Miller dowels?

[woodbloke]

Anybody used them?..they seem to have decent enough reviews if I recollect. I've just put some on my 'Wish List' (along with a Tag Heur watch 8-[ ) for the Big Day - Rob

 

[Paul Chapman]

a Tag Heur watch 8-[ )

Blimey, they cost more than a Domino :shock: :lol:

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Henning]

Have both a TAG Heuer watch and the miller dowels.
I'd rather have the miller dowels No actually not. The TAG is nice.

Miller dowels are also nice. They are nice as a design element or just an easy way to join to pieces.
I've built a small cabinet which used them in the top. Easy to use and looks good! In this particular cabinet i used contrasting walnut against the pine carcase

 

[stuartpaul]

I too have both

Managed to get hydraulic lock when gluing one in as they don't appear to have grooves in like dowels. Almost certainly my fault for using too much glue but even so was a bit disappointed it could happen.

 

[Harbo]

No Miller, but I have had a Tag for about 20 years - excellent time keeper and still going strong - I wear it everyday but the last battery change cost me £230 as it needed a "service"! :shock:


Rod

 

[Dibs-h]

No Miller, but I have had a Tag for about 20 years - excellent time keeper and still going strong - I wear it everyday but the last battery change cost me £230 as it needed a "service"! :shock:


Rod

No Millers but do like some of the Tags - especially the Carrera Chronographs.

Sadly was told you can't wear them in the pool even tho they say Water Resistant so gave it a miss. Do fancy a Rolex Submariner, but somehow can't see that purchase getting approved domestically if you know what I mean. :wink:

Although no such issue for the Millers - approval that is. :lol:

Dibs

 

[cambournepete]

My TAG says 300m water resistance and is meant for divers so should cope with a swimming pool...

My Miller dowels I got at the last Axminster show (I think) and still haven't gotten round to using them...

 

[studders]

a Tag Heur watch 8-[ )

Blimey, they cost more than a Domino :shock: :lol:

Cheers :wink:

Paul

Nah, I got a Genuine Tag Huer from a chap in the pub for just £4.99, right twice a day it is.

 

[Nick W]

Miller dowels are quick and easy to use, another weapon in the arsenal.

The carcase of this boot chest is assembled with Miller dowels and pocket hole screws.

 

[Eric The Viking]

The carcase of this boot chest is assembled with Miller dowels and pocket hole screws.

It looks very nice, but I was puzzling over what it's for.

Is it for the the back of the Rangie whilst on picnics, shooting parties, etc. ('boot' being car boot)?

I couldn't otherwise work out how one family could amass enough tins of polish, dusters, brushes -- hang on: belay that! I've got two daughters! Perhaps it's for footwear after all...

 

[wobblycogs]

I've seen these dowels before but never used them. What I don't get is why they are any better than a regular dowel? I've checked out the advantages on their site and to be honest I'm not convinced.

 

[johnjin]

Exactly what Wobbly said.

John

 

[matthewwh]

Surely it's Paul Daniels' pool table, if you hit the spot where a pocket should be the ball magically disappears and reappears in one of the drawers!!

Now that's magic!

Seriously though, miller dowells are an excellent product (if not Japanese wooden nails by any other name) they are great for jobs like fixing waney edge boards to sheets so that you can trim them square without fear of hitting a screw, expoed joinery is a doddle and produces some very reasonable results too if you drill your holes right.

 

[jaffajim0]

I use them and like them. What I like is the colour contrast if you use walnut one in pine or beech etc. It makes a feature of the piece IMHO. I have only used them in basic pieces like window boxes and mirror frames but I have seen them used in more elegant pieces and they still look good. Easy too.

 

[wobblycogs]

I'm sure they are well made etc but what I can't get my head around is what makes them worth buying. How are they better than a regular straight dowel that I could make out of a scrap of the stock I'm currently using for essentially nothing (which is also a perfect match with the piece)?

 

[Nick W]

ETV - yes, it goes in the boot of a Discovery, holds guns, cartridges etc. in the drawers and the dog goes in the r.h.s.

For me the advantages of MDs over ordinary ones are twofold.

First you drill the holes in both parts at once from the outside. So there's no messing around with jigs, dowel points or other paraphernalia (and I personally have never been happy with the accuracy of those things anyway), and the whole process is a lot faster.

Second because of the stepped design, and the fact that they expand on contact with water based glue (e.g. PU, Titebond I) they positively resist
any pulling part of the joint.

 

[studders]

Never mind, done it.

 

[wobblycogs]

Thanks for that nick. I wonder if they compress the wood slightly to help them expand when glued.

Perhaps it's just me but I would just drill straight through both pieces for a visible dowel like this. I admit though that it's risky because normally I'd be drilling into the edge of something quite narrow - a stepped drill would allow more room for error. Hmmm, thinking about it a bit more I think I can see why people like them.

 

[Nick W]

If you drill straight through and use ordinary dowels you will see the grooves on the end. Not a good sight.

 

[Alf]

I'm sure I'm missing something (My brain is currently following a Go Slow policy) but what's the advantage over a couter-bored screw and plug?