Stop Making Joinery Mistakes, Make This Planning Jig

Yikes, I hate making woodworking mistakes that I later need to go back and repair, that can take all the fun out of woodworking which is how I came up with this idea of the Dowel Planning Jig that anyone can make in clear plastic or even in wood, although the clear one is much more enlightening to work with, this Jig can save you time and enhance the strength of your projects by ensuring the wood you are using is being well supported by the dowels, as usual I use the Dowelmax jig because I have found it to be the most flexible doweling jig available today.

[MCsCreations]

Excellent idea, Colin! Thanks a bunch for the tip! 😃
Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[MrMarkpeggy]

Well, bless your heart, Colin. Thank you for sharing these tips with us. 👍❤️😊

[johnkanan]

Thanks for the advice and tip, not everyone can afford the dowlemax jig. 👍♥️ we really love you teaching us your knowledge.

[AndreaCuchetto]

The thicker marker I use doesn’t get close enough to the edge, so I’m glad you mentioned this new model. Thanks!

[cynthiaburen]

I always learn something new when I watch you. Thank you for your expertise!

[timpenner]

Thanks, Colin. This is simple smart idea for preventing grief.

[patrickbrown]

Thank you . That will save me a lot of time and heartburn

[hojo]

7:53 oops, you marked the holes on the top side of the bottom right piece in the wrong spot, should be closer to the right edge. I found this video very useful, thanks for sharing

[garymiller]

Thanks for sharing your jig, Colin. 😊😊😊❤❤❤

[jreynolds]

Thanks for sharing such a great idea Colin, you are alway a great source of inspiration!

[billybike]

What a fantastic idea, thanks for sharing this idea!

[monkeysnark]

Great layout jig for dowels. I think gluing an edge piece (L shaped) makes this much gooder. Since you already cut a piece using your box. Always aligns the jig to the top of the apron, and makes it easy to have the same reveal. Alternatively, you can flip the L edge upwards, and still use it in the middle of a piece, visually planning where you need the dowels.

Also, you can make the clear acrylic wider, allowing you to etch two lines. One 1/8” and another 1/4” from the edge of the apron, and paint the etch black with a marker. Now you have a dowel and reveal jig all in one. Easily mark the reveal on the legs portion.

I don’t have a dowel max thingamabob, yet, making this layout watchamacallit, I can then use my drill straight edge guide, and put holes where I want them to my ❤️ heart’s content. Always fun thinking 🤔 out of the box. Cheers

[PatioBird]

I made 3d versions of these years ago. I don’t use it very often but when I do it’s very handy to have .

[dannymurphy]

Great video. The 'carpenters triangle' is another version of your marking system Colin.

[corwind]

Oops! If you look closely at 7:47 it looks to me that the leg you are pointing to has been marked for the dowels incorrectly -- the edge you are pointing to looks correct, but if you look at the other edge of that same leg you will see that the dowel markings are towards the inside rather than the outside of the leg. It becomes clear if you then look at the lower left leg and notice how the dowel markings on the upper edge are to the outside, while the leg on the bottom right look to have those markings on the inside... I think that I'd prefer to mark the ends with the tried and true triangle method. Sorry to point this out.

[leandersmith]

good video, just one tiny extra, put on the 1234 marking site a little extra marking on the very edge the center point of the four where all the four pieces come together so you directly know what is inside.

[halthammerzeit]

Dowel hole planning jig is exactly the same as my kids wooden construction toys part. Even better, they have 3, 4, 5, 6 holes version to choose from. Hard part is borrowing it from kids.😢

[skippylippy]

I love this idea for these jigs! Thank you.
I usually use 2 dowels per joint. Even when building with 4x4 posts and 2x4 aprons. It holds together just fine.
Why use 3 or 4 dowels?

[pgprentice]

LOL and you still got some in the wrong place. I am glad I am not the only one that can do this. (The ones one III are on the inside and should be on the outside?) 😁

[dannyh.]

Lots of thin strip jigs on you tube. Yours is compact and seems to work well . Most woodworkers looking for jig to accomplish a specific task have enough experience to figure out how to construct a jig, and like in my case are just looking for an efficient design.