignment with my dowels than biscuits. I bought an old Stanly #59 doweling jig, I use my brace and bit and bore the holes. Quick and painless and it works.
http://www.tooltrip.com/tooltrip9/st...misc/59jig.jpg
I use dowels all the time for framing, shelving, edge joining, boxes. . .
I use one of these to get perfect alignment very easily.
http://www.ozziejigs.com.au/photos/rail.jpg
Worth every cent in my opinion. No-nonsense, easy to use design, dead-on accuracy, versatile, and very strong joints (I've tested them). And it will last a lifetime, with no maintenance. I use it all the time, and still shows no sign of wear.
Therein lies my dilemma John, I have purchased one and I have no biscuits yet (still starting up) but I do have two small sugar bags full of dowels, but no doweling guide. I was told biscuits are more fool proof as they have a bit of room to move when first assembling? but even to me there's merit in a joint that's tight when dry assembled so I may go down the path of the dowels. I can already hear SWMBO, "what about this tool though that you just had to have what do you intend to do with it." And I will be able to think of a dozen things I could do with it at the time, non of which shall be said out loud lest I'm heard :o :D
If you've already got a biscuit joining machine, wouldn't a few biscuits be cheaper than buying a new dowelling jig?
I'll take those sugar bags of dowels off your hands;)