Dowel jigs are one of the most useful tools in the woodworking industry. Although it seems like newer inventions - such as pocket hole screws and biscuit joiners - are cropping up every day, jigs still play an important role.
In case you are wondering what this role is, we’re here to help. In this guide, we’ve highlighted why you should add this device to your arsenal of tools. We have also reviewed the best dowel jigs and provide the information to help you pick the right one.
What is a Dowel Jig and Why You Should Use It
One of the easiest ways of joining boards is with the help of dowel joints.
This is particularly convenient for projects involving joining boards on the same plane. In such cases, these joints make for easy aligning, drilling and attachment using glue.
If you decide to use dowel joints, then you'll need to purchase the best dowel jig. What this tool does is that it guides the drill bit, helping you to drill hole with precision either on the end, edge or face of the board.
Some people prefer to use biscuit joiners or pocket hole screws, which work fairly well. But if you want a tool that gives you the best combination of precision and strength, use a dowel jig.
Can you make a homemade dowelling jig? Sure, you can, but we highly recommend against doing so. Here’s why:
A professionally-designed dowel jig provides maximum accuracy, which a homemade version will lack.
Moreover, a store-bought dowel jig may come with extra features you’ll need in your line of work like metal bushings and dowel pins. So is it worthy to invest in a quality dowel jig? Yes, it certainly is!
How to Choose the Right Dowel Jig
Intended Use
Dowels are typically used to create three main types of joints.
The first type is the T joint, which joins boards at 90 degree angles of each other. The second type is known as the edge-to-edge joints and they’re mainly used for making seats, tabletops, and drawers. Some dowels are used for creating edge to corner joints.
Though the majority of dowel jigs are versatile, they may not be fit for all kinds of joints. As such, you should determine the full range of use that the dowel jig is suited for before purchasing it.
At times, you’ll come across dowel jigs classified as either basic, intermediate or advanced. However, these terms can be a bit deceiving.
So just because you don’t have much experience in woodworking doesn’t necessarily mean that you should go for a simple dowel jig. While it may look easier to work with, it could end up being difficult to set up and lack the accuracy you’d get from a more advanced jig.
Bushing Size
The primary function of a dowel jig is to drill holes in a wooden piece while maintaining a high level of precision. As a woodworker, your job is then to place the dowels in the holes and glue everything together.
While there are a couple of exceptions, the hole meant to fit the dowel ought to be between ⅓ to ½ the thickness of the material. If it’s any bigger than this, the hole may end up weakening the joint.
To offer the needed versatility, most manufacturers make a wide range of bushes (which is the right term for the drill guide). The cheapest dowel jigs come packaged with one or two bushes. However, the more expensive and advanced jigs include up to six.
The most popular bush sizes are 3/16-inch, 5/16-inch, 7/16-inch, ¼-inch, ⅜-inch and ½-inch. These bush sizes correspond to the readily available dowels, which are typically sold in packs of at least 100.
Bushing Material
Other than size, another aspect you should pay attention to when buying a dowel jig is the bushing material.
Often, you’ll find that the bushings are made from one of two materials: hardened steel or anodized aluminum.
Aluminum
The greatest benefit of investing in an aluminum jig is the lightweight profile. It offers a decent amount of strength without being too bulky or heavy, which makes for easy portability.
Nonetheless, it’s crucial to note that aluminum is also highly susceptible to rust and corrosion. If you want maximum durability from it, then opt for coated or anodized aluminum, which helps to prevent rusting and corrosion.
Steel-plated
Steel is a favorite bushing material, and understandably so. Not only is it strong but it’s also resistant to corrosion.
That said, steel isn’t as cheap as aluminum. It means you may find dowel jigs with steel bushings more expensive than their aluminum counterparts.
Clamping
This is one of the most commonly-forgotten factors. But it’s one that you should pay attention to.
Here’s the thing, if your dowel is wobbly or keeps getting misaligned, you won’t achieve the level of accuracy you’d want for your woodworking projects.
Good clamping performance helps to lock down the dowel to the piece of wood. This, in turn, minimizes unnecessary movements and subsequently, errors in your drilling process.
Accuracy
One of the main reasons for buying a dowel jig is to be able to make accurate holes when drilling into a piece of wood.
As such, you’ll want to ensure that the jig can center itself properly. It should achieve this whilst still giving you room to drill a hole in the board below, which will then align with the first board.
Some jigs are designed in such a way that makes this alignment process easy, and this brings us to our next point.
Self Centering
If your projects demand a high level of accuracy, you’re better off investing in a self centering dowel jig. As implied in the name, this tool automatically centers itself on any board; hence saving you time.
Flexibility
The flexibility of a dowel jig has to do with the types and shapes of wood it can accommodate.
Some can only handle angular-shaped stock. But others offer ample flexibility, enabling you to work with circular and irregularly-shaped stock as well.
Ease of Use
Dowel joints aren’t a very sophisticated concept. At the core, the process entails getting the jig firmly held on the workpiece, then using your drill bit to create holes in the piece of wood.
So the easiest way to consider a dowel jig’s ease of use is to check whether it can be easily set up to allow drilling to take place.
Aspects like the freedom to choose between six different bushes and the presence of a self centering mechanism (explained more below) contribute to the ease of use.
Tips for Using a Dowel Jig
For the most part, using a dowel jig isn’t difficult. But there are a few tips that can help you get the most out of this tool.
- Do a quick fit test - never use dowel jigs that seem to fit loosely, lest you end up with weak joints
- Keep your hands away from the path of the drill
- If your tool is not a self centering jig, be sure to mark necessary points to drill accurately
- Don’t neglect the importance of a good clamping system. It secures the dowel to the workpiece, minimizing wobble movements; hence, improving your precision.
- Don’t be in a rush and keep things steady
- Store your dowel jig properly after use. Poor storage can lead to corrosion and rusting of the metal bushings
Reviews of the Best Dowel Jigs
1. Wolfcraft 3751405 Dowel Pro Doweling Jig Kit
Are you looking for the best dowel jig that offers a great performance all-round? If so, you’ll be pleased with the wolfcraft 3751405 model.
One thing that makes this dowel jig truly unique is the fact that it lets you drill dowel holes in both boards at the same time.
Dowels are one piece of equipment that aren’t too forgiving. As such, any minor misalignment can totally ruin your project.
Thankfully, you don’t have to worry about alignment issues with the wolfcraft 3751405 pro doweling jig. It sports 9 pre-aligned guide holes, each of which includes a hardened steel bushing that extends the jig's life.
The jig, which has a self-clamping design, includes bushing size ⅜-inch, 5/16-inch and ¼-inch dowels. It’s also designed to accommodate a stock of thickness ranging from ½ to 1-¼ inches.
Plus, it can handle all the popular joints: edge to corner, edge to edge and T-joints.
You’ll also be impressed with the array of accessories that wolfcraft 3751405 pro doweling jig comes with. Included in the package is a “how-to” doweling guide and 60 fluted dowel pins to give you a head start.
Pros
Cons
If you intend to use your dowel jig with big-sized work pieces, the Eagle America 445 7600 Professional model is your best choice.
Usually, most dowel jigs are designed to accommodate material ranging from ½ to 1 ½ inches thick. While this is sufficient for joining the majority of boards, projects require you to use bigger stock. Luckily, the Eagle America 445 7600 jig can accommodate material ranging from ¼- to 6 inches thick.
The jig’s self-centering mechanism is another nice-to-have feature. What this does is that it allows the tool to automatically center itself on the workpiece. This saves you time and helps you drill more accurate holes.
When it comes to drilling options, the Eagle America 445 7600 Professional dowel jig lets you pick from up to 5 sizes. It comes with bushings for the three most common sizes: ¼, 5/16 and ⅜-inch. It also has two fixed holes that measure 7/16 and ½ inch. Thus, with your drill bits, you'll be able to make butt, miter and edge joints.
Pros
Cons
The Woodstock D4116 is another dowel jig worth considering. It comes with a mid-range price and a decent selection of features.
One of the most striking features of the jig woodstock is the fact that it comes with six hardened steel bushings. This constitutes two for each of the ¼, 5/16 and ⅜-inch bushing size.
The Woodstock D4116 doweling jig allows you to drill dowel holes for these three popular sizes as well as 7/16- and ½-inch. To add to this, the jig also lets you drill two identical but parallel holes, without moving the unit at all.
We also like that the Woodstock D4116 doweling jig can work with lumber of different shapes and sizes. Whether it’s irregular, square or circular, the dowel jig accommodates it nicely. However, your stock should not have a thickness exceeding 2 inches.
Do you have doubts about the Woodstock being a quality dowel? Well, you can rest easy knowing that it’s backed by a 1-year warranty. It means that if anything goes wrong, you can always return it and ask for a replacement or refund.
Pros
Cons
Have you been searching for the best handheld dowel jig? If you have, you’ll be hard pressed to find a model better than the Milescraft JointMate jig.
The first thing you’ll notice about this dowel jig is its vibrant black and red color scheme. The benefit of this is that it’s easy to spot in case you lose it in your workshop. Aesthetics aside, the handheld dowel jig is also incredibly affordable. With a price that hovers around the $10 mark, it’s one of the cheapest jigs around.
Its easy-to-use self-centering system is another impressive feature. It’s made up of 4 pegs that work jointly to self-center the dowel jig. This then eliminates the need to measure or make markings.
When it comes to workpieces, Milescraft 1319 JointMate is designed to accommodate lumber that is ½ to 1 ½ inches thick. It’s equipped with hardened steel bushings that guarantee precise alignment for dowels that are ¼, 5/16 and ⅜ inches.
Pros
Cons
Wolfcraft has proven time and again that it creates power tools of exceptional quality and the wolfcraft 4641404 dowel jig is another ideal example.
One of its key highlights is that it’s able to drill holes both accurately and quickly, thanks to its self-centering feature. So if you have a woodworking project that’s urgent, this is the ultimate tool to use.
The wolfcraft 4641404 jig comes in a bright orange color, making it incredibly easy to find if you ever lose it in your workshop. It sports a sturdy design, comprising a high-impact plastic that enhances its durability.
When it comes to performance, the jig can handle lumber that is up to 1 ¼ inches thick. This is a bit of a setback considering that some jigs can handle up to 6 inch thick wood. On the brighter side, the wolfcraft 4641404 includes diameter pins for ¼, ⅜ and 5/16 inch sizes.
Pros
Cons
If you’re looking for a dowel jig that will give you years of service, the Dowl-It 1000 Self Centering model is just what you need.
Its central block is made of precision hardened steel, resulting in a corrosion resistant tool that's sure to last. Moreover, the jig’s sides are designed using rugged aluminum to hold any wood pieces securely without causing any damage.
Also important to note is that the Dowl it 1000 self centering dowel jig has been in production since 1949, and its popularity has been rising slowly over the years. This gives credence to the fact that it can stand the test of time.
When it comes to performance, the jig offers multiple holes with sizes as follows: 3/16, 1/4, 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, and ½-inch. This gives you a wider range of hole sizes to work with.
In terms of capacity, the Dowl-it 1000 is ideal for drilling stock that is up to 2 inches thick. And the shape of the wood doesn’t matter much as it accommodates both round and square shaped stock.
Pros
Cons
If you don’t mind splurging on a state-of-the-art doweling jig, the Task Premium model is just what you need.
Right off the bat, you can tell that it’s a well-constructed doweling jig. It’s made of aircraft-grade aluminum then plated with steel, resulting in one of the most corrosion resistant jigs.
The Task Premium touts a self-centering mechanism that allows you to drill accurate holes on any workpiece regardless of its shape. Another feature that contributes to this tool’s precision entails the guide holes that arrive already precision-drilled.
Moreover, the doweling jig kit includes bushings; two each of ⅜, ¼, and 5/16-inch. Thus, you get a 2 to 2-7/16 inch capacity.
Pros
Cons
Have you been searching for an all-inclusive dowel jig kit? If you have, you’ll love the Milescraft 1309 that comes equipped with an array of accessories. And the best part is, you’ll pay less than what other manufacturers charge for a single jig; hence saving money,
The kit is designed for compatibility with the hand-operated JointMate jig we reviewed earlier. Though the jig is made of plastic, the kind of plastic used here is heavy duty, adding to its durability.
Plus, it contains hardened steel inserts for ⅜ -, ¼-, and 5/16-inch drill holes. This dowel jig is suited for making dowel joints in stock with a thickness ranging from ½ to 1 ½ inches.
Included in this dowel jig kit is a nice selection of attachments including three complementary brad-point drill bits. These are perfect for drilling bore and clean holes without wandering.
The doweling jig kit also contains dowels in three sizes and steel centers, which are great for transferring hole positions from one piece of wood to another.
Milescraft was generous enough to also include wood glue, handy for fastening the wooden pieces that you drill holes into. All these accessories come neatly stored in a case, which minimizes the risk of losing any of the components.
Pros
Cons
The G1874 Improved Dowel Jig by Grizzly is another tool worth looking into. It gets top marks for having a solid build and providing maximum stability in its performance.
As is the case with the dowel jigs we’ve looked at, this one has the ability to automatically center itself. Plus, it’s designed to accommodate differently-sized stocks of up to 2 inches thick.
Another area where the Grizzly G1874 shines is in versatility. It sports 5 varying drill hole sizes ranging from ¼- to 5/16-, ⅜-, 7/16-, and ½-inch. To add to this, the dowel jig is not limited to working with only angular-shaped lumber. The self centering jig can handle round and irregularly-shaped ones too.
Plus, it shares an important similarity with the Woodstock D4116. This is the fact that it lets you make two identical and parallel holes without having to move the jig an inch.
Pros
Cons
FAQs
What is a doweling jig for?
A doweling jig’s main application is in wood joinery- one of the fundamental concepts in woodworking. Wood joinery is the process of joining two pieces of wood together.
Without it, most pieces would be carved out of one piece of wood, and this would take away from their appeal.
Now a doweling jig enables you to make strong dowel joints that hold two or more pieces of wood together. It guides the drill, allowing you to drill with accuracy. And the best part is, some jigs have pre-aligned guide holes making drilling so much easier.
Do I need a doweling jig?
Yes, you do. If your woodworking projects require you to make strong joints, a doweling jig is your best bet. Although a biscuit joiner can do the same job, and much faster, it creates rather weak joints.
What size dowel jig do I need?
The size of the dowel jig you choose boils down to the scope of your project. If you’re tackling a small scale project, then a jig with a ⅜-inch bushing will suffice. But for bigger jobs, you’ll be served by a dowel jig that comes with different sizes of bushings.
Conclusion
You’ve decided to add a dowel jig to your collection of woodworking tools. Well, you’re on the right path to achieving stronger and more stable joints in your work.
But which particular tool should you go for? In our opinion, one of the best dowel jigs on the market is the Wolfcraft 3751405 model. It features a cast aluminum body, which makes it durable without adding too much to its weight.
The best thing is, it’s suitable for making all types of joints; be it edge to corner, edge to edge or T joints. It comes with 2 clamps to help you secure the dowel, 3 depth stops and at least 60 dowel pins. Thus, you’ll have everything you need to get started on your projects.