DOWEL
JOINT
How to make a dowl joint? Method 1:
One method of making dowel joints is to use
marking tools known as dowel centers.. If
they’re off by as much as 1/16th of an inch,
the joint might not work. The cylinder fits
inside a drilled hole while the pin marks the
location of another. With careful alignment,
the user can push this pin into the surface of
the mating board, leaving a mark for a
corresponding hole. The user can then drill
the other hole and form the joint. Other than
a combination square, sharp brad-point drill
bits, and a drill (though a drill press is better),
dowel centers are all that’s required.
How to make a dowl joint? Method 2:
Another method of making a dowel joint is to use a
doweling jig. This dowel jig will fit over a workpiece,
clamp into place, and guide the drill bit into the
wood. The user can then transfer the jig onto
another workpiece and drill the corresponding
holes. Because these jigs guide the drill bit, a drill
press isn’t necessary. A sharp brad point bit, a
combination square, and a power drill will do the
trick.
It’s possible to create a dowel
joint without dowel centers or
a doweling jig, but it takes
painfully exact layout and a
very steady, straight drilling
 Step 1
Lay out the Dowel
Locations
The first step to making a
dowel joint is to lay out the
dowel locations. Place the
two pieces of wood next to
each as if they’re already
assembled (form the
corner). Be sure that the
horizontal piece (the rail)
butts up to the vertical piece
(the stile). Holding the
combination square
approximately 1/2-inch
down from the end of the
stile, draw a line across the
stile and onto the rail with a
pencil. Move the
combination square down
one inch and draw another
line. These lines represent
Step 2
Clamp the Doweling
Jig in Place
Slide the doweling jig over
the workpiece. All jigs
have reference markers
that you can use to align
them. Carefully align the
reference marker with
one of the lines drawn in
the last step and clamp
the jig into place. For jigs
with multiple holes, be
sure you’re lining up the
jig with the correct hole.
Step 3
Drill the Hole
Choose the drill bit that
matches the diameter of the
dowels you intend to use and
clamp it in your drill. Most
jigs have depth gauges that
you can set to prevent from
drilling too deeply, but you
can also use a piece of
masking tape wrapped
around the bit as the marker.
With the depth set, place the
bit in the appropriate guide,
squeeze the drill’s trigger,
and drill the hole.
Step 4 Step 5
Test Fit the Joint Glue and Clamp
the Joint
Before final assembly, it’s critical that
you test fit the joint (known as dry
Squeeze a bit of
fitting). It should be snug but shouldn’t wood glue into the
require force, and the dowels should holes. Insert the
reach into each board sufficiently. The dowels into one
joint should also be flush and tight
without gaps, and dowels shouldn’t be board before
sliding the two
visible.
If you drilled too deeply, cut a small plug boards together.
off of a spare dowel and place it in the
hole. If you didn’t drill deep enough, set
Use clamps to hold
up the jig and drill deeper. There needs the joint together
to be a little bit of room in the end of until it dries.
each hole for glue, but not so much that
the dowel slides around sloppily.