Do you own this simple dowel jig?

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Chris_Pallet

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Hiya,
I'm after a simple dowel jig, I've seen this one online and on you tube, just before I buy it asking if anyone has one or has made one and worth it or completely stay clear?
I'll be doing edge to edge work 99% of the time.
Cheers.

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Dowel jigs are not the easiest to use
The work needs to be lined up precisely; which is not easy
 
That's not going to be very flexible, and not easy to line up exactly. I use a joint genie. The JG lines up exactly, and gives you a lot more options re hole placement. Will be a lot more costly than the rutlands one.
I think I've seen someone on YouTube make something similar to the the rutlands one.. maybe you could make something cheaply just to trial the concept?
 
Hiya,
I'm after a simple dowel jig, I've seen this one online and on you tube, just before I buy it asking if anyone has one or has made one and worth it or completely stay clear?
I'll be doing edge to edge work 99% of the time.
Cheers.

View attachment 121969
I've just completed a lot of dowel edge work and found this one from Rutlands ideal. Unfortunately it doesn't look as if it's in stock.HTH.
 

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I've just completed a lot of dowel edge work and found this one from Rutlands ideal. Unfortunately it doesn't look as if it's in stock.HTH.
I bought one of these from Rutlands recently.
It did not self centre, so I sent it back for a replacement.
Rutlands tested the one they were going to send me,
and found that it did nor self centre either.
They then discovered that none of their stock of this item would self centre,
so they sent me a refund.
 
Hi Chris.
From the outset let me apologise if I'm over-simplifying your needs.
I understand that you will be doing mainly edge doweling. The attached shows a very simple doweling jig that
can be made fairly easily and is perfectly accurate every time.
 

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I have one of the dowelling jigs featured on Hooked On Wood which works just fine in all sorts of situations. But, I agree with Hennieps suggestion above. If you are only edge to edge joining, you can make the simple jig in his PDF and used correctly it will centre every hole, every time.
 
Having previously only used those little copper pointed inserts you pop into one hole and it marks the other, I recently used an old Stanley 59 dowel jig I had been given and whilst its of course imperial sized it was a delight to use and I found it perfectly accurate. No help to you Im afraid, not so easy to find something like this just when you need it, but I thought I would mention it for general info,
Steve.
 
Hi Chris.
From the outset let me apologise if I'm over-simplifying your needs.
I understand that you will be doing mainly edge doweling. The attached shows a very simple doweling jig that
can be made fairly easily and is perfectly accurate every time.

This is brilliant, thank you.


I appreciate your messages, especially about the rutlands returns! I'll steer clear lol.
I'm going to make my own now I have a drawing.
 
banggood.com have a good selection of dowel jigs. Dennis (youtube) has reviewed them quite positively.
The one I bought (oddly?)supported 7mm dowels rather than 6mm? Also 8 and 10mm. Very well made.
 
I've been using a Dowelmax for many years - expensive, but very accurate, for a multitude of different joints. I believe Banggood do a 'rip-off' version.
 
I used a Woden for end to end and for pattern guides I used screw in guides you can make up your own base and set them wherever you need them.

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All are now spare no longer need them
 
I used a Woden for end to end and for pattern guides I used screw in guides you can make up your own base and set them wherever you need them.

View attachment 122036

View attachment 122037

All are now spare no longer need them
This Woden set looks like a better engineered version of the Stanly where the guides are Singles and are just clamped in steel tubes, again they would be imperial sizes I guess?
Steve.
 
Which ever jig you go for, my advice is that that you get one that can be clamped down, and secondly, that you make sure the drill bit you're using is running true in the drill. The slightlest wobble will make the hand held jigs almost impossible to get accurate.
 
That's not going to be very flexible, and not easy to line up exactly. I use a joint genie. The JG lines up exactly, and gives you a lot more options re hole placement. Will be a lot more costly than the rutlands one.
I think I've seen someone on YouTube make something similar to the the rutlands one.. maybe you could make something cheaply just to trial the concept?
The Joint Genie is a good tool - accurate and versatile - but I constantly find myself thinking that a few simple changes would make it so much better. Why not, for example, thread the transverse holes used to hold the shims? And why not supply proper thumbscrews for the end tabs (I’ve done that anyway)? And a bit of engraving (marking L and R sides, numbering the dowel holes, perhaps). I’ve made and 3D printed some add-ons that make the device much easier to use.
 
The Joint Genie is a good tool - accurate and versatile - but I constantly find myself thinking that a few simple changes would make it so much better. Why not, for example, thread the transverse holes used to hold the shims? And why not supply proper thumbscrews for the end tabs (I’ve done that anyway)? And a bit of engraving (marking L and R sides, numbering the dowel holes, perhaps). I’ve made and 3D printed some add-ons that make the device much easier to use.

Accurate, but damn expensive for what it is.
Be good if they updated their videos. Always amazes me why manfacturers don't have decent instructional videos for their products. It's incredibly easy to do with just a smart phone.

Why not, for example, thread the transverse holes used to hold the shims?

I might be wrong, but I think if you did that, they would constantly be coming undone. Although you could get around the issue by having a nylon nut inserted into a space in the main block.
 
I've been using a Dowelmax for many years - expensive, but very accurate, for a multitude of different joints. I believe Banggood do a 'rip-off' version.
Same here, the Dowelmax is very precise and it's only drawback is that it can be very slooooow. An issue with the banggood version is accuracy, the five dowel holes must be identical from both ends which the Dowelmax is, any error is noticed when you do the opposite side holes and have to reference from the opposite end and is where the cheaper ones fail. It can also take a bit of getting used to initially, you must not overthink it which is to easy to do rather than just stick with the ticks.
 

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