Gorgeous Hardwood Dowel Joinery Kitchen Stool (FREE Plans) - One day Woodworking Build

On today’s woodworking build we’re making a walnut kitchen stool with really cool hardwood dowel joinery. This is a quick build with free plans available on my website. There is a dxf file included as well as a full size template for the legs. These dowels are going to be a big part of my woodworking projects in the future. Let me know what you’d like to see next. Thanks for watching! Please like, comment and subscribe. Cheers!
----
----
----
----
----
----
Woodworking in SLOW MOTION Playlist:
----
----
Check me out on social media:
----
Tools I love:
MY CNC MACHINES (I highly recommend both)
----
Camera Gear:

Musicbed SyncID:
MB01EWJGYHJ3IMS

[CaptainRorke]

Thank you Jonathan for showing so many people the Miller Dowel, which my dad invented about 20 years ago.

Is it a fastening system or is it a joinery method? Both? Neither?

In the 60's, my dad worked in my grandfather's upholstery shop. A big part of the job was furniture repair, often replacing screws with through dowels in failed joints. Wood joinery generally has superior shear strength and durability. Through-pegging works, but, like all joinery, it takes more time than re-screwing with bigger screws.
Over the years, my dad tried many different ways to make through-pegging faster and easier...many different things. Has anyone ever seen a drill bit shaped like a golf tee? Well, he made some. The idea didn't work because tapered pegs split wood from a wedging dynamic. If tapped in gently, a tapered peg can easily back out and fail.

The Miller Dowel idea seems pretty simple when you see the stepped dowel sitting next to the drill bit. The bit is stepped to match each section of the dowel. So simple. But since one is worthless without the other, nobody had done it previously.

Basically, the Miller Dowel (MD) has a tapered effect without any actual taper. The MD is about 2/3 inserted before it engages resulting in less compression and friction. When the MD is tapped home, the only section to seat is the top section, which acts as a head to keep the top board clamped down.



The Miller Dowel results in strong joints because 1 - Wood is strong. 2 - Modern glue is amazing.

Of course, there is no joinery or fastening tool that does it all. A cool thing about the Miller Dowel is that you just need a drill, hammer, glue, a saw, wood, and a project. Where it works, it works great.

Thanks again for posting this on your program. I know this and all the positive comments mean a lot to my dad, Mike Miller.

[marcineczek]

Great stool. Classic! It's nice to find someone who uses those dowels. I know Mr. Miller and he is super nice guy. Those dowels are pretty cool improvement on regular dowels. I used them on few projects and I'm pretty impressed with the quality.

[joshsebbage]

Honestly one of, if not my favourite, woodworking channel just based on learning from you, I honestly can't tell you how many techniques I use in my day to day life that I've learnt from here

[phillipjarvis]

Ive been watching woodworking videos for quite some time and just recently found this page. To be honest I’d like to write a very vulgar letter to YouTube and ask why this page has not been recommended to me sooner. This is by far and hands down the best YouTube woodworker channel period. Thank you for the time and effort and great content sir.

[nicholasbodnar]

I've been using these dowels for over a 12 years now. I love using them they definitely are the way to go with dowel joinery. Great simple project for people to try out.

[ronh]

I use R4 screws to put it together, which also gives me a pilot for the Miller Dowel drill and replace the screws one at a time.
Ron

[wwscott]

Hello young man, I'm back. I have been using these dowels for many years now and as you say they are super fantastic and all that. I have down loaded the paper template and will make two of them and use them for shabby sheik tables for small lamps. Over here they are called Miller Dowels and they come with the correct size of drill. Take care BIG GUY.

[TheDrkaplun]

Thank you, Jonathan! Your sentence "There are no mistakes, only features" is AMAZING! I am a feature guy now :)

[dylanmoe]

I used Miller Dowels a few years ago for an ottoman build and a bathroom stool build. They work wonderfully!

[billm]

Thank you for taking the time to make the plans and offer them for free. I didn't think I could use a stool but I have a 16 month old thats starting to climb and he might like it.

[ScottWalshWoodworking]

Beautiful! My girlfriend has requested a step stool, so this will be useful inspiration for that future project.

[alexjames]

The best thing about this project is that it's really easy to make with hand tools as well. Accented fixings look great, give extra strength and are simple to repair as the years go by. (If needs be).

[Erth]

Thanks 🙏🏼 for your video! Thanks for making it in metric! Respect for being honest about your mistakes. Keep up the great 👍 videos!

[MrCharles]

Just did the whole unzip thing. Easy enough. Also, i've had your dovetail tool for few years; enjoy it.

[cheryldawkins]

I started using these dowel years ago. I love them! They look great when you use contrasting woods.

[wb_finewoodworking]

I’ve been using Miller Dowels for at least fifteen years. As you said they are great. One thing I’ve run into over the years is making sure all the wood dust from drilling the holes is out of the hole before gluing in the dowel. It can cause big problems because the dowel will not go all the way into the hole. As you mentioned, using too much glue can be a problem as well. The other hint on the Miller Dowels is to make sure that the drill bit goes deep enough. The fat part of the tapered drill bit is the same diameter as the fat end of the dowel. If the hole is stopped short the dowel won’t go deep enough for the fat end of the dowel to fill the hole.

[itkills]

You the man Jonathan!! Love your channel and thanks for all your tips and tricks. Very helpful!

[silver-hymi]

Love the contrast in the beautiful timber! Great video!

[jonathantiritilli]

Thanks for your content. Some close friends and family have inspired me to take up wood working and you help make it possible with your videos.

[omaromar-lgyu]

man thanks alot for your plan very useful again thanks a lot.