Dowelmax
Encyclopedia
Dowel
A dowel is a solid cylindrical rod, usually made of wood, plastic or metal. In its original manufactured form, dowel is called dowel rod.Dowel rod is employed in numerous, diverse applications. It is used to form axles in toys, as detents on gymnastics grips, as knitting needles, as structural...
ling jig manufactured by the O.M.S. Tool company in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The manufacturer claims that the small manufacturing tolerances of 0.026 millimetre (0.00102362204724409 in) for the aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
, brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
and steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
components of the jig ensure accuracy and repeatability. The precision manufacturing adds to the unit's cost, which is higher than other dowelling jigs.
The tool allows the placement of five dowels in one pass. A distance gauge bar provided with the jig allows accurate spacing between sets of dowels.
Joint strength
Tests by both the manufacturer, and Wood magazineWood magazine
With more than 500,000 subscribers, WOOD magazine is a the world's most-read magazine catering to the home and hobby woodworker. It publishes seven regular issues annually , as well as seven newsstand-only issues related to shops, garages, organization and storage projects, shop jigs and fixtures,...
, are claimed to show that dowel joints made with the Dowelmax are stronger than most other woodworking joints tested.
In 2007 Wood magazine compared the joint strength of various loose tenon methods and tools, with these results:
Independent test
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Hydraulic comparison strength testing by manufacturer
| Multiple Dowel (Dowelmax) | 890 psi (6,136.3 kPa) |
| Routed Mortise & Tenon | 680 psi (4,688.4 kPa) |
| Double Domino Domino jointer The Domino is a loose mortise and tenon joining tool manufactured by the German company Festool.-History and description:This tool, first on sale in 2006, cuts mortises in the manner of a biscuit joiner. Each plunge creates a mortise that is sized to accept a Domino loose tenon, creating joints in... |
540 psi (3,723.2 kPa) |
| Square Mortise & Tenon | 480 psi (3,309.5 kPa) |
| Pocket Hole (5 Screws) | 420 psi (2,895.8 kPa) |
| #20 Biscuit | 285 psi (1,965 kPa) |
See also
- Biscuit joinerBiscuit joinerA biscuit joiner or sometimes plate joiner is a woodworking tool used to join two pieces of wood together. A biscuit joiner uses a small tungsten carbide tipped, circular saw blade to cut a crescent shaped hole in the opposite edges of two pieces of wood or wood composite panels...
— another loose tenon joinery method - Domino jointerDomino jointerThe Domino is a loose mortise and tenon joining tool manufactured by the German company Festool.-History and description:This tool, first on sale in 2006, cuts mortises in the manner of a biscuit joiner. Each plunge creates a mortise that is sized to accept a Domino loose tenon, creating joints in...
— another loose tenon joinery method
External links
- www.dowelmax.com — Manufacturer's official website
- Online Tool Reviews — Review of tool