Barrel nut / cross dowel jig

[BobWingwang]

Hello, I want to build some bunk beds (stacking single beds). As much as i hate flat pack furniture, these need to be dismantle-able to enable me to get them in/out of the room. I want to use bolts and barrel nuts (also known as cross dowels), but having tried before, it's tricky to drill perfectly straight, aligned holes to joint these components,
I've found a jig in America (woodpecker cross dowel jig). These use imperial drill bits and bolts/cross dowels. I'd prefer an imperial version, but i'm having no luck finding one. Has anybody seen one of these in the UK. If i knew what it was called it'd be easier to Google!
Thanks, Adrian.

 

[Paul Chapman]

I use my Record #148 dowelling jig to drill the holes for those types of fittings. It's very accurate

It has interchangeable guide bushes for the different size holes. The jig is no longer made but you can pick them up second-hand.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Benchwayze]

I use my Record #148 dowelling jig to drill the holes for those types of fittings. It's very accurate

It has interchangeable guide bushes for the different size holes. The jig is no longer made but you can pick them up second-hand.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

Thanks Paul.
At last, a use for mine! It's lain in a drawer for years, since I bought the biscuit jointer!

 

[9fingers]

I make them to suit the job from aluminium angle, attach with a clamp and spot though with a brad point bit.
Simple to make and easy to use.

Bob

 

[Benchwayze]

I make them to suit the job from aluminium angle, attach with a clamp and spot though with a brad point bit.
Simple to make and easy to use.

Bob

I'm trying to picture this Bob. I can't see how alloy angle would keep the drill straight. Unless it's about 12 mm section?

Cheers...
John

 

[9fingers]

It's not intended to aid straight drilling but to sped up accurate marking out.

To be honest, folk who can drill straight need to practice until they can.

Barrel nut and related holes don't need to be that straight, within a degree is plenty good enough.

Bob

 

[Benchwayze]

Thanks Bob,

I was just trying to visualise what you were getting at, as the OP wanted to know how to keep the holes aligned.
I suppose if necessary, we could make a suitable jig, using hardwood; something along the lines of Krenov's 'throwaway' dowelling jig.
Cheers
John

 

[9fingers]

Hi John,
I interpreted the Q as keeping holes aligned to one another ie so the bolt hole intersected properly with the barrel nut hole.

Yes just a simple block cut into a L shape on the table saw for a perfect right angle cut out and then drilled on a pillar drill would do for marking out and help the 'angularly challenged' too.

Bob

 

[Benchwayze]

Gotcha Bob.

I tend to drill them both together when I can, and allow maybe 1/16" oversize for a bit of wriggle room!

In the past, for dowelling, I relied on accurate marking out, driving pins part way in, snipping off the heads and then used to locate the drilling spots, in the mating pieces. Just remove the nails of course after they do their job.
It was a bit of a faff, but the only mistake would be 'sloping' drilling. Served me well, till I got the jigs, that I never use now!

 

[custard]

1. Drill the hole in the apron, be as accurate as you can but don't sweat it too much.

2. Stick a long dowel into the hole that's the same diameter as the drill. The dowel has to be long enough to bottom out in the hole and still protrude from the apron about 200mm.

3. This dowel now contains the two bits of information you need. Where the hole ends and the angle it was drilled at.

4. Line up a straight edge on the apron so that it's in-line with the protruding 200mm dowel. Centre it on the protruding dowel, and use it to pencil a line on the apron that shows where the hole is. If you want to get fancy you can extend two lines from the upper and lower edges the hole out to the edge of the apron, then you'll be spot on with your centring.

5. Withdraw the dowel and use it as a depth gauge to show where the hole ends. Also mark this on the apron.

6. Drill the apron for the barrel nut, using a 1mm oversize bit to give yourself some wiggle room.