How to Make Dowel Pins

Doweling is a method of wood joinery where two pieces of wood are drilled and held together by a tightly fitting dowel pin. Wood glue is typically applied to the dowel pin and a mallet is used to tap the glue-covered pin into the drilled hole. Although doweling has largely been replaced by more modern techniques and specialized fasteners, many craftsmen still rely on doweling to form strong wood joints. Making your own dowel pins from pre-made dowels is simple and requires no special tools or advanced carpentry skills.

Things You'll Need

• Dowel
• Ruler
• Saw with fine blade
• Pliers
• Pencil sharpener

Instructions

1. Measure and mark the dowel to cut a dowel pin from one end. Using a saw with a fine-toothed blade, cut the dowel transversely at the mark.

2. Insert the end of the dowel pin into a manual pencil sharpener and turn the dowel just enough to slightly chamfer the end. Repeat to chamfer both ends. Rounding the shoulders of the dowel pin will make it easier to insert the pin into a drilled hole.

3. Hold the dowel pin in one hand and a pair of pliers in the other hand. Firmly grip the dowel pin with the pliers to mar the surface in many places on the pin. The irregular surface will hold wood glue and help create a strong wood joint.

References

• Sawdust Making 101: About Joints