Customer Reviews

Dowelmax Kit Precision Engineered Joining System

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I just received the Dowelmax today. I watch the included 45 minute video and that made the concept easy. Then I went into the shop and tried to create my first dowel joint. I marked both outer surfaces with a check mark and put an X on the face where the two pieces meet. What I had a hard time accepting is that I had to reference the one piece off of one side of the jig, then reference the mating piece off of the other end of the jig. I couldn't believe that both ends could be engineered and made so perfectly that both ends would have the same exact registration, but it does. This tool is made on a CNC machine to an accuracy to within 1/1000th of an inch. At first I used the same end on both pieces but that creates an off center fit, then when I finally accepted that both ends are EXACTLY made the same, I did the proper method and reversed the other piece to the other end, it came out perfect. There is something in the mechanics of creating dowel joints that forces the use of opposite ends. Something to do with making dowel holes on two different planes of the wood. One on the tip and the other along the side.
I popped for the extra money for the Dowelmax because I am into precision. I calibrate my Incra table saw fence with a dial caliper and the fence maintains the one thousandth of an inch accuracy along the entire length. I use a Bosch digital protractor to measure angles and that is accurate to a tenth of a degree on the digital readout. Why am I telling you all of this? Because the Dowelmax is one super accurate piece of equipment. At first I was hesitant to spend the money, considering the cheap alternatives. Now I think the Dowelmax is worth twice what they charge for it. It is perfectly accurate. The joined pieces come together 100% accurately. When you run your fingers over the seam, you think you are feeling one piece of wood along every plane and surface. There is not even one thousandth of an inch misalignment. The crazy thing is that it takes less than the three minutes the manufacturer states to make a joint. I spend at least 15 minutes to make mortise and tenon joints, and every step of the way, which is about ten steps, requires 100 percent accuracy or the pieces won't align perfectly. The Dowelmax does it in a flash.
Because the Dowelmax has multiple dowel guides and so close together, you can place quite a few of these in a small area and in whatever configuration or spacing you choose, you can create an incredibly powerful joint.
Something noteworthy is that wood expands and contracts across its width, and hardly changes at all along its length. This is a problem when making real wide tenons. So much so that a tenon of 5 or 6 inches should be segmented into several smaller tenons to prevent joint failure. That is a lot of work to make both the tenons and the mortises. The Dowelmax handles this problem beautifully. The dowels are only 3/8" apiece, and the drill guides are closely spaced. With the totally accurate spacer guide that drops into one of the already drilled dowel holes, then references off of the side of the Dowelmax, gives you the ability to create an unlimited number of dowels, in whatever configuration or size work piece you may need. Another great method built into the Dowelmax system that achieves the same thing is the included reference pin. You can drill several holes, remove the jig, move it over, and use the full size (3/8") pin by sliding it down through the jig and into the freshly drilled hole, and that creates prefect spacing once again for any additional holes you want to drill through the jig. This tool is really well thought out and engineered. It's a shame you can't get a hold of the video that comes with it, if you saw how this system works, you would beg, borrow, and steal to get one. I highly recommend the Dowelmax. I know I will be using this frequently, even though I have a Freud biscuit joiner, Delta tenoning jigs, Kregs complete pocket hole system, and a Powermatic hollow chisel mortiser. You can't beat this Dowelmax system for ease of use, speed, strength, accuracy, and totally precise joints. Combine this system with urethane glues and you have a joint that is so strong that under pressure the wood would probably fail before the joint. Buy it you won't be sorry.

I had previously purchased a Dowl-it jig, and was dis-satisfied due to its imprecision. The Dowl-it jig is a self-centering jig, meaning that it is supposed to put the dowel hole exactly in the middle of your workpiece. Regrettably, it doesn't quite do this, with the result being that your joined pieces never quite line up, and you are stuck with a lot of sanding to hide your imperfections. It also cannot handle with any precision operations which require many dowel holes, such as joining two long pieces together.

The Dowelmax is not a self-centering jig. It takes a completely different, and more useful, approach--it spaces the dowel holes at an exact distance from any given wood face. Its precision is derived from the fact that due to the way it is constructed, it always allows you to drill the hole from the same face. So the pieces always line up perfectly. Even if the planks you are joining are not the same thickness, you can always get them to line up perfectly on one face. The spacers included in the kit allow you to put in your dowels at different distances from the face or make multiple, precise rows. So, if you want the faces to offset, you can do that too. In fact, using washers (2 1/16" are provided, and you can add more) you can make this thing offset at ANY distance.

So far, every application I have imagined, I've been able to implement with the DowelMax. That includes putting in dowels at slight angles, so I could make a chair with a narrower back than front. (You won't find that application in the manual, but Email me if you want to know how it's done).

This tool is incredibly accurate. I put it to a tough test immediately. I made the back of a sofa that consisted of a rectangle, with the 4 corners consisting of pieces cut and dowelled at 45 degrees, and 12 slats between the top and the bottom. Everything had to be perfect to pull this off. To top things off, I was working with a wood that had become slightly twisted, so I was depending on the doweling and clamp-up to pull the twist out.

WHAT a job it did--first time I used it. The corners all perfectly matched, the slats all perfectly spaced--so much in fact that had I joined the pieces directly together without the slats, the 12 slat holes were in perfect alignment to one another. And everything was so fast, thanks to the spacer accessory which allows one to set the distance between dowel holes with perfection.

I look at my finished product--an entire sofa with over 100 dowels, each having to be exactly in the right place, all of the twists in the wood pulled out. Not a screw in the whole thing. Before, I would have made this using screws and plugs, which would not have been as aesthetically appealing, and would have taken longer. The Dowelmax is really fast using the dowel spacer accessory: you set it once and no need to mark each individual location.

I recently used the tool to attach legs to a coffee table. The Dowel-it cannot even attempt this task. With the Dowelmax, 4 legs were glued in place, perfectly, in about 40 minutes. I can't imagine doing this any faster with any other tool. I've used it to make picture and mirror frames, creating perfect 45-degree hidden joints.

There's another feature of this tool, seldom mentioned in the literature or in other reviews, that sets it apart. The tool accomodates a 9.7 mm drill bit, which comes with the tool. A 3/8" dowel is 9.52 mm. So, your dowel hole is ever so slightly larger than the dowel. That extra 0.2 mm makes all of the difference. If you have ever used a dowel tool, you will know what I am talking about. When the fit is exact, as with other tools, your glue has no place to go. As you tap in your dowel, the glue gets tapped in, too, filling up the bottom of your dowel hole and ultimately obstructing dowel entry. With the Dowelmax, that extra glue slides up the sides of your dowel, giving complete coverage and a perfect seal. The Dowelmax comes with fluted dowels, meaning the dowels have grooves that run the length of the dowel. The glue squeezes out through these flutes. These dowels are much superior to spiral dowels, where the glue has to navigate a spiral around the dowel--and hardly ever does it very well. Bottom line: dowels go in easy, and you are not stuck tapping madly with a mallet, trying to get your dowel to a sufficient depth while your glue is drying. This speeds up the whole operation, and is a really necessary feature when you are dealing with a long row of dowels and don't have time to mess around. You can get replacement 9.7 mm bits through OMS tool company (maker of Dowelmax), or you can buy them off of [...] in a 3-pack.

The tool does require some learning, but either the manual or the CD are perfectly adequate for learning how to use it. Once you grasp the principle, the tool seems almost intuitive. I haven't used the manual now in over a year. The Dowelmax comes with a host of accessories that allow you to put dowels in places that are unimaginable with a self-centering jig. Incredibly flexible tool.

BIG question: is it worth the money? I can only tell you my opinion, based on my experience. It is one of the most-used tools I have. Absolutely essential for chairs, and have used it for numerous applications, including putting legs on tables and joining complicated pattern pieces on tabletops. It easily replaces a pocket joiner and a biscuit joiner, and simply cannot be beat for speed or precision. If you have been mortizing and tennoning, chances are you can get an equally secure joint much faster using this tool and multiple rows of dowels, in a lot less time. You may be looking at the piece and thinking why you should pay so much for what seems to be a tiny, non-motorized tool. The answer of me is simply in what it does. It may not have a motor, but functionally, it does things that could only be done by a multiplicity of motorized tools, results in better finished pieces, and saves a lot of time.

I suggest also that you buy the expansible fluted dowels that come with the jig, which are also available on [...] through OMS Tool company (the maker of the jig) or through other outlets like Woodworker's Supply or Rocklers. They go in snugly but without force, and expand into the dowel hole, locking in quickly. After one minute, there's no removing them--though with good clamps, you can still squeeze your pieces together. A cheap glue bottle with an application tip for dowels is also a real time-saver. Together with the expansible dowels, you can achieve secure joints by applying glue only to the hole; no need for additional application to the expansible dowel.

To sum up: Doweling is a precision operation, very intolerant of error. The Dowelmax is the only tool up to the job, in my opinion, and its flexibility to handle many doweling operations is unsurpassed. If you are like me, you will find yourself using this tool all of the time. It will greatly expand your woodworking capabilities, creates more aesthetically pleasing pieces, and saves a bundle of time. I wouldn't do woodworking without it now. It's definitely a "must-have".

I just received my Dowelmax a few weeks ago, and cannot recommend it highly enough. I have undertaken a large project, which comprises making a built-in cabinet and bookshelf system in one room of our home.

I am not an experienced woodworker, so I have learned and experimented with different methods of joinery, including using biscuits, during this project. Even though I had inconsistent results with the biscuit, it did work pretty well. However, the Dowelmax has been much, much easier and quicker to use and significantly more accurate. The resulting joints are dead-on accurate, strong and almost seamless.

The product came with a very helpful "how to/instructional" video, and the product is absolutely engineer to the highest standards. Nevertheless, it is also very, very easy to set-up and use, and can be quickly mastered. The system can also be used in many different configurations, and includes helpful accessories, like a indexing pin and distance gauge, that both work very well in the system.

I would also recommend that you purchase the 1/4" conversion kit to allow the system to install the 1/4" inch dowels for smaller applications.

I really cannot say enough about this product. It is a jig that is actually very helpful, saves tons of time, and operates perfectly. I know it is more expensive than other options on the market, but I feel that the quality and accuracy quickly justifies the price.

I am relatively new to building furniture and decided to try out dowel joints. Based upon research and other reviews, I decided to try out the Dowelmax. What a surprise! Even us who are considered a novice had success with the very first joint. It is so amazingly simple and accurate, its unbelievable. I have several furniture projects lined up and plan on using the Dowelmax extensively. The folks at Dowelmax had my jig to me in exactly one week, so I can't say enough about their responsiveness. The overall quality of this tool certainly speaks for itself. (It should have come packed in a fine mahogany box as it looks more like a piece of jewelry.) I expect it will last long after I am gone. Thanks Jim and the rest of folks at Dowelmax!

This jig is top shelf!

Recently, I had need to join an apron to the legs of a desk I was building as a birthday gift for my neice. I have a nice mortise machine and tenon jig, but speed and accuracy was a big factor. After reading all the glowing reviews, I decided to plunk down the money and get the Dowelmax.

Brother, am I in love with this thing or what? Once I got use to orienting the jig, I simply breezed through this project. My wife was totally amazed at how fast I went from a pile of wood to very nice little study desk. Mortise and tenon joints would have taken forever, compared to the Dowelmax. Also, with all the steps involved in mortise and tenon, plus how easy it is for me to make small mistakes that compound, I question the final quality of the joints I would have produced. The Dowelmax joints were dead on the money; no exceptions.

As stated by previous reviewers, this tool is extremely well made. In fact this tool is OVER engineered. Even where plastic might have been acceptable, you will only find finely machined metal parts. Many surfaces have a near mirror finish. I served as a machinist in the Air Force, and am really blown away by the quality of this tool. This is such a fine tool, that I'm going to have to build a proper box to house it. No way this is getting tossed into some drawer in my shop.

Chalk up another 5 star rating for the Dowelmax!

I originally purchased the dowelmax in 2000 during a tool show in Seattle, although I only paid half of the current cost. It only tool 10 minutes for me to see that this was one tool i had to have. Since that time (4 Years) I have only used my biscuit machine 1 time.
I have used this jig on almost all the projects I have done in the past 4 years. All of which can be seen on my web site, www.ewanchuk.net.
This jig works perfectly everytime!

If you spend the money, you will be happy that you did!

Dowelmax is a well engineered tool that will save you a lot of time and give perfect results every time. I received mine a couple of weeks ago and could not wait to try it out. I'm making an aquarium cabinet. I'm not a professional cabinet maker but Dowelmax makes me look like I am. Everything I've done so far has fit together perfectly and did not take long to do. It come with a video and instruction booklet that demonstrates and explains many different applications for the Dowelmax. If your hesitant to buy this because of the price..don't be. Nothing is more frustrating than paying any amount of money for something that doesn't delivery the results you expect. Stop looking and buy this product, you won't be sorry.

My background is Mechanical Engineering so I appreciate the design of the drilling fixture. The RESULTS are perfect. Sounds too good to be true in today's market. I am now making strong joints that I would not even have attempted before. Dowelmax combined with Titebond III produces the ultimate strenght joints. I am even joining boards, end to end, with joint strenght near that of the original (Beech) wood. Try that with biscuts. You're not likely to buy this tool because of the price unless you really want the best results possible in an unbelievably short time. There is NOTHING else on the market that is even a close second !!!
Try it and you will never go back to the way you now make joints no matter how classic or beautiful they look. If you have a Dowelmax you don't need special skills to get perfect joints EVERY time. You're seriously considering spending the bucks. That's why you're doing the research and reading this. Be kind to yourself and DO it.

First a quick background. I'm a novice woodworker gradually aquiring skills and tools. I've been urged by my wife to build an entertainment center, starting with a TV stand for a flat panel TV that somewhat needs to match some Pottery Barn furniture we already have. Great way to jump in over my head, right? I have a Kreg jig for pockets holes but the holes would end up showing in many places. After exploring other ways of creating the joints I've found that the only way to really do them is with dowels.

I first looked into the $50 dowel jigs, but could not envision them being able to make T joints of which I need to make a lot of. Plus after googling and reading about them it seems they are hit or miss as far as accuracy goes. During my googling I found the Dowelmax. I haven't found a single review that was less than glowing. Plus their website let me check it out in action with the owner demonstrating it in videos. From the videos and pictures I knew it would do what I wanted.

Now that I knew that I wanted the Dowelmax, the next struggle was with the price because it's pretty expensive. Any time in the past where I've gone "cheap" with tools (or many other things) I have usually regretted it and then had to fork out more money for what I really wanted. With that im mind I decided to get it.

I've had the tool for a few weeks but today is the first time I've really used it. I won't elaborate on the tools quality since I totally agree with the rest of the reviews here and elsewhere - it's top notch. This tool is so easy to use. And most important, all of the joints I've used it on have fit together perfectly when test fitted. The inventor really did think of every possible scenario, this jig can be reconfigured in almost any way you would need it to.

One thing I'd like to add from my limited experience with it. In the video and manual for T-joints they say to line up to a pencil line. That can be somewhat to very imprecise. Especially when you take into account the the tool is 1" wide and most wood is 3/4" thick, so you have to do some figuring (subtract 1/8" to line it up.) Also in T-joint configuration you are not using the tool's own clamping device you are using a c-clamp. The tool is a bit slippery since it anodized aluminum so it worried me that is would twist when c-clapmed down. What I did to counteract all of that is to clamp a square to the wood and line the Dowelmax up to the edge of the square. Then clamp the Dowelmax down. I feel the square helps keep the dowelmax perpendicular to the face of the wood. Keep in mind this is ONLY for T-joints. Any other kind of joint is a piece of cake. And it's really a much simpler process than I described.

Last, I feel for the price this should have come with a very nice case. It comes very well packaged when shippied. But at this premium price level there should have been something to pack this fine tool back into when I'm done.

If you do a lot of dowels, I definately recommend the Dowelmax. It does everything it claims and is very high quality. Whether you want to spend that much money is up to you!

Without reading the book, or watching the DVD, I made a butt joint immediately after opening the box. And it worked. Then I read and watched and found out I made one alignment mistake. But it had no real effect on the finished result as my second [correct] joint turned out exactly the same.

This setup is very user-friendly and extremely fast. I am working on a series of 30 bookcases for a local bookstore. Halfway through, I decided to buy this for my face frames. Instead of loose-fitting nailed joints or misaligned doweled joints or using pocket holes which put screws in the way of the brads attaching the faces to the carcase, the DowelMax gives me all wood straight joints in about 5 minutes per face frame (no lie). DowelMax has knocked off about a week from this project alone. Imagine how much time it will save over the next year.

It takes a little bit of time to perfect using the DowelMax with soft woods like pine, since uneven clamping pressure will create a slight canter in the joint. This is something I did not experience with hardwoods however.

Customer satisfaction seems to be very high on this company's list, as they were willing to do whatever was necessary to make me happy with this tool (which I already was). So if you're reluctant to buy this because you are afraid it won't live up to its hype, lose the fear and spend the money.