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Wherever a butt joint is required, dowels are the best choice for strengthening it.
However, if you want to make perfect dowel joints, you’re going to need a solid jig. How do you pick the best one from the many models available on the market, you wonder?
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Keep reading, and you’ll find practical answers to this question, and to many others!
At a Glance: Our Top Picks for Dowel Jigs
- OUR TOP PICK: AutoToolHome Doweling Jig Punch Locator
- BEST DOWEL JIG FOR THE MONEY: Woodstock D4116
- BEST SELF CENTERING DOWEL JIG: AutoToolHome Self-Centering Dowel Jig
- BEST 45 DEGREE DOWEL JIG: General Tools 850
- BEST JESSEM DOWEL JIG: Jessem Model 08350
Comparison Chart of the Best Dowel Jigs
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| View Latest Price →Read Customer Reviews |
What Do I Need To Know Before Buying?
With a ton of different models on the market, falling for the wrong advertisement can easily make you end up with a useless dowel jig. Here’s what you must always consider, in order to purchase the best dowel jig out there:
Some Dowel Jigs Offer More Flexibility
Apart from knowing the difference between them, you must also consider if you need all that versatility. Do you work on a wide range of tasks? Need T-joints, edge-to-edge, or edge-to-corner dowel joints? If so, what sizes do you estimate you’ll work with? Depending on the complexity of your work, you might need a more complex – and expensive – dowel jig.
Accuracy Is Of The Essence
An accurate dowel jig will allow you to create perfect joints without any misalignment. But this accuracy depends on many things. For starters, the dowel jig must be perfectly machined and polished, to have a really flat surface. Then, it must have an effective clamp system. And if it also comes with self-centering operation, it’s even better.
Materials Make A Difference
You’ll notice a couple of different material options. Aluminum, for once, is an accessible choice (price-wise). And it also has the advantage of being lighter and more portable. But because it is a relatively soft metal, it can scratch or corrode easier. So, you will want either an aluminum jig that was treated against corrosion or a more expensive, steel model.
Review of the Best Dowel Jigs
Knowing what a dowel jig is and when you should use one, you’re probably anxious to see how it actually looks and what features it comes with. Take a look at some of the best-rated models, to see what you can expect and what makes a difference.
Best Overall:
AutoToolHome Doweling Jig
PROS
CONS
Our Review
Our best overall selection carries the AutoToolHome label, and it’s a pretty uniquely designed dowel jig kit. It lets you drill holes of 1/4-, 3/8-, or 5/16-inch, and its parallel arms can hold a workpiece of up to 2.4-inches width. Moreover, you can clamp it on stock ranging from 5/8-inch to over 1 inch.
The combination of aluminum drill guide and steel bushings make it a strong and durable dowel jig. And you can expect it to stand up the test of time with ease. Should you need to drill up to three holes precisely spaced, the adjustable center bar with end-stop will let you do it easily.
What Makes This Product Stand Out?
As mentioned above, this doweling jig has a one of a kind design. It relies on a parallelogram shape, with parallel arms that you can adjust in a snap. Not only it can better accommodate the thickness of the stock, but it will also allow you to spot its center fast, easy, and most importantly, with accuracy!
Best for the Money:
Woodstock D4116
PROS
CONS
Our Review
A practical, well-made dowel jig like the D4116 is a top choice from the popular Woodstock manufacturer. A one-year warranty accompanies it, and it comes at a reasonable price. There are six bushings included in the package, the hardened-steel, solid type. And through it all, it’s a small doweling jig you’ll want to invest in.
Like most of the top-rated dowel jigs, this one, too, can hold stock as thick as 2 inches. The drill-hole selection is set to five of the most common sizes: 1/4-, 5/15-, 3/8-, 7/16-, and, of course, 1/2-inch. And the device will center automatically, not only on round and square shapes, but also on irregular stock.
What Makes This Product Stand Out?
Easy to use and quite intuitive, Stockwood’s dowel jig has a nice advantage: it lets you drill two holes, identical and parallel, with one jig setting. If you need to make more than one dowel hole, with this jig, you no longer have to move it after each hole. Increased speed and accuracy are always nice to enjoy with your woodwork, and that’s what this dowel jig helps with!
Best Self Centering Dowel Jig:
AutoToolHome Self-Centering Dowel Jig
PROS
CONS
Our Review
Here’s a great-looking, smartly-designed doweling jig carrying the AutoToolHome label. With 5 drill-hole sizes and 6 hardened steel bushings included in the package, it gives you what many other dowel jigs would, but for a highly attractive price point.
Like you'd want from a top-quality product, it features self-centering operation, so you don't have to worry about the holes' precision. No gaps will be left, and no offsets should occur when you work with this jig. The hole sizes are set to 1/4-, 5/16-, 3/8-, 7/16, respectively 1/2-inch, covering a wide range of applications.
What Makes This Product Stand Out?
Made of aircraft-grade aluminum, this dowel jig is sturdy enough for you to enjoy it in the long run. But it also features a stylish design that makes you feel proud you have it in your arsenal. It helps to drill for joints that require precise alignment with dowel pins. And it works very well not only with butt joints but also with miter or edge joints.
Best 45 Degree Dowel Jig:
General Tools 850
PROS
CONS
Our Review:
It might haven’t occurred to you, but there are instances when the best dowel jig isn’t an actual dowel jig. In this case, the best 45-degree dowel jig you could get your hands on is an all-in-one pocket hole jig kit with 76 pieces. It can do a lot of things, including, you’ve guessed it, perfect 45-degree angled holes for dowels.
Easy to use once you get to know its parts and how to make the best of it, it will prove a highly versatile and portable tool. It creates accurate holes, it is FSC compliant, and comes with an irresistible lifetime warranty.
What Makes This Product Stand Out?
With so many accessories in the package and an attractive price tag, you can be sure that buying this kit is the only investment you’ll need. The angled drill capacity makes it ideal for 45-degree dowels. And the fact that it comes with wooden dowels in the package is clearly something out of the ordinary, as you’re not getting these in other kits.
Best Jessem Dowel Jig:
Jessem Model 08350
PROS
CONS
Our Review:
This master kit from JessEm is a finely crafted tool that any professional would love to have at hand. After all, the name says it all, it’s a master set that lets you effortlessly drill dowel holes on either the face or the end of a workpiece, using a multi-hole configuration, with pre-sets incrementing at 1/8-inches.
The construction is so sturdy that you’ll feel it is well worth the investment. And the alignment slots it comes with will give you a lot more flexibility in matching and aligning the dowel holes with precision. Even when they are further apart spaced!
What Makes This Product Stand Out?
The professional design left aside, this master kit has one of the sturdiest constructions you’ll come around. It is built of aluminum, but machined with a CNC, for a flawless construction. And for extra durability, the aluminum was also anodized.
Best Milescraft Dowel Jig:
Milescraft 1311 JointPro
PROS
CONS
Our Review
Milescraft’s professional jig looks like no other, and you can clearly tell it’s not a tool for the newbies. This being said, it won’t mind you too much either that it doesn’t come with self-centering operation. The detailed instructions included in the box should be more than enough.
Consider it for drilling matching holes, up to six at once, without having to change the setup. And so, expect to get the strongest joints out there. The 3 hole sizes supported by steel bushing blocks can be set to 1/4-, 5/16-, or 3/8-inches. And with this setting, you’re actually enjoying a lot of work options.
What Makes This Product Stand Out?
As we said, this is a tool for the more experienced operators. And as long as you know the drill, you’ll know exactly how to use it. Those who want a dowel jig that sits firmly right where you clamp it, won’t help but appreciate the option to simultaneously clamp both boards, for precise alignment of the holes.
Honorable Mention:
Dowl-it 1000
PROS
CONS
Our Review
The Dowl-it 1000 from Rockler is one of the best dowel jigs currently on the market, closely competing against our best overall selection. It’s a Limited Edition with a simple yet elegant design. And it features 7 different boring sizes, from 3/16 to 1/2 inches. The most it can clamp is 2-inch wide workpieces, and that’s a good-enough size for most of your carpentry projects.
To make sure it will last, it has this solid steel center bloc, the precision hardened type. And thanks to the self-centering action for both round and square stock, it’s a pleasure to work with. Not to mention, the price tag makes it quite affordable, so you have even more reasons to try it.
What Makes This Product Stand Out?
You’ll only need to take one look at the Dowl-it 1000, and you won’t help but notice what a simple operation it facilitates. It is solidly built, with an intuitive design, and a large, straightforward clamping screw. Plus, it has no loose parts that you might easily lose, so it’s highly portable and ideal even for first-timers.
What is a Dowel Jig?
A dowel jig is a tool designed to facilitate joining wood boards while creating dowel joints. Small and quite straightforward in operation, it simply requires placing the jig on the workpiece and using one of its holes to drill through it.
Of course, for the best results, a dowel jig must come with a reliable clamping mechanism. Self-centering is yet another ideal feature, as it allows the tool to center and align on the workpiece without you having to work on it.
Last but not least, a dowel jig must feature a wide range of bushings, though not necessarily unique sizes. It’s best that it comes with bushings in pairs because unique hole sizes will force you to move the jig every time you want to make a second dowel hole.
When Would I Use a Dowel Jig?
Needless to say, a dowel jig is required wherever you need to create and work with dowel holes and wooden pegs. It helps you secure two wooden workpieces together, and even though it isn’t the only way to do it, dowels can be the best way to do it. So, the top three applications of a dowel jig would involve situations when you need:
Extra Strength With Your Joints
Whether you’re setting up butt or miter joints, if you need extra strength, you can get it with a tiny glued dowel. Basically, you set up your joint and drill a hole into its ends, where you insert a peg with a little bit of glue. The additional strength you’ll get from it is quite impressive.
Proper Alignment Of Workpieces
In projects where you need to glue and clamp pieces together, alignment issues are common. By adding dowels to the joints of the workpieces you glue, position maintenance is ensured with minimum effort and maximum benefits.
Projects With Pin Joints
Pin joints allow some relative rotation of two objects, around a single axis. With twisting bringing new forces into the equation, if you want your joints to last, you can do it with a dowel hole. It’s much easier and still very effective, compared to using tail & pin connections.
How to Use a Dowel Jig
Using a dowel jig to perfection takes a good quality tool and a little bit of practice. You know, by now, how a quality dowel jig looks like. So, let’s move on to the actual working process.
- Begin by marking your working material, to know precisely on what side you need to drill the holes;
- Place the dowelling jig onto the workpiece and secure it – if it comes with its own clamp you should be able to use it, if not, you’ll need to get a manual clamp yourself and use it to secure the two pieces;
- Check the length of the drill compared to the height of the workpiece, to make sure you’re not using an oversized drill;
- Feel free to add a spacer onto your dowel jig or use a stop collar with your drill and adjust it accordingly;
- Proceed to drill the holes in the first workpiece;
- Remove the clamp and take out the first stock, just so you can secure the second and repeat the steps for drilling the pair holes;
- When you’re done, you can put the dowels in the holes – they should fit snugly – and join the two workpieces.
To see the steps of the process above described and to enjoy some practical, extra tips, watch the following video:
Conclusion
A dowel jig makes your joints stronger and your job easier. There are plenty of options to pick from, and now you also know how to choose the one that best suits your needs. Depending on how often you need to drill dowel holes and on what sizes, you’ll know exactly what models to consider, which ones are worth the investment, and which aren’t.
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