Dowel Jig - Smart Dowel - Other options

[Ken Frohnert]

I am looking for a basic dowel jig to use on edging a workbench top - I may also use it on a bookcase. I searched the posts and found the following recommendations:

1.) Dowelmax - Looks great but I cannot afford this at this point for weekend work
2.) Dowel It - Looks interesting. Less than 40 bucks on the "bay".
3.) Stanely 59 - I like old tools but wonder if the newer ones are "smarter".

However, I found the following one that looks clever but I cannot find anything about it. Mikes Tools has it for under 30.00. Here is what the site says:

"The Smart doweling Jig Model No. SD373 Made in the USA. This doweling jig was first introduced to the public in 1999 at the LA Wood Show. It was quite a hit. First of all it works on a common center principle rather than an actual center. Most of the stock today is not exactly the same thickness. This jig will insure that at least on side will be flat in the stock in not the same. Drill the holes at the same time. That means the alignment of the stock is done quickly. Just make sure the ends of the boards are flush with each other and the rest is automatic. You can join edge to end of a surface joint, edge to inside surface, it works great on miter joints like picture frames, and of course edge to edge for panel making. You can even dowel a 3/8" dowel pin into a 1/2" stock.
A supply of dowel pins is standard equipment, as is instructions."

Here is a link. http://www.mikestools.com/SD373-Smart-Doweling-Jig.aspx

It looks like it may only work with one size of dowel, however, it looks like it would work very slickly to put the edge on the workbench top. Anyone have one of these Smart Doweling Jigs or see any advanatages/disadvantages to it?

[Phil Thien]

I don't see anything about it that indicates it wouldn't work, but...

If I were edging a workbench, I think I'd use biscuits instead.

[Prashun Patel]

...or pocket screws. The Kreg pocket hole jig is about the best $40 I've spent.

Pocket screws won't require clamps while the glue dries (if you even decide to use glue). But, the pieces can get squirelly when tightening together, so you gotta use clamps to help alignment.

[Jim Becker]

If you are seriously considering using dowel joinery, then the Dowelmax gets a lot of very positive reviews. But I agree with Shawn that you should also consider pocket screws for fast assembly and good strength.

[Aaron Wingert]

I just bought a self-centering doweling jig from Woodcraft...$60'ish. It works awesome, and is very precise.

[Dewey Torres]

Not sure if you saw this thread during your searches but I found it very interesting:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=96218&highlight=dowel (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=96218&highlight=dowel)

[Peter Quinn]

I have the Dowel-it, it works well and is relatively inexpensive though its limited in terms of thickness of material it can handle, not sure how thick your bench is. Not sure why you need dowels for edging on a work bench in any event? Are you talking about a hardwood banding of some kind around the edge? Would not glue and clamps suffice?

I typically think of dowels taking the place of mortise and tenon joints in rail to style connections or other but joint formations, but most edging is a long grain to long grain orientation. Am I misunderstanding your application?

[Charles Green]

I have the Dowelmax and think it is fantastic.

A friend just bought the Joint Genie that is only $200 and he is a big fan. Go to their website and check it out. I like the feature where you can screw it on to do dowels in the middle of a large panel.

[Chuck Tringo]

Another vote for the dowelmax

[richard poitras]

Dowelmax or a Mortise Pal (Mortise Pal can dowel and or do mortises as well)

[Ken Frohnert]

I would definitely use a biscuit jointer if I had one, however, I have bought alot of tools over the last year and a half but have not invested in a biscuit jointer. Kind of thought it was not a tool I would need too often. I want to explore options like the biscuit, dowel machine by Freud, and maybe even the Festool (hum $) after I have made a few other aquisitions.

I guess maybe I am worried about doweling the top when I should just glue and clamp the edgeing. I was going to do 2 layers of 3/4 ply and 2 layers of MDF plus a replacable 1/4 hardboard top. Then band the edge with 1 1/2 SYP. Making the top about 27" by 87". I thought dowels would really help strengthen the joint between the SYP edge and the top. I guess that is not going to be required. I don't do a lot of hand work anyway - mostely power tools - so not a lot of pounding.

Phil's adaptation of the cheap jig is really clever. I don't think I would have ever thought replacing that. I may get one of those just to have around.

Elmers and clamps for me on this. Thanks.

[Ray Schafer]

I have to say that since I started using the Dowelmax, my furniture building has become much easier and much more satisfying. It is a great tool that has enabled me to attempt things that I would not have tried before.

Once again, I highly recommend the tool. You may find cheaper jigs, but in my experience, that is exactly what they turn out to be -- cheap. I have tried the Dowel Simple, the Miller Dowel, the Kreg Pocket Jig, and the Beadlock. I gave up on each of them because of their shortcomings. I have attempted few mortise and tenon joints because of the difficulty. The Dowelmax beats them all -- hands-down -- IMO. If I were going to buy one tool this would be it.

Well, tomorrow, I start putting together all the desk pieces that I cut two weeks ago. I will post pictures of the construction (using the DM).

[Don Dorn]

I agree that the DM would be a great jig, but I'm curious as to what you found were shortcomings in the Kreg Jig?

[John Thompson]

I rarely use dowels and biscuits as I am a dedicated mortise and tenon (or other joints depending on the application) sort of person but when I do... the $60 jig from Woodcraft works just fine. With that said... if I did depend on dowels as my main means of jointing, I would consider putting out more bucks for the Dowel-max. But for me, that is probably not going to happen.

Sarge..

[Ray Schafer]

I like the Kreg Jig, but there are some reasons why I don't use it on some projects. The main thing is that if I want to build a nice piece of furniture, I don't like to use screws. I want to build some pieces with no fasteners. Another thing is that I when I use the pocket screws, I have to work a little harder to make sure that they are hidden. I don't especially like to use the hole plugs, but have used them in some cases. Also, while I am the first to say that if you clamp properly, you should not get creep when you drive the screws, I sometimes get creep.

I like both, I just like to use the Dowlemax when I want hidden joinery that is more traditional. (I use the Kreg Pocket Jig a lot -- especially for quick and dirty items like shop cabinets.)

[Ray Schafer]

... and sometimes the screws strip the attaching piece and don't hold ... meaning that I have to drill a new hole to get it to grip. I think that it may work better if I hand drive the last bit so that I don't over-tighten.

[Ray Schafer]

I want to add some comments. I said in one post that I gave up on the pocket jig. That wasn't really true. I just don't use it for "nicer" furniture as I said in my subsequent post. I find the dowelmax to meet most of my needs.

One place that I do use my Kreg pocket jig consistently is when putting on face frames. I am repeating some comments that I made in another post here because they also apply to this conversation:

OK, I just watched Norm's episode three of the 9-part kitchen cabinet series (while I was on the treadmill this morning). I thought of another reason that I use pocket screws, and this is probably the most important reason that I use them. (Norm used biscuits, and I got to thinking, "how does he make sure the grooves are in the right places?")

If I use biscuits, I have to measure an exact location for the grooves. Since I over-size my face frames to ensure coverage of the plywood edge, the groove for the carcass and the groove for the face frame have two different offsets. Since I have four edges to biscuit, I have to get the measurements dead on.

If I use only glue, I have to carefully clamp, and the frames may slip as I clamp. I also have to use many more clamps.

If I used pocket screws, I can take my time in locating the frames exactly as I want them, clamp with only a few clamps (like four), and then drive the screws. I don't even really need glue. I have found this to be the easiest and least-hassle way to apply my face frames.

[Phil Thien]

Ray, I do it the same way, with one exception.

I like the bottom edge of the face fame to line up with the bottom edge of the bottom cabinet shelf (makes clean-out easier, and prevents things from banging the bottom edge of the FF as they are removed from the cabinet).

SOOOO... I use biscuits on the bottom edge, and pocket screws on all four edges (so I don't have to leave clamps on the bottom edge while the glue sets on the biscuits). It really only takes 2 biscuits on the bottom, as they are there for alignment more than anything else.

I had tried pocket screws on the bottom but sometimes would get a little creep that the biscuits seem to address.

[Ray Schafer]

That sounds like a good idea.