# Doweling on a drill press



## Richard Siegfried (Jan 21, 2010)

I am making a crib from U-Build-it plans. The plans call for dowel joints throughout. I purchased a Joint Genie from England and have used it for the joints up to this point. I have NOT been impressed with the Joint Genie. It has not been easy to get a flush joint so I borrowed a biscuit joiner and will use for the remainder.

I am at the point of constructing the sides. The uprights are only 1.5 inches wide and are evenly spaced. They are too narrow to use biscuit joiner and must be doweled. I am planning to use drill press to dowel the end grain of the uprights and the mating surfaces on the cross pieces. Any suggestions on how to PRECISELY drill the dowel holes on the cross pieces without pulling my hair out?


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

i would place a fence on my table to secure the front to back distance. then i would (precisely) measure and mark the spacings, transferring the marks to the other 3 rails so they're all the same. then i would push in an ice pick at the mark to accentuate the mark. finally drill with a brad point. you could devise a jig to give repeated distance or spacing drilling also.


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## ash123 (Mar 14, 2010)

I did a lot of doweling on a Shopsmith before I got a Ritter counter borer and clamp table. I just used a sub-table and removable fences for repeatability. I got a Newton Borer double spindle and it took up less space but I really liked the Shopsmith better. I did a little doweling on my vertical drill press on my last project. I just clamped a table in the cross vice and doweled removable fences to the table.


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## georgewoodie (Oct 20, 2009)

I do not understand the application problem.

However, I use a lot of dowel. For one prat of the project I use a tool that straddles the piece and has dowel guides. I then drill with my cordless. I also sometimes use my drill press.

Then with one hole, I install a dowel pin tool - a small metal piece that has a point extending toward the second piece.

With the second piece firmly against a backing board, I align the first piece to where I want it joined and press the two together. The result is a dimple pressed into the second piece giving me a target to drill into.

This has always worked for me.

Woodie


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## Streamwinner (Nov 25, 2008)

georgewoodie said:


> Then with one hole, I install a dowel pin tool - a small metal piece that has a point extending toward the second piece.
> 
> With the second piece firmly against a backing board, I align the first piece to where I want it joined and press the two together. The result is a dimple pressed into the second piece giving me a target to drill into.


^^^










I am not always the most precise marker and driller, and I've found these dowel centers to work pretty well. You can get them for a few dollars at Harbor Freight.

For the even-spaced uprights, use a scrap piece for a spacer and the dowel centers will tell you exactly where to drill the hole. Just be sure to mark which upright goes where.


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## John in Tennessee (Jun 11, 2008)

Dowel machines pop up on craigslist every other day around here,,,


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