Is this new? HF dual dowel jointer

[RayintheUK]

I don't see the advantage to this over biscuits, the biscuits give you the capability to slop right to left by about 1/8", this is really important if you are edge-joining two boards to make a table top or something wider.

The difficulty, in the past, has been to line up the dowel holes as simply and effectively as using biscuits. Biscuit advantages are mainly in registering the faces correctly when edge joining, so I can't see that lateral adjustment has an advantage there, unless you've already cut all the boards to length. That said, I doubt if I would ever use dowelling to edge join boards, all the time I've got access to biscuits.

Most of this thread has, I think, tended towards face and edge joining. Biscuits are somewhat less effective than dowels when used in this way and are not as stable as dowels during a dry fit.

Finally, it pays to use good-quality biscuits and that applies to dowels too.

Ray.

[cgallery]

I don't see the advantage to this over biscuits, the biscuits give you the capability to slop right to left by about 1/8", this is really important if you are edge-joining two boards to make a table top or something wider.

When they work, dowels are great for cabinet and table construction. They save a lot of four-letter words when it comes time to glue up.

But they require precision that this machine may or may not provide. I have my doubts.

[drumpriest]

I have the domino, use it a bunch, there is no slop to it. When you set the domino for the small hole size, it cuts a hole exactly the size of the domino tenon, then you can change that for slop if you are trying to align a bunch of them. I never allow for slop, and it hasn't been a problem. The wood provides just enough give for whatever 1000ths I'm off when aligning my 2 marks.

I do use the larger cut capacity of the domino to make bigger tenons, I make those in the shop, and I can provide side to side slop if I want, but up and down there is no slop.

I think this dowel tool looks pretty interesting, seems a simpler to build version of what the domino does. Allows for quick double dowel joints for face frames, etc.... I'd probably be all over it if I didn't already have a domino.

[cgallery]

BTW, these doweling machines have been around for a long time. There is some high-end German (I think) maker of such a tool, but it comes at Festool likes prices. I don't know if some patent just expired or what, but now they seem everywhere.

[sweensdv]

I downloaded the info from the website and it looks as if it comes with 3 sizes of bits-1/4,5/16,3/8. I think these have been available in Europe for some time. If you can keep it in place, I could see where it might be handy. It is no Domino. It cuts both holes dead-on and gives almost no wiggle room. You better put the holes where you wanted them.

I believe you but for the life of me I couldn't find in the manual where it stated that it will accept and drill 5/16 and 3/8 bits. Can you tell me what page you found that on. If that's the case then I just may have to pick up one these when they go "on sale" for $30.

[messmaker]

I believe you but for the life of me I couldn't find in the manual where it stated that it will accept and drill 5/16 and 3/8 bits. Can you tell me what page you found that on. If that's the case then I just may have to pick up one these when they go "on sale" for $30.

I think I misread it. I went to the parts breakdown and it only list 2 bits. I does not list extra brushes either but every HF tool I can remember includes them. I wonder if bits could be the same way. I may give them a call and find out for sure. I have been thinking about getting one for a couple weeks.

[sweensdv]

If you do call them, please post what they tell you.

[messmaker]

According to HF technical support, The unit only shows rep. bits in 1/4 inch so it appears that it is one size only. I think I will stick with my b.jointer until something better comes around. Freud I about to release a model that cuts different sizes.

[sweensdv]

Thanks for the follow up messmaker.

[Tom Slick]

It looks like freud introduced a doweling machine at the IWF.

watch the IWF day two video here
http://www.woodmagazine.com/wood/fil...c=nwwood11_09a

[leoncit@aol.com]

I have one of these. It is a nice tool as long as you are carefull on the setings. It has two retractable pins at each end and that lets you do mirror indexing, once to the right once to the left. It comes with 1/4 bits, but I was able to get 5/16 Dewalt bits and 3/8 Freud bits. The tool indexes more precisely with the wider bits. You have to be really precise with the 1/4 bits.My standard technique is to clamp everithing and then go in and out very fast. You tend to get oval right holes if you don't do that. I also like to chase the holes with 1/2 drill bits to be able to use 1/2 dowels.