A shop-max alternative to DowelMax

[cgallery]

Every time there is a DowelMax post there are bizillions of posts from satisfied customers. They must be doing something right.

I've thought about purchasing one. All I have is one of those self-centering doweling jigs. It works okay, but "T" style joints are out of the question.

So I got to thinking and whipped this thing up. It is simply a block of maple with steel bushings super-glued and pressed into it. I took a great deal of care in aligning the holes with a fence and stop blocks with my drill press so everything was as precise as possible.

It is used with auxiliary fences that I make with any piece of wood. All that is necessary is routing a t-slot into the fence [I use the Rockler t-bolts and the bit they sell for routing slots into wood (I use this for lots of different projects and can't recommend them highly enough)].

I experimented with making a corner joint and it works great! Extremely precise, just as I was hoping. And its uses are really only limited by your imagination.

I plan on making some spacers (so I can offset joints and run two rows of dowels) and some more types of fences.

Here are some pics:

Dowel #1: Place two registration marks on the bottom piece where you want the inside of the side piece.



Dowel #2a: Clamp the fence to the bottom piece, aligning it to the registration marks.



Dowel #2b: This is a profile shot of the fence, showing the t-slot.



Dowel #3a: This is the block with steel inserts, front view.



Dowel #3b: This is the rear view of the block.



Dowel #3c: I attach the block to the fence, align it to the end of the workpiece, tighten the knobs and drill (I did two of the five holes). Then I loosen the knows, align the block to the other side of the workpiece, and drill two more holes.



Dowel #4a: I remove that fence and guide block and attach the guide block to another fence that I can use for drilling the side.



Dowel #4b: I clamp the assembly to the side and drill two holes, move the assembly to the other side and drill the last two holes.



Dowel #5a: Success, the two pieces fit together perfect, the edges are perfectly aligned.



Dowel #5b: Flipping the workpieces over, I check the registration marks and find that the side meets the bottom exactly where I marked.

[BobSch]

Great design. I'm going to have to remember that one.

[themachine]

Excellent job leading us through its design and use.

[RodKirby]

Very clever - great explanation.

[mpauly]

Pretty cool. Aside from aligning the edge of your dowling jig to the edge of the work piece do you use any other way to ensure that the holes align in each side?

Michael

PS Nice 'flowery' pencil

[footprintsinconc]

that is really neat!

do the bushings run the length of the piece or halfway?

thanks for sharing your jig!

[cgallery]

Pretty cool. Aside from aligning the edge of your dowling jig to the edge of the work piece do you use any other way to ensure that the holes align in each side?

Michael

PS Nice 'flowery' pencil

No, all you have to do is use either the front, back, or both the front and back to index the jig. If you have an especially wide joint, you can repostition the jig using one of the previously drilled holes as a new index.

But no other steps are required, drilled holes line up exactly.

[niki]

Hi Cgallery

Now, I'm connecting names...

Very nice design and easy setup and...with the money that you saved, you can buy a good router...

Best Regards
niki

[9johnny5]

Thanks for sharing, both your idea and your explanation of its use. Made visualizing its application very easy. Great Job, It is appreciated!

Johnny C.

[dlminehart]

So where does one get bushings? Do you assume 3/4" lumber and size accordingly, or do you need a jig for each possible lumber (and I assume, dowel) size?

[SARGE..g-47]

Good thinking CG.. That Beadloc that Rockler sells is an alternative to Dowel-max at half the price. Looks like you just blew that one out of the water. If you space em close and chisel them out.... you have floationg tenons and you can make tenons from scrap.

You just eliminated the need for Domino... unless you go commercial and are forced by dead-lines to speed life up to keep dinner on the table.

[cgallery]

So where does one get bushings? Do you assume 3/4" lumber and size accordingly, or do you need a jig for each possible lumber (and I assume, dowel) size?

I used 1-1/2" long steel spacers I purchased at my Ace hardware store (in the aisle with the bulk screws, nuts, etc.). They have a 3/8" I.D. and a 1/2" O.D. They fit into a 1/2" hole tightly. I added Super Glue.

You would need a different block if you wanted a different dowel size. But the same 3/8" dowel block will work for any lumber. The idea is that the block always references off the same face. So using spacers, you can use it on lumber of any dimension.

[cgallery]

Good thinking CG.. That Beadloc that Rockler sells is an alternative to Dowel-max at half the price. Looks like you just blew that one out of the water. If you space em close and chisel them out.... you have floationg tenons and you can make tenons from scrap.

You just eliminated the need for Domino... unless you go commercial and are forced by dead-lines to speed life up to keep dinner on the table.

Yeah, I actually like biscuits, too. The doweling jig is just another way to join two pieces of wood. Perhaps some day I'll get a Domino, but I kinda doubt it. Just too spendy for a weekend warrior.

[big tim]

Clever, good pictorial. I could have saved myself a couple o' hundred bucks.

Tim