Face drilling with a dowelmax

[Craig Day]

For those of you with a dowelmax, what method do you use for face drilling? Here’s what I do but curious to know if there are better ways?

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Lha17VLU4AETIrVlP9oUCMRurqASp_z-

[Jon Nuckles]

I no longer have a dowelmax (wish I did), but I just used the method described in the instructions that came with the jig.

[Craig Day]

Maybe I should have been a little more clear... when I say face drilling, I mean in the middle of a board where the clamping mechanism no longer works.

And now that I'm on a computer, here's my setup directly:

403309

[Jon Nuckles]

Hi Craig,

I tried to find the instruction booklet on the Dowelmax website to see if there is a better method, but it doesn't look like they make it available online. Your method looks good, particularly when you are doing rows across the face in the middle of the workpiece like the ones shown above your current setup in the picture. If I were doing only the ones that you are currently set up to do in the picture, I would probably use the right angle bracket and clamp down onto the workpiece instead of onto the fence, but you'd still need the fence for alignment so your method may be easier. You could just hold the jig in place with your hand, since it is anchored by the extension and you'd only have to push down and against the fence. The quick clamps are so easy to use, though, that your method is about as fast as not clamping. Wish I still had the jig and instruction booklet to play around with to see if I could figure out a better method. It has been a few years and I don't remember all the options. I bought the Jessem jig when the Dowelmax went out the door and, while I like it, I think the Dowelmax is a bit better.

Long winded way of saying that I can't improve upon your technique!

Jon