Genius Idea? Game Changing trick for Perfect Dowel Alignment without a Jig
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- čas přidán 11. 02. 2023
- So simple and easy, but oh so accurate. Using ordinary masking tape for lining up the holes for dowels is pretty much fool-proof. I used this method several times after I made this video and with the same results: perfectly lined up dowels.
Now I should mention that the tape locates the centre point precisely, but it's up to you to drill the hole straight. Using a brad-point bit is mandatory and getting a feel for drilling at a 90 degree angle is also very important. However, you can use a block of wood with a hole drilled on the drill press to help guide the drill bit straight, if drilling freehand. Or just drill the holes on a drill press if you have one.
But with that said, the holes don't need to be drilled at the exact angle - they just need to be close and the joint will go together without any problem. The important thing (and why the dowel centre pins failed) is that the holes are in perfectly lined up on both parts, and that's what the tape trick does.
Try it out for yourself!
Line Up Dowels PERFECTLY the Easy Way - Essential Woodworking Knowledge
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So simple and easy, but oh so accurate. Using ordinary masking tape for lining up the holes for dowels is pretty much fool-proof. I used this method several times after I made this video and with the same results: perfectly lined up dowels.
Now I should mention that the tape locates the centre point precisely, but it's up to you to drill the hole straight. Using a brad-point bit is mandatory and getting a feel for drilling at a 90 degree angle is also very important. However, you can use a block of wood with a hole drilled on the drill press to help guide the drill bit straight, if drilling freehand. Or just drill the holes on a drill press if you have one.
But with that said, the holes don't need to be drilled at the exact angle - they just need to be close and the joint will go together without any problem. The important thing (and why the dowel centre pins failed) is that the holes are in perfectly lined up on both parts, and that's what the tape trick does.
Try it out for yourself!
@@snarkybuttcrack Have you tried brad point bits? They helped me with the same type problem.
Please warn your followers from false avatars using your name and channel logo.
@NICEFINENEWROBOT so I didn't win a major award?
@@jameyfark8877 What's the issue?
Can you talk about the glue you’re using (and why it’s not the common Titebond)? How well does it last in that tube? Do you puncture the rear seal? Thanks!
What is most impressive to me is how John can free-hand drill the holes straight and to a consistent depth
Me muttering under my breath: "oh so he just free hand drills the holes like some kinda lunatic?"
Please will someone tell me how you manage to drill holes with those wood drills. All my friends who work with wood like me find wood bits are useless at clearing the swarth and usually stop progressing into your workpiece. We always end up throwing them back in the box and use twist drills. I have bought expensive bits and even had the them sharpened- no use - any ideas ?
I got a set of Harbor Freight pilot bits, they’re pretty bad. Dewalt, Irwin or Bosch are pretty good.
@@garypautard1069 Hmmm.. y'know, I have the same problem. I noted that John's using brad point bits. They look like they might have deeper flutes and some sort of steeper flute angle, which might help clear the swarth. I also admired how he used tiny pin marks... nice and accurate, unlike my clumsy, thick-pointed awl. Those brad points go right into the tiny marks with no hesitation about exact placement. This particular video has convinced me... I'm definitely going to switch out my everyday set of of conventional "either-metal-or-wood" bits and move to to brad points for my woodworking, since I rarely need to drill holes in metal.
*swarf, not swarth.
Well I thought the best part of my day today would be easting lunch with friends then watching the Super Bowl but no. I was wrong. It was sipping coffee at 6am and watching one of the simplest and most elegant woodworking tips I've ever seen on CZcams. 🤯
What's the "Super Bowl..?"...
@@YerBrwnDogAteMyRabit Oh did the AI part of the Google search engine crashed again!? 🤣👍
@@AmazonasBiotop I think it must have. I certainly hope I didn't miss it, it sounds important 🤣
@@YerBrwnDogAteMyRabit it's huge open top vessel for fluids, like super big one
@@pathemep OOOOOHHH!! So I can have a family sized bowl of Fruit Loops cereal or Chunky Sirloin Burger soup!! Awesome, thanks. No need for a swimming pool now!
The "random" placement also ensures one cannot accidentally join the wrong pieces together.
good point!
Also you don’t have put some ¶ø#>% identifier on every single corner or edge of a box or frame. If it fits, it sits!
Ah. Thanks for that. I did wonder why someone who obviously knows their way around a set of tools, "couldn't" line them up properly.
I like the "trick" very much but what I don't get it is how you drill the holes in the CORRECT ANGLE to make the dowels fit in BOTH sides of the workpieces? If you know what I mean.
@@leonlionheart5927probably just takes practice
Honestly, for a man who's been doing a lot of woodworking in the past 30 some years. Did thousands of dowel holes! Lots were perfect, lots were complete disasters. Even with top-notch jigs. Your idea? Your idea is so ridiculously idiotic that it's absolutely genius! Brilliant! I'll have to try that one on my next build that requires dowels. Thanks. Love your videos!
idiotic? have I been using this word wrong my entire life?
It's not really his idea, that method has been used for decades.
@@gsp911 Do you really and TRULY think that it makes any sort of difference???? Do you have any clue about how many methods and ideas there are when it comes to joinery??? Do you know how many tips & tricks I've shared in my 30 past years of woodworking that weren't mine & still been told how great it was thanks for the tip?
It's a simple way of saying the way you did it, was a very good idea that i never thought of. Thanks for the tip, NOT WHO THE HELL CREATED IT or anything ridiculous like that! It's appreciating one's technic that many may not have thought of.
@@stephandelange1776 Amen
@@samking4179perhaps it's not HIS invention, but HE show it to them who don't know this trick ! Big difference, no ? I didn't know now I will use it for sure. Thank you for this video.
Hey john, a bit off topic but, it is always a joy watching your videos with ZERO sponsors or ads popping up every few minutes! one of the super rare few.
Whilst I agree that the tape method is more accurate than the dowel pins, I did notice that your drill angle was off when you did the dowel pin demonstration. Your drill was not aligned to the dowel direction in the wood. So predictably, your joint was off. Having said that, I don't want to take away from this innovative idea. Sure is a great way to do tricky dowelling when a jig wont help. I'll absolutely use this method!
I’ve been a subscriber to your videos since long before you became a full time CZcamsr, and videos like this are why. No BS, and clever original ideas that I don’t find anywhere else. You’re the best!
Super tip and timing! I’m going to be working on a new project and lining up the dowels and getting tight joints was one of my stumbling blocks. Thank you!
The simplicity of this is just stunning, I have a not great dowl jig and honestly this actually looks about as quick, and a lot more accurate, thank you for your fantastic videos
This man is clearly in the pay of Big Masking Tape.
Simple, effective, brilliant! Thanks John! :)
Awesome! Hardest part about this are the drill angles. Amazed you were able to do it freehand ... never would have thought that slight discrepancies are irrelevant.
A great solution for those of us who don't dowel often, nice. The grain matched joint was a nice touch as well.
Absolutely BRILLIANT, ACCURATE, CHEAP and EASY. Can't wait to try it !
Absolutely genius of an idea. Thank you John for sharing it with us. From someone who has consistently struggled with this multi dowel thing
2/13/23; Green masking tape for Dowell joint perfection...! ..Yes ! Love your method. Will use it next time I need this. Much enjoy watching your channel. Your use of voice over, studio lighting, camera close ups & 'wide'shots are also on pro level. Keep up your good work! A+👍👍👍👏👏🪚🛠⚙️🍺😊
Every time you think you seen it all, John pulls something like this out of his sleeve. Just brilliant, simple and effective ! Tape manufacturers are gonna make a killing 😅. Great little tutorial John 👌I hope this gets a lot of views it certainly deserves it.
Yeah you know someone is going to come out with tape that has little crosshairs printed along it just for this. "Dowel Alignment Tape"
That's a brilliant idea! Thanks for sharing, John! Keep up the good work! 👍
It’s insane the amount of knowledge that can be acquired on the internet. I didn’t have anyone to mentor me, so I’ve been soaking up all of these videos. Thanks for sharing all of your wisdom!
Brilliant. So simple. Way cheaper than a specialized tool. You’ve done it again, John. Wow!
That is awesome! I love the simple ideas that solve apparently tricky problems. Thank you John!
Absolutely brilliant! I will not be forgetting this one. Now I just need to figure out how to integrate dowels into my next project :)
This method saved my project. I tried a number of things that semi worked. After refilling the mistakes with dowels and redrilling, I finally got the holes to match up.
Simple and practical for anyone to use. Was very nice and thoughtful of you to demonstrate the process, and for different common joints too, and so reaffirming that it actually works in practice. I do have centering pins, but as you showed, one cannot hold the second workpiece flush with the first because of the pins protruding, and then accuracy depends on aligning the parts with finger feel or other flat surfaces for alignment. Your trick allows flush alignment. With a doweling jig, after drilling on the first workpiece, it can be tricky to figure out the right way to clamp the jig to the second workpiece. Your method works like a no-brainer. Thank you, John!
Always the simplest way is the best way! Marvelous, appreciated!
👏👏👏👏👏good for people starting out in carpentry who can’t afford these jig dowl tools, so simple
You just alleviated one of my concerns about using dowels. Thanks!
Mr Heisz always has something to offer. Thank you.
This is awesome for lining up the hole positions. The next critical piece is ensuring you drill the holes accurately for the dowels to be aligned. Of course, the dowel pins suffer from the same problem.
Dowel pins at least cut the problem in half. With one side already drilled, its alignment is guaranteed to be perfect. Make those first holes in the mitered piece, and you're left drilling in a flat, level surface, maximizing your means of drilling those perfectly as well. Add in that you're not using up any consumable, and I'll happily stick with dowel pins.
It's so simple that it is genius. Thanks for sharing such a brilliant tip. See this is why I drop everything when a notification comes through for one of your videos.
Thanks :)
On the miter that you did, even the grain of the wood was almost perfectly aligned. That is a GREAT idea. No jigs, No expensive tools. Thanks for sharing, keep up the awesome work!
Have literally been scratching my head on how to strengthen a miter joint for a project and you give me this. God bless you.
If you're going to be doing lots of the same holes on identical pieces, you can also use a scrap piece of wood. Just put the scrap over the work piece you're drilling into, and drill through the scrap and into your work piece.
The scrap is your template now. Just lay it over the next work piece, lined up in the same way, and use the existing holes to drill into the second work piece. Rinse and repeat.
You can even keep the template if you think you'll be making more of your project in the future.
That is also a good idea.
Only a man with experience, craftsmanship and a healthy mind can come up with a simple but effective solution like this. Bravo!
Wow, what a *genius* idea! So easy and simple, but so effective! Thanks for the tip!
Awesome idea! Cheap, simple, and uses the stuff you already have in the shop… Kudos John!
Excellent!!!
Another problem with those dowel marking thingamajiggers is that I would misplace them lose them under a workbench or something a lot easier than I would lose the role of masking tape.
Don't you just keep them in the same box/tray where you keep your shorty dowels? Plus it's easy to make replacement ones if you saw the head off a nail and cut it down to the appropriate length.
An actual woodworking innovation. This is why John is the king of woodworking.
That's freaking genius, yet so simple! Thank you for sharing!
Genius idea.
I despise center pins, they never work.
Have a JessEm dowel jig that works superbly but tape is cheaper :^)
I think the fit would also depend on the angle at which the holes were drilled. I was surprised that your freehand hole angles matched so well that the joint fit tight.
I believe the alignment of the holes is more important than the hole angles being the same. Wood is slightly flexible and compressible to allow for minor inaccuracies. As long as you're pretty close it should work.
This is so simple and amazing. I have a new project ongoing which is a little more intricate and wanted to used dowels instead of pocket holes, but wanted really clean joints. Amazing! Thanks so much for this.
Thank you so much for this tip! Just ran into this angled dowel problem and your toe tip was so amazing and worked perfectly! Thanks so much for sharing
that's absolutely excellent. no messing with finding the centers, no measuring, no jigs required. certainly if one was doing many of these for a large project, or making multiples of something then perhaps a jig might be quicker overall, but if you're just assembling a handful of joints, that's a really excellent method. thanks!
You continuously amaze me with your skill and deductive reasoning,while simple in procedure,it is a VERY BIG IDEA John. There are those in specialty tape mfg. That could ,if awake, make a product. I appreciate all that you demonstrate. Thank You!
Lining up Holes Perfectly is the Bane of my Existance! Thanks John!!
Just what I needed to see for my diy desk project and adding a 2nd tier shelf! Thanks John!!
It's good to know that this old dog can still learn a trick or two, how's the saying go John, upstairs for thinking and downstairs for dancing!!! Thanks John for sharing this one I never know when it's going to come in handy! As always buddy 💯% 👍 🇬🇧.
This is one of those genius “why didn’t I think of that!?” tricks! Thanks for sharing, I’ll be using this IMMEDIATELY. 😃
Definitely genius! This is good timing because I’m going to need that technique this week. Thanks for this!
Many thanks. Invaluable info in assisting me making a wood surround for a counter-top coffee-grinds 'knock-box'...TY 👍
One of of the best advices for that need! Thx,man!
John, that is genius and so are you. Thanks for this!
Simple is always better. Great work (as always), John.
Thanks. First dowel joints I'd made (attaching a bench seat panel to the tops of two side panels) and everything aligned perfectly. Much appreciated.
Man, this is amazing. I'm starting my first actual woodworking project - a coffee table with angled mitered legs. I have been struggling to find a way to fixture my doweling jig on the small mitered cross sections.
You probably saved me from ruining my pieces and having to start over.
Thanks!!
Brilliant! Genius! I came looking for way to match dowel holes for two planks. I searched. I found this. Thanks!
Thank you so much for this video. I've been torn between saving up for a pricier dowel jig (I don't make much money and don't want to use a cheap one) and trying to make my own. I'm gonna try this on my next project.
Thank you very much. I need to do exactly this to fix a broken chair. I though of using a dowel but was wondering how to line it up. This solution is perfect, much appreciated.
I did a variation on this a few months ago when I had to cosmetically position screw holes for hidden hinges on a bunch of nightmare variable cabinet doors. Marking the holes on sticky-side-out masking tape with release pull tabs allowed me to position the door, press it, pull the tab, and have the holes marked. That part of the project, at least, came out great.
Brilliant. Crazy how such a simple solution produces great results like that. I am going to try to remember that next time I do mitered corners.
John, In the last one, you even got the grain to line up. Now that is magic!
I JUST bought an [expensive] Jessem dowel kit and now that I see this, I feel like a complete tool 😂 This is so simple; brilliant!
When I saw you do this tape trick the first time, I immediately thought, "Why didn't I think of that!!??" Which makes this a brilliantly simple idea (it is brilliant in it simplicity). Thank you for sharing it!
Thank you for that tip! This will save me hours of hardship! May you blessed for sharing this tip! 😀
John I tried your technique on my project to make some pantry doors taller by joining an 8” section to the bottoms. It worked FANTASTICALLY!
Without a doubt, the finest tip (For me) I’ve
seen anywhere. I will definitely try this next time I’m in my shop. Only took a few seconds to decide to subscribe. THANK YOU!
Wow! This is so clever and I believe I may actually be able to do this! Thanks for sharing your expertise and experience!
Thanks John! I have a dowel project coming up and I was thinking I’d use dowel points…. Much better idea for my application!
I have not tried dowels, but now I might! Thanks!!!
Gotta hand it to ya John, this is as great an idea as the screw-in-table-saw-plate for scribbing a line off the table saw fence.
What a great, simple, and accurate method! Thank you!
As you said, dowel jigs can be used for some applications, but not for all. If you don't have a dowel jig, if you don't want to make a dowel jig, or if the pieces you are joining are irregular, or are of very different sizes, then your approach will work well.
I agree with you about using dowel pin markers; they work, after a fashion. Guiding them properly sometimes takes quite a bit of additional setup time and effort. Your approach is far better, which I can say from personal experience. It works like a charm.
Great video and great advice! 👍👍
Thank you for this tip! Learned something ONCE AGAIN
I like this! Will be my go-to method from now on. Thank you John.
1:25 the whole idea is perfectly explained and demonstrated in the first 1:25. THANK YOU! I hate resorting to video instructions demonstrating how to complete a task (whatever it may be) because there’s usually a 30 second intro, and brief summary of why the person wants to do that thing, a minute or two explaining what they’re going to be doing in this “short” video, maybe an anecdote or two about their dog, then an ad spot, thanks to our sponsors, a whole 2-3 minutes outlining the safety procedures, what tools you’ll need, where to find them, how much you can expect to pay, another explanatory 2-3 minutes about the underlying theories involved, then FINALLY they begin.
15 minutes later I know how to remove my front fender to access my fog lights.
You get straight to the point. The value of efficiency cannot be overstated. Thank you for a great video! I’ve tried this but I never thought to use an awl. Getting the actual holes to line up is too difficult, but using the awl is genius!
One of those delightfully obvious things that it takes a special mind to make obvious to we more mundane types. Thank you, John. Again.
Unbelievable! I went right out to my shop and tried it! worked perfectly! Thanks John
Apart from the excellent idea and execution , the use of masking tape warrants a mention.Wonderful stuff. I can't live without it. Use a quality tape everywhere. I even use it to tape/ reinforce a band aid brand closure on my hand if injured.
Genius!!! Great job. Simple and perfect!
Brilliant! This is one of those "why the heck didn't I think of that" kind of things. Well done sir.
Hey John. Just have to say that I have watched so many of your videos , learned SO MUCH from you, and I think that this is the most genius idea you’ve ever had. You definitely are as they say smarter than the average bear. You make me proud to be Canadian. Hey Lol. But I SERIOUSLY hope that one of these ideas you come up with will make you a shit load of cash, you deserve it. I say that not as a suck up comment, because you could easily take your knowledge and teach it at a Trades School and make money teaching the future generation how to PROPERLY build. God knows they need all the help they can get . Anyway thanks for all your knowledge.
This a genius idea, I have previously tried to use dowels to fix joints and failed, this is a game changer. Thanks
Clever idea and one that actually works!! Congratulations.
You the man John.
Thanks for making life better.
Amazingly simple. Super Precise!!!! Thank you!!!!
Oh so simple, clever and practical - thanks !
Love your solutions as usual - throwing away dowel centers from X-NAS and buying more tape !
Das ist die beste Art Dübel passgenau zu setzen, die ich bisher gesehen habe, werde ich ab sofort nur noch nutzen. Danke dir.
I'm putting together a gazebo/arch thing with weird angles, and I used this trick. It works pretty good! I don't have a doweling jig, so I also ran a piece of tape over the edges with the ends matched up, and then sliced it in half with a utility knife so I would make sure I was drilling the right direction.
Best tip I have seen in years! Thanks!
Thank you for sharing, super "trick", The word "trick" actually demeans what is a very smart tip. So nice of you to share with the community.
Very clever, I needed this right now. Thank you.
Fabulous! I have a need for this RIGHT NOW!
Thank you!
This is what is fabulous about the Internet.
I have 3 dowelling jigs and always struggle to get exact alignment, definitely going to try this method, thanks
Very tidy tip there Bud. Love it. All the best from UK
Absolute genius. Thank you for sharing as always
You have revolutionized my life!
Thanks for this tip John 🙏