What are the essential tools for dowelling?

29th February 2020


	What are the essential tools for dowelling?


	Shop for Dowels


			While it’s possible to go it alone with just a hand drill, dowels and glue, if you’re starting a serious woodworking project that involves the use of dowels, you’ll want to make sure you’re set up for making accurate, quick joints.

			What tools do you need to hand to make sure you’re properly equipped?

			Basic dowelling tools
			Dowelling kit Dowelling kits contain all of the basic equipment needed for dowelling, right down to the dowels themselves.



			What if you already have some of the equipment from the dowelling kit? You can find out which tools come with a dowelling kit by reading the guide: What do dowelling kits contain?

			Essential dowelling tools
			These are the tools that will make your life as easy as possible when it comes to dowelling.

			Tools for accuracy To make sure you’re correctly positioning your dowel holes in your second piece of wood, you’ll need some centre points.

			A drill stop and allen key are vital for making sure you drill holes to an accurate depth.

			Measuring equipment such as tape measures, steel rules or squares will be needed for accurately measuring dowel lengths, calculating the depth needed for drill holes, and for accurately attaching and locating drill stops.

			Dowel pegs or dowel rods You can either use dowel pegs, which are a pre-cut to a uniform length, or you can use dowel rods, which you cut yourself.

			If you decide to use dowel rods, you will need a saw to cut them with. The saw most commonly used for this purpose is a jigsaw.



			Glue This is an essential component of the dowelling process if you’re trying to make strong joints for furniture or for framing. This may or may not be included in a dowelling kit, so you may have to source it separately.

			Make sure you’re using wood glue. PVA is a common type.

			Drilling equipment You will need a drill bit that matches the size of the dowels you intend to use. For more information on drill bits, see: Which drill bits should you use to drill dowel holes?

			You’ll also need a drill to insert the bit into. The most accurate tool you can use for this purpose is a drill press.

			It is also possible to use a power drill, although this can only be relied on for accuracy if used with a dowelling jig.

			Mallet Mallets are useful for both tapping dowel pegs into drilled holes and separating wood joints after dry fitting them to test for alignment. See: How to use dowels to make wooden joints.