What Is a Dowel System?

Dowel systems help create strong, tight joints.

Dowels help strengthen wood joints. A dowel system refers to a jig, drill bit and, sometimes, the type of dowel all included in a kit to make producing dowel joints fast and accurate.

Dowel Joints

The woodworker drills holes into one board to accept a dowel, a length of rounded beechwood, and corresponding holes into the board to be joined. When the dowel and the joint are glued, weak joints become much stronger.

Jigs and Fixtures

Hole positioning is critical with dowel joints so the two pieces of wood can match without twisting. Dowel systems provide a jig that positions holes precisely so they match perfectly with their counterparts. Dowels included in these systems are likely to be fluted or have spiraled grooves cut in them for better glue dispersion.

Unique Systems

The Miller dowel system uses a stepped dowel that gets narrower as it gets longer. Stepped dowels have shoulder cuts at each step and the system comes with a special, stepped drill bit to make the correct holes. The Miller system produces "through" dowels, meaning the dowel heads show on the finished piece.

References

• Woodworker's Journal: Building Dowel Joints
• Sawdust Making: The Dowel Joint