Dowel Joinery for Beginners - 3 Rules for Success

I used dowel pin joinery for the first time as the primary joinery method on a project. I learned some hard lessons and share 3 rules that can help you be successful and avoid making the same mistakes as me.

Link for the jig I referenced:

Check out my Instagram page:

[cooltimo]

I really like your video here. Perfect length, 3 rules for easy recall, and succinct instruction. No fluff, no irrelevant stuff, and just enough. Well done sir! Thank you.

[hghtrfnko]

Great video. I was really upset when Walter got you killed. RIP

[uberpies]

Thanks brother, you really put the YOU in YouTube

[markkernen]

I have used dowels for a long time and your instructions are spot on. Thanks for clearly explaining and showing what few think about. I also use the same jig, and it works great in my shop. Thanks.

[henrysara]

Thank you for taking the time to explain dowels size.

[we-are-electric]

The centring pins are really useful. Whatever hole size you are using you can set three hole positions accurately in one go. I see many videos and people just don't seem to want to use them.

[dennisseemann]

Great instructional video, straight to the point, and an excellent summary of the important points, I wish more you-tubers would use your approach.

[awlthatwoodcrafts]

I had bought a couple of other types of dowel jigs and even with practice, I could never get a perfectly aligned joint. Then I bought the Milescraft jig and that did the trick. That jig makes it so much easier to get accurate results.

Another doweling tool that I found to be valuable are the centering pins. With those, you could just use a drill and still get good results.

Great video. To the point with helpful information.

[tdevi]

I wish i saw this video and bought a jig before i started to eyeball centering a dowel! I did get dowel centers so atleast I can line them up off center LOL!

[jocelynbeauregard]

Explanations crystal clear….thanks for sharing Sir!

[garyjeffersii]

This helps a lot.

I'll remember ASP:
Accuracy
Size
Placement

[garysevior]

thank you for explaining in lamin turns

[roidavis]

Wonderful clarity sir. Thank you very much.

[TheChauffeur]

great tips. i recently got the rockler beadlock joiner as a cheaper alternative to dominos (ahhhh, someday), but i believe there will always be a place in joinery for dowels.

[DestroManiak]

Good video, more expensive dowel jigs help too.

[timwilson]

Great video very helpful thanks. Once I converted to metric I could work out the best dowel size for my project 😅

[foodparadise]

I began using this jig and recently splurged on the full set of dowlmax and the festool domino 700, something I swore at the beginning I won't spend that kind of money.

[MDay]

like the video, though I still don't know how to get the butt joint properly, even with the jig. There is not enough contact surface to set the jig on, especially on the end grain. I think I'm missing something handy here. I screwed up my tests so much I've just opted for half laps.

[arimadx]

The problem I have had with cheap jigs is they're not accurate at all. Then I have dowels that aren't straight and/or in the exact spot I need them and then my joints don't line up right. I've bought 3 different jigs so far . I guess it's true, you get what you pay for. Just gotta pull the trigger on one that's a little more pricey

[pama]

This is what I was looking for, but the damage is already done haha.
Next time around I know what to do.