Dowelmax users please show your work

[James Leonard]

Hello, I am a new Dowelmax owner and I would love to see what others here on the Creek have done with this tool.

-James Leonard

[Jim Becker]

James, can you post a picture of the "Dowelmax"? I'm not familiar with it and I suspect there are others in the same boat... ;)

[Andrew Williams]

I use it to join plywood, and to make various types of frame joinery. this 6-drawer cabinet was made completely with dowelmax. It took a while to do all the drawer webs as well as the side frames, but dowelmax did the job well. The drawer are just old-fashioned dovetails.

{bad link to previous attachment}

I kind of prefer doing M&T, but that is just from being a purist. The dowelmax joints are every bit as strong when you use a lot of compressed dowels.

I will look in the archive for a picture of the unit too. Here's a shot of using it to attach a small long top piece to a headboard. That headboard was all M&T but dowelmax helped strengthen the joint for the top.

I talked at length to the inventor of dowelmax and I think he's great and recommend his product.

[Brian Knodel]

I used the dowlmax to attach the legs to the box … one rather expensive jig but one I would not like to be without … very accurate and versatile! I’ve heard some folks say that with this jig they will no longer do mortise and tennon joinery, I’m not one of them, just stating what I’ve heard and how much some people like the jig.

Brian
62109

[Andrew Williams]

Nice work Brian! Did you shape the legs after attaching them?

[Brian Knodel]

Nice work Brian! Did you shape the legs after attaching them?
Thanks Andrew, the legs were shaped prior to assembly using this small tapering jig.

Brian
62111

[James Leonard]

Hi,

Thanks! Do you think a system like the Beadlock would complement this since many members think M&T is necessary even with an accurate multi-dowel jig such as this? My primary use will be to enforce alignment for the 'wings' on neck-though guitars and basses I plan to start making soon. I also want to use it to join mitered frames.

My first piece of furniture will be a 'Feng Shui' full length mirror for my Chinese wife. All of our bedroom furniture is Red Oak (master suite / mini apartment addition above my workshop). The mirror will have two doors on hinges to cover it when it is not in use. Having a mirror facing ther bed is considered 'bad luck' when you are in the bed! Otherwise she says it is OK, so I will be starting this design soon.

-James Leonard

[Jim Becker]

James, Beadlock is a nice system...and simple to make the mortise, but requires you buy either expensive tenon stock or expensive router cutters to make your own. Mortising with a router and making tenon stock with your table saw and router is relatively easy and quite economical.

[Scott Loven]

James, can you post a picture of the "Dowelmax"? I'm not familiar with it and I suspect there are others in the same boat... ;)
Dowelmax review (http://www.woodshopdemos.com/nprod-9.htm)

[Robert Mayer]

Glad to see more users. Its a really great tool thats underrated.

I just got mine last week. Ill try to post a few pictures this afternoon. I have some projects coming up thats its going to be used heavily.

I have a fish tank im going to build soon thats going to have a really heavy frame that will use a lot of dowels, probably double rows of them. The tank is a giant and the dowels will be perfect.

I actually prefer the dowels from woodcraft. They are about 1/2" longer and seem to fit a bit tighter than the ones that dowelmax sells.

[Robert Mayer]

James, Beadlock is a nice system...and simple to make the mortise, but requires you buy either expensive tenon stock or expensive router cutters to make your own. Mortising with a router and making tenon stock with your table saw and router is relatively easy and quite economical.

Maybe it was just me, but I could never get the beadlock to work good. The beadlock would always fit extremely tight. It was a pain to clean all the holes out with a screwdriver when some wood chips would stick on the sides.

[Les Schlanger]

James,
I have used the Dowelmax on several projects, and it is a precision tool.
I have joined webframes and the like with it, and it is very accurate. There is a short learning curve when first using it, but it is very intuitive. I suggest marking each piece as described in the instructions until you are very familiar with the jig. Best of luck!!
Les

[Andrew Williams]

Frankly, I think Dowelmax is just as strong and accurate as M&T. I think the main reason why I like M&T (especially hand cut) is just a sort of Zen woodworking thing.

People can argue quite a bit about the strength issue, but so far nobody has done a stress test with 4 or 5 dowels in a row the way dowelmax does them EXCEPT the dowelmax folks themselves. Tests came out equal. The first time I assembled a joint with a zillion compressed 3/8" dowels I knew it was not going to break.

That said, I still like M&T :P





Hi,

Thanks! Do you think a system like the Beadlock would complement this since many members think M&T is necessary even with an accurate multi-dowel jig such as this? My primary use will be to enforce alignment for the 'wings' on neck-though guitars and basses I plan to start making soon. I also want to use it to join mitered frames.

My first piece of furniture will be a 'Feng Shui' full length mirror for my Chinese wife. All of our bedroom furniture is Red Oak (master suite / mini apartment addition above my workshop). The mirror will have two doors on hinges to cover it when it is not in use. Having a mirror facing ther bed is considered 'bad luck' when you are in the bed! Otherwise she says it is OK, so I will be starting this design soon.

-James Leonard

[John Vigants]

Have researched the options I've come to the conclusion that in spite opf what seems like a high price this ios probably the best solution for me (no intention of struggling through traditional M&T joints!). ANyone have one to sell used? Also looking for a Kreg Master.

[Bruce Benjamin]

I agree that going the router and homemade tenon stock route is cheaper. But I don't think that the BeadLOCK bits are all that expensive. At least not if you shop around a little. You can get both the 3/8" and 1/2" bits combined for under $100 from Amazon right now. I bought mine a couple years ago and got them on sale for even less than they are now. I didn't see the main part of the BeadLOCK Jig for sale at Amazon now but you can buy it elsewhere for less than $50 for both the 3/8" and 1/2" setup. Combine that with the router bits and you end up under $150. Since then I've seen a knock off of the BeadLOCK bits sold at one or two of the online companies that sell router bits for a good price. They didn't specify the BeadLOCK name but it did say, "For loose tenon joinery" so what else could they be for? Nobody else can easily make one of those joints without the BeadLOCK jig.

I looked over the Dowel Max jig and it certainly looks well made. But I don't see a lot of difference in function between that and the BeadLOCK jig. From what I can see you use them both in a similar way. The Dowel Max comes with thicker spacers but you can add that to the BeadLOCK too. You can use the BeadLOCK for drilling single dowel holes too. One advantage I see with the Dowel Max is the ability to use 1/4" dowels. I wish the Beadlock had a 1/4" option for smaller work.

They both have a drawback in my opinion. Angled joints, like you would make with a chair frame means you have to make a wedge to hold the jig. If you make the same angled joint a bunch of times it's worth the time but if you only need it for a couple of joints then it seems like a bit of a hassle. Looking at the pictures on the Dowel Max website, that fancy wedge with an extended clamping surface doesn't look like it would be easy to make accurately. To me that takes away a lot of the time saving advantage of either jig. I've only used mine a few times on straight joints and never on an angled joint. So maybe it's not as hard as it appears to get it just right. On the other hand, making traditional angled mortise and tenons isn't exactly easy either. At least not to me.

Bruce



James, Beadlock is a nice system...and simple to make the mortise, but requires you buy either expensive tenon stock or expensive router cutters to make your own. Mortising with a router and making tenon stock with your table saw and router is relatively easy and quite economical.

[Mack Cameron]

Have researched the options I've come to the conclusion that in spite opf what seems like a high price this ios probably the best solution for me (no intention of struggling through traditional M&T joints!). ANyone have one to sell used? Also looking for a Kreg Master.Hi John; don't hold your breath waiting for a used Dowelmax to turn up!:) There is no such thing in my opinion, only the one in my shop. The only way you would get it from me is tearing it from my cold dead hands.

[Mack Cameron]

Hi James; both of these chest were constructed using the Dowelmax. I've sworn off M & T's.

[Joe Diggs]

I can't remember the title, but I read something about dowels, and they are kind of a weak joint compared to M & T. The test was basically a raised panel/face frame type joint (T & G) comparing adding M & T, dowels, and lag bolts, and finally plain (just T & G). This particular test and joint the MT didn't show separation until like 1500lbs, and finally broke at like 2400, where the dowel reinforced was the worst (sep at 400, failure less than 700) Numbers aren't exact, but I was just remember that the MT was SO much better and the dowels made this particular joint weaker. (I'm sure every use of dowels doesn't...I think the point was that what you might think is reinforcing, wasn't).

Just food for thought.

[James Leonard]

Hi James; both of these chest were constructed using the Dowelmax. I've sworn off M & T's.

Wow! Beautiful work! Thanks for sharing that. I can't wait to get some things going myself.

-James Leonard

[Tim Dorcas]

I just purchased the Dowelmax jig and have done a couple of test joints to see how it works. I am quite impressed with what I have seen so far. I think this is another tool in the arsenal for creating projects.

That said, I constantly hear dowel users talk about strength relative to mortise and tenon joints. I don't think dowels are a complete replacement for m & t's. If you're dedicated to your craft I think you have to know how to correctly create this joint. On the other side of the equation, as long as you know where to use dowels, I don't think there is a lot of danger of your project falling apart if you use them.

Tim

[Thomas Smith]

I attached the legs to the apron pieces for an entertainment centre I'm building, using Dowelmax. This thing is a gem! Definately a worthwhile purchase. I won't use it for all my joinery, but it's so precise and so easy to use, it will get used alot!

http://lh3.google.com/image/kandtwoodworking/RiJIgvFGpAI/AAAAAAAAAOM/cDFLC0uSQbg/s400/IMG_1565.JPG

http://lh4.google.com/image/kandtwoodworking/RiJIj_FGpCI/AAAAAAAAAOc/035Tv6hp_fw/s400/IMG_1567.JPG

[Gary Herrmann]

I've got one. I don't use it for adding strength to joints, but for alignment, like in this tabletop:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=27446

[Andrew Williams]

I think I saw that same vid, Wood magazine. I talked to the inventor of Dowelmax and he mentioned that very article. He was livid, since they just used two uncompressed dowels, whereas the same joint could be done with the dowelmax with 4 compressed dowels. He routinely makes joints with far more dowels than that.




I can't remember the title, but I read something about dowels, and they are kind of a weak joint compared to M & T. The test was basically a raised panel/face frame type joint (T & G) comparing adding M & T, dowels, and lag bolts, and finally plain (just T & G). This particular test and joint the MT didn't show separation until like 1500lbs, and finally broke at like 2400, where the dowel reinforced was the worst (sep at 400, failure less than 700) Numbers aren't exact, but I was just remember that the MT was SO much better and the dowels made this particular joint weaker. (I'm sure every use of dowels doesn't...I think the point was that what you might think is reinforcing, wasn't).

Just food for thought.

[Neil Lamens]

Hi James; both of these chest were constructed using the Dowelmax. I've sworn off M & T's.

Hi Marc:

Nice work there!!!

Just an aside...........but in the first picture, to the left I see a contemporary chest of drawers did you build that????

Neil

[Mack Cameron]

Hi Marc:

Nice work there!!!

[quote]Just an aside...........but in the first picture, to the left I see a contemporary chest of drawers did you build that????Hi Neil; no I can't take credit for that!