I remember the first test joint I made with my Dowelmax….it was 100% accurate in all respects. Well worth the time it might take to set it up. I was so pleasantly surprised that I took my sample to the Lee Valley employee who sold it to me…he was equally impressed, and showed it to the manager. Keep the content coming…it’s appreciated.
Absolutely couldn’t agree more. I have had a dowelmax for several years and it’s fantastic. Finely engineered product. It’s crazy the negative views of dowel joinery out there. It’s baffling.
If you purchase the DowelMax (or any other brand dowel jig) I highly recommend that you also purchase a second drill and drill depth stop as you often use two different settings. Wish someone had told me this when I ordered my DowelMax. Great product!
I love using the Dowelmax. As a life long woodworker, my only regret is I wished I have bought one sooner. It is worth every dollar you pay for the jig.
Thank you so much for making this video!! I think Dad had one of these Dowelmax jigs. Now I just need to go find it in the buckets of stuff I rescued from his workshop after he passed. I love using Dad's tools whenever I can. And now I have a much better idea of how that jig is supposed to work.
Great explanation! I have the same Dowelmax jig and love it. I'm new to the woodworking world and if I can use it effectively anyone can use it. Yes, it is a bit expensive but holy cow is it worth it. Also, I like your sense of humor.
James Krenov not only used dowel joinery extensively, he also made his own dowel jigs from hardwood. This is an approach that I can attest works well, particularly when you want to put dowels in the ends of curved panels. Very interesting stuff. You make each of the following points clearly: dowels employed properly provide excellent joinery; in some case, they are the most practical joint to use, such as with the case divider you illustrated in this video; good dowels properly fitted are wicked strong. ✔✔ The Dowelmax jig is good gear, too. Pricey at first glance, but the value and the precision are well worth the price, IMO. Thanks for the video.
Very technical using shims and spacers .But explained to perfection .Very easy to follow once i knew what you where trying to archive. Brilliant video many thanks Gerald south wales UK
I was a dowel skeptic...until recently when I found the Dowelmax. Since that time, dowels are my first choice for joinery. I find the Dowelmax process to be very accurate as long as precautions to be sure the jig doesn't lift or slip. It is way faster than mortise & tenon and every bit as strong. My experience with the jig is consistent with the video. Thanks for doing this video!!!
I love my Dowelmax. The board-fence is a neat technique.that I hadn't though of. Thanks! Caveat emptor-don't drill into the hole next to the indexing/referencing pin-you will damage the head of the pin with the stop collar.
The reason cheap particle board department furniture can even have a chance to stay put together and stand IS because of the dowels. That should tell how awesome they are. I made my whole upper kitchen cabinets using a cheapo plastic dowel jig and took time but it was easy and super strong construction. I ordered the new dowelmax and it is on its way. Cant wait to get it so I can finish the doors !
Damn. I just about had myself talked out of the Dowelmax and into the Jessem Stainles THEN I watched your darn video. Thanks. You just cost me mucho beer money.
I have a dowel max and I love it. Obviously you know what you're doing but you made the Dowel Max seem more complicated than any other video I've ever seen explaining the Dowel Max
Instead of measuring a 4 1/2 mm setback, scribe a vertical centerline on each end of the dowel block using a scratch awl. If you take care doing this and really make it accurate, you now have a scribe mark on each end of the dowel block that shows you exactly where the center of the dowel holes will be. It’s an easy change to start marking the Center lines of your panel or joinery layout. Then use your fence to align the jig and you’re all set. I’ve always wondered why Dowelmax didn’t add the centerline mark to their jig because it is definitely a world-class jig. I love this thing!
I carefully etched a mark on the middle of each end of the his with a triangle file. I draw a similar line on the face, but on the dowel center. The trickiest part is setting the fence. I clamp the jig body to the face, then carefully place the fence and clamp it. It works quite well. @@mattelias721
I love my Dowelmax jig. I made a 14' 3 sided LVL beam cover using 3/4" Maple plywood. Could not have kept the 4d degree miters accurate without it. Thanks!
Dowel joinery is great. I use it for all kinds of situations. Haven't used the Dowelmax, but have lots of positive experience using the Jessem. Clearly, a good jig will produce good results.
Terrific video and great to see a woodworker doing a video. I have the Jessem doweling jig and like it alot. But, there are certain dowel joinery applications that Dowelmaxx does easier. I am going to invest in a Dowelmaxx for those instances. Long live the Krenov methods ! Thanks again for your efforts.
Thank you for this video. I use mostly dowels, and sometime a combination of dowels and pocket screws. My prefered dowel jig is the one made by Jessem, but yours looks great as well.
Agree on your assessment of dowel joints. I don't have a DowelMax yet ($$), but wish I'd never spent the money for the other crappy kinds. Also agree that, 'gription,' is a word.
I have both the Dowelmax and Domino machines. Got the Domino first and made all my kitchen cabinets with it.(hobbyist woodworker).Bought the Dowelmax a few years later. My first project was an entertainment center.Probably used a hundred dowels on it including triple rows of 2-1-2 spacing.Every hole lined up! As to the strength of dowels vs Dominos--Dowels have fluted sides-gaps that may or may not swell to make connection to the wood grain(glue not a gap filler).Also seen some recent demos of the good glue strength of end grain.Also wondered if spiral cut dowels would give more face grain surface.
I am one of those with a prejudice against dowels. Your video makes me rethink my viewpoint, but in my defense, how I came by this negative view of doweling is from fixing so many chairs and tables with split legs, broken off and pulled out dowels. I think the lesson to learn is to design and use joinery appropriate for the piece.
Agree. There are very good use cases for dowel joints. And I agree IKEA's use of dowels in their junky furniture has given dowels a bad rep. My family has a 50 year old dinning table that where dowels are used to align the removable table leafs.
If you use double sided tape to stick desiccant packs to the lid, you’ll be less likely to puncture them by accident; they will be out of the way when the case is opened, and directly over the compartment while closed
I've never punctured a desiccant pack in my entire life and they don't bother me floating around in there, but I do like your other suggestions. Thanks for sharing them.
@@themountaintopjoinersshop8422 it’s just more convenient in my opinion. I use this method with herbs by attaching desiccant packs to mason jar lids instead of inside the herbs themselves so they can’t be punctured by accident
Here is a question, when talking about your normal make a dovetail grove front to back you mention that is not an option. Ok, but what about a stopped dovetail from back to wherever it needs to end? Thanks!
Informative video. In this application both boards have the sane grain direction. How do you use the dowels when one board has grain 90 degrees to the other which could cause problems with wood movement due to seasonal moisture changes?
The same rules apply as with mortise and tenon joints. Your row of dowels shouldn't be any wider than a tenon would be in the same situation, which depending on the wood and its grain orientation, could be anywhere from 2.5" or 3" up to 6", very roughly speaking (every situation is different).
Great video as always I know not the topic, but would a stopped (tapered) sliding dovetail be an option for this case? New to woodworking so trying to learn strengths and weakness to joint options.
Tapered sliding dovetails are a fantastic option from a strength perspective, but I've found that doing them by hand to my own standards is a finicky, gawd awful, time consuming pain in the arse. Your mileage may vary of course but my personal experience has taught me to do anything but.
I was surprised to hear you say the glued stopped dado wouldn’t be strong enough. Would you be more inclined to go to the dado joint if the panel were a horizontal shelf instead of a vertical divider? I liked the video and you made a good case for the use of dowels which I admit I wasn’t a snob about but did categorize it as less than the good old fashioned dado.
I'd prefer a dado joint for a horizontal shelf if I felt like the case sides needed to be tied to each other for the extra strength that provides and I couldn't dovetail them in. Otherwise, I like the idea of adjustable shelves.
I've personally always found those much more time consuming and finicky than they're worth with the tools I have, but if you've got them down pat, they're a great option from a structural standpoint.
Much of the expressed need for ANY methodology can often be sourced to mere marketing promotion and the accompanying money grubbing. Choices are great until you find that you have not mastered anything…….
