Miller Dowels

[Ed Gibbons]

I am considering a purchase. Feedback appreciated.

[Mac McQuinn]

I've used the walnut model on a couple projects with good success. Pretty easy to use and finish off. I used the dowels with Titebond III. The applications were only light to moderately stressed.

Mac

[Jamie Buxton]

They're good stuff. If you're doing something like doweling drawer sides to the drawer fronts, or carcass panels together, they're much more reliable than ordinary dowels.

[John Harden]

I tend to dislike shop gadgets, but I REALLY like them. Recently made a very large, rolling shop cabinet/outfeed table with 8 large drawers on full extension slides. Used them to attach the false fronts to the drawer sides. Perfect for this applicaton as the drawer sides and false front were made from 1/2" BB ply. Not a lot of wood there to reinforce.

So far, I've used them on 6-8 projects and they make for very strong joints. The long grain to long grain glue bond is plenty strong.

I particularly like them for applicatons where I want the dowel face to show. They are also good for when you want to cover the dowel face with a plug of some sort. Just install them as you normally would, let the glue completely set, then drill or mortise out just enough of the "head" that you can install your ebony (or other decorative) plug.

Regards,

John

[Ed Gibbons]

Looks like a decent option.

[Maurice Ungaro]

I've used them quite a bit. One of the more striking ways to use them is with contrasting woods. All of my cutting boards are maple with cherry Miller Dowels in the sides of the boards. I like to think that for cutting board application, they give some structural integrity. All of the sizes come in handy, but I started with the 1X size.

[Don Bullock]

Ed, I too have used the Miller Dowels. I've found them to be very handy and also decorative when I used contrasting wood.

One important thing I've noticed using this "system" is to make sure that the drill bit goes all the way into the piece to the point where the diameter of the bit closest the the drill makes a hole in the wood. Otherwise the dowel doesn't fill out the hole and looks bad.

I also had the problem of a dowel breaking on me as I was tapping it in the hole. It was very easy to drill out the dowel and replace it.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I've wondered for some time, what are their benefits? Having a hard time seeing why they are functionally any different than any other dowel. I'm positive that I'm missing the point though, so can somebody educate me please?

[John Harden]

Steve, in my opinion, the biggest difference is that they are precisely machined to fit with the stepped drill bit. I suppose there is some sort of marginal mechanical advantage over the stepped design, but for me, the biggest advantage is they fit perfectly into the hole created by the bit.

As you know, most dowls are either fluted, spiral, or in the case of dowels, are often not sized well. 1/4" dowel stock is rarely 1/4".

The last 3/8" or so of the Millers is perfectly round and smooth, making for a clean surface where it meets the wood.

Obviously, they are also through dowels, versus blind dowels.

FWW just did an article where the author uses regular through dowels and makes the case for them over dovetails, etc.

Can't say I'd use them in fine furniture, but for shop use or decorative use, they are great. Its nice that you can buy them in different sizes and species too.

Regards,

John

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Thanks John. Just thinking a bit more aabout them, and I bet that the stepped design also holds glue in the hole better. Sometimes straight dowels seem to squeegie off the glue as they are fit, and the steps would maybe catch that?