Drillpro Doweling Jig in depth testing and review
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- čas přidán 6. 06. 2023
- Drillpro Doweling Jig in depth testing and review.
In this video I will go through some major features of this doweling jig from Drillpro. Its a versatile jig at decent price range that should meet most of your needs.
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![Dowel Jig Basics [video 441]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/zTj_hiEVfvw/mqdefault.jpg)
So i've just finished a project with this little thing... I'm a complete amateur, and the way I've finished the cabinets and the built in I was doing for my mum looks exquisite. No hardware visible, minifix on the "dark" sides. Furniture looks professionally assembled, very rigid and very straight. Even used the bit provided for some hardware it was not intended to be used with. Worth every penny for an amateur DIY project, If i paid someone to do this I'd pay 10-20x the cost of materials and the jig together. I know how to draw in CAD software, don't have two left hands. I can't recommend this enough!
Well done, it's definitely a solid jig 👍
Do you have experience of dowelmax in comparison to this?@@CasualDIY
@@Anomalous-Plant unfortunately I do not
Tomasz, a very well-presented review, and test of this doweling jig. This is a useful tool to have in one's workshop.
For me personally it will be a big help for some upcoming projects 👍
The way you used it in the first demonstration your "reference/fence" edges/sides don't line up. You are counting on dowel centering for perfect edge alignment. Make marks where the top edge of the adjustable fence contacts the pieces and when you put it together you will find they don't meet. To use it perfectly you have to work R to L and then L to R. Try it your way with the holes off center of the edge.
Nice jig. Very useful. Thanks for such a informative review.
Thank you for watching
Great item from Drillpro, i would definitely have this in my arsenal. gr8 review Tomasz
Thanks 👍 so far I'm very happy with it. But still the big tests (projects) ahead of the jig so we shall see if my opinion on it will remain the same
Another great video! Thanks for showing us beginners how easy it can be.
Glad it was helpful!
Really nice demonstration. Thanks.
Thank you for watching
The fence looks like a game changer for me, it means as long as your starting dowels on both pieces are lined up, the fence guide does the rest! Great review - I’m finally catching up on about a year’s worth of your videos😊
It works great I have to say
The fence is really a game changer. This jig has better fence than many others, but still FAR from perfect.
First, several square blocks (stoppers) should be included in each kit, because I want to preset them all on the rails before drilling anything. Because, I want always base from the front surface, NOT from the last drilled hole.
I would place the first square directly near the jig (so that the jig is touching the square block). This way I will get the ability to move the whole assebled rails from side to side (from right to left, or from left to right) without affecting stops distances. This is the thing (switching a fence from side to side) which MUST be included in every serious jig.
Note how the second wood panel was not drilled as initially wanted. What was desired initially can be seen at 7:10. And then, at 7:50 the author wanted to start drilling from the left (like the first panel), but fastly realises that it cannot be done, so he has to drill from the right, because of the fence.
Excellent review and demonstration my friend.
Thank you kindly
Nice review mate. I think that jig might have to make its way onto my birthday list. I’ve got the older version of that wolfcraft jig you’ve got and it works ok but the drillpro looks much more substantial.
It's much better mate, it's accurate, sturdy and plenty of options of setup. So far I'm very happy with it
Love your videos. You’re doing a great job. Keep it up and looking for more videos in the future.
Thank you kindly
Dowel max is my favorite dowel jig
Thank you for the video. Excelent explanation. Keep going.
Thank you for watching 👍
Your work is second to none outstanding work great attitude great idea's may God continue to bless your family and you. Stay with it.
Thank you kindly
Thanks for the great review.
Thank you for watching 👍
Swap the allen keys fot T-handle allen keys they're not as fidely and easier to use.
Great review Tomasz, it looks to be a great jig with quite a few additional features over the more basic dowel jigs that you can get, especially the cam lock feature. I’ve got some other Drillpro tools and they are well made so no questions on that count.
Personally I will stick with my 10 minute workshop loose tenon jig as loose tenon’s have that ‘side to side’ wiggle that means you don’t need to be as super accurate on lining up the holes as you have to be with dowels, but its personal choice and this jig is good
Yes it seems that the Drillpro brand is quite solid, same as Veiko.
I do like Peters jig very well thought through
Super.this is the best explanation how to use this tool aspecialy for camlocs,thanks from Slovakia.
Glad it was helpful!
Great video again Tomasz. Although I was very surprised at the cost of the jig from BG. I might need to wait a bit more and continue to use my Wolfcraft. 😥
Yes I find it quite expensive but when you consider the quality and versatility then it's not too bad I guess
I am new to dowel joinery and just purchased this jig. Your video was immensely helpful in detailing the three primary uses cases for the jig, which came with no instructions or illustrations 😂. Many thanks to you!
Glad that my video was some help 👍
@@CasualDIY I noticed the Veiko T-square in your video. I bought that from Banggood as well as a miter gauge and fence. High quality and cost effective. Have not ventured into Temo 😐
@@gerardbroussard6336 no experience with Temp so I can't say anything about it
Fantastic review, Tomasz! Thanks a bunch! 😃
There are 2 pretty good brands from China that I really like: Drillpro, which is the cheaper one, and Hongdui, which is the premium one. Both are great!
Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
Not heard about the other one, need to check it out👍 thanks
@@CasualDIYHongdui make lovely tools etc. But I'm pretty sure they don't make a doweling jig just yet
You’ve produced the most comprehensive review and instructional video I’ve seen on this product. It’s also a third of the price of the comparable Jessem or DowelMax products here in the USA.
Glad that my video was helpful 👍
Love your video, well done. Ordered my jig. Love your hold down clamps but can’t find them anywhere. Where did you by them. Thanks.
Thank you kindly 👍
I bought these clamps on Banggood I think the brand was Veiko. Had them for years now.
Tomasz, An amazing jig. I am thinking of the cam locks that you can install with the jig, will you be using this to upgrade your kitchen cabinets? It would be an interesting video or series of videos!
I'm not touching my kitchen cabinets 😅 fortunately they are professionally made
Thank you for putting together such a complete instructional video for this jig. I just picked one up on sale and it's a great tool, but as you mention it doesn't come with any guide for usage at all.
Glad it helped!
thanks for the video, very well explained. It seems that all the videos found on YT about this jig are only tested on even-width boards (e.g. 16mm or 18mm) , but when it comes to uneven widths (15mm, which I very much use for my furniture) then comes the question as to what to do or not to do with the 1mm plate.. seems like another 0.5 mm plate is needed in order to avoid a round-up to the nearest integer value. In my case I use a 8mm setup, but after assembly (in the case of 90 degree joints) a 0.5mm lip is revealed. I will try using 0.5mm washers instead of the plate when working with 15mm boards. I will let you know how it all went. I would like to hear other experiences.
Hmm that is a good question. I only work with these odd sizes when I will my own timber. So the normal setup is the the jig moves every 2mm, the plate is 1mm so getting .5mm will be impossible.
You don’t really need to hit the middle of your board. As long as you reference on the same side of the board on your opposing workpiece that half a mil won’t make any difference.
@@taiqidong9841 that's true
Hi Tomasz another great revue you can now make a wooden case to fit the foam insert
Actually a good idea for a project 😅👍
Nice set.
Yes it is
I bought this, and it works well. I wish they would offer an add-on attachment for doweling visible dowels for added strength at 45 degrees across mitered joint boxes. Just a thought for Bangood.
Exactly that's the only thing that is missing in this set
Thanks for the review. I have a dowelmax but this one looks like it functions very similarly. Needing so many hex keys would get old for me pretty quick, so I'd probably end buying two of these and keeping one in edge drilling configuration and the other in face drilling configuration. Buying extra drill bits so you don't need to keep adjusting the depth stop is something worth considering as well.
edit: About the price, I'd consider this a mid priced jig; not expensive at all for what it does. My dowelmax is $225 shipped, this would be around $93. Jessem makes a really nice doweling jig too for around $190.
Yes that would be a nice setup to have I must say. I'm thinking of making a nice box for it so the idea with dedicated drill bits seems nice I have to say.
@@CasualDIY A box for it would be a great project video. 👍
😅 USD 149.00 for DrillPro Jig, Billy Book Case USD 89.00, decisions - decisions 😁 I jest, great review, thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Hmm I bought the DrillPro jig for $85.99 without the plastic case, and that was about 3 weeks ago and I think the price is still the same
@@CasualDIY I used the not on sale price.
I would substitute the Allen key for a straight hexagonal key that goes in a drill or electric screwdriver. Much less hassle. I do that for most of my Allen keys.
A relatively expensive piece of kit, but decently made by the looks of it and quite comprehensive in its capabilities ... thumbscrews could have been used in a few places instead of grub screws, meaning easier adjustment and less allen keys (for example the spacing guide) .... a very comprehensive demo of the capabilities of this product, thank you for sharing 👍
P.S. they also do a self-centring jig at half the price, but it's not as versatile as this jig!!
Yes seen that self-centering jig but I wanted something that will cover me in all possible areas.
Just bought this in the plastic case version, now I don’t need to work out how to use. Upgrade from my wolf craft jig.
Great jig I think with great flexibility of setup.
Who sells this thanks.
@@patrickarchuleta9594 Banggood, link in the description of this video
This looks quite similar to the JessEm dowel jig I recently purchased. It seems to overcome some of the short comings of the JessEm. I should have purchased this one 🤦♂️
hehe there is always a better variant somewhere. That's why I spend a lot of time on research before I spend a penny. However that usually takes some time 😅
@@CasualDIYThis looks to be the Iron Man variant. 😬
@@MCsCreations 🤣
Just got mine. What a solid bit of kit! I’ll be using it to make a desk next week. Your video was useful since there are no instructions but I have one question….what are the washers for?
I'm actually not sure what the washers are for, not had any need for them yet. I must be using the tool wrong :D
@@CasualDIY well, I’m glad it’s not me. Just putting together the desk I’ve made using this jig. Much easier and quicker than the garden sofa I made using the cheap Wolfcraft one! Very happy with the jig.
Looks great, I'm glad I've got a set of Alan keys (I would lose at least one of them).
Hehe I've had three full sets of Alan keys, now I got a set and a bit😅
Always enjoy your videos and have followed your advice on number of things. Just a quick question on this item. Does it do mitre joints?
Thank you👍
No it does not do miters but with a bit of fiddling around with it you probably could get some consistent results.
@@CasualDIYWow what a quick reply and thanks. I like the look of the jig re quality and versatility. Agree the 4 Allen keys is a bit if a pain however being a very basic amateur and no time constraints this should do the trick. Have you tried mitre joints especially where the furniture joints are at 45*?
@@martinvanderhoek4363 I've actually not tried miters with this jig. Changing the setups with the Allen keys it's not that bad to be honest. You batch out one setup and then the other so it's not that much of messing around
@@CasualDIY Totally understand! Just need to be organised. Maybe a video of mitre joints with your expertise maybe helpful for your subscribers 😉 No pressure of course😉
@@martinvanderhoek4363 hehe I will add it to the list 😅
Really nice!
Does this jig come in SAE measurement?
Mine came in metric, check the link in the description to see if there is an potion for imperial
@@CasualDIY
Thanks 👍🏽
Nice jig, do they do an Imperial version?
Hmm not sure, just follow the link in the description to see if there is an imperial version
Hi very well presentation. I want to purchase one and I noticed the link to Amazon does not show it. How can I get it on Amazon ?
You can only buy it on Banggood, link in my video description 👍
Thanks for quick response. How is their return policy ? Are they in US ?
@@bijan4727 it's a Chinese store, sometimes they offer deliveries from warehouses in US or Europe you can check that when placing the order. Return policy hmm don't know but I would guess its not the best
Looks nice and solid. Just too bad I can't find anywhere imperial version of this.
I use a lot of 42mm x 19mm timber ,,how is this unit on this stock
19mm will be a normal operation, 42mm possible but you will have to mess around with the setup of the jig
But does it work any better (faster, more accurate) than the Wolfcraft or Milescraft jig? I agree that it appears to be more durable (metal) and it looks nicer but it seems to require quite a bit of reconfiguring. More than the cheaper jigs do. I'm just wondering, is this really a better tool or just a better looking tool?
It's far more accurate and you will get repeatable results. You set it up to a specific job and only change it when the job changes. So in reality it's not that much messing around.
@@CasualDIY I see. I didn't realize the cheaper jigs were not accurate. I'd not seen that mentioned anywhere. Thanks for sharing. And thanks for your reviews.
Hi - I did buy the Drillpro. I have one question which I hope you can help with. What's the best strategy for doing edge jointing with this jig? And thanks for the great video.
Depends on your workshop setup and personal preference really. You need to try it and see which setup works for you.
Given that the Drillpro is not a self-centering dowel jig I'm wondering how you would do it? In other words, how do you make sure the dowels in the opposing planks are properly aligned with each other and in the centers of the edges? I hope that make my question clearer. Thanks@@CasualDIY
@@eselick you reference the fence of the same face of each board. So for example in the outer face.
Very good kit but I see no one mentioning about one small flaw I've personally encountered( this is due to the fact that is not self centering): if you work with plywood sometime the thickness is not exactly 18mm or 12mm. This will leave you with a small lip depending how much off your plywood thickness is.
And that's why you have the metal magnetic plate to adjust that. Or the other way if its like 0.5mm you just need to make the holes on the same face on each piece and he alignment will be perfect. Simple as that 👍 but yes a self centering feature would be nice.
I've never seen a dowel jig making a cam lock.
How do you align the jig for the first set of holes? Looks like it is missing a rotatable bar at the side to make the alignment.
As I mentioned in the video it does not offer a self centering option. You need to divide the thickness of the material in half and that way set up the jig. For best result (which I also mention in the video) you need to make references of the same faces.
@@CasualDIY Tomasz, you probably misunderstood my question. I am not talking about self-centering - it is not necessary, as long as you reference to the same face (it has 0.5mm stepping due to those 1 and 0.5mm metal plates and 2mm thickness step jumps). I am talking about another axis - along the sheet of the material. When you drilled the first hole, it looked to me that you relied on the alignment by eye looking at the edge of the material and aligning it with an edge of the jig. This is not accurate enough. Usually, there should be a rotatable aluminum plate at the jig itself so that you can just press against it, when making the first set of holes. Look, for example, how it works in the "Master 32" jig. Take a look here, for example: czcams.com/video/Gi2sUXfV0JU/video.html
@@eugeneeugene3313 Ok I see what you mean now, no it doesn't have that, you can use the stop with the rod to do that. However I can't see why flushing the material with the edge of the jig is inaccurate? If you are not sure about your ability to put two pieces flush against each other you can use a straight edge to put the jig against it. However the position of the first hole doesn't really mater that much, the position in the second piece matters so they both align correctly.
@@CasualDIY Yes, that first hole defines the "planarity" or "flushness" of the two pieces to be connected at that edge. Flushing the material with the edge of the jig just by looking at it is not as accurate as pressing against a solid stopper plate (I would say about 200 microns vs. 20 microns tolerance). I agree that you can use the stop with the rod to do that but usually, the distance of the rod from the edge would be shorter than "usual" period of the dowel placements along the long adge of the plate to be connected. So moving it back and forth will make the whole process much longer. You will have to do the first set of holes on all 4 pieces of the cabinet, then change the rod distance and do it again. Interesting, if one can get another piece that slides on these rods. Do they sell it separately? I would buy it and connect the rotating stopper plate to it. This way we can have 2 reference points without moving anything and without drilling the jig itself.
@@eugeneeugene3313 I'm not sure of they sell it separately but could tinker with a DIY version.
you use a 6mm drill and then an 8mm pin for the guide rail? 5:06 & 6:36
It was 8mm lol not spotted that error, well done you are the first one that actually listened. At 5:06 of course I should have said 8mm.
@@CasualDIY 😂Everything ok :) at least now I understand :)
One more question, did you remove the spacer plate at 7:47? I left them in and now the wooden board sticks out 1mm over the other board
@@miuix4795 needs to be the same set up as on the first board and to avoid any mistakes mark the faces and make the cuts on the same faces, same setup on marked faces.
Thanks a lot for your help. I will test it. I still need a lot of practice 😅😅
Who makes the best minifix accessories?
Hard to say not used them all 🤣.... yet🤔
Same old problem... However spiffy it looks, it is a metric tool. Many of us have invested in SAE (i.e. fractional) tools. If this used 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" it would be of interest. Otherwise... 😴
Just remember it's 6mm to every quarter of an inch. So if your using 3/4 stock it's 18mm so set the jig to 9mm. . The unit of measurement is irrelevant really.
👍
Looks like a well designed and built jig. I agree, the four different sized Allen keys would be an annoyance.
Yes its a solid jig. I wonder how annoying it will be after some time of use. I guess I'll find out 😅
I’ll trade in my DowelMax. Problem is you will have to pry it out of my cold dead hands…
Dowelmax =£239.. drillpro = £56. So I guess it's how much you use it
Why these jigs don't come with dowel cutters is beyond me.
Too bad its metric only. Looks like a nice unit
It is a very nice unit I have to say
Won't give change when you don't know how much this drill pro costs.
Again too match Oke´s !!!!
DowelMax all the way!
Haha.
Drillpro? Haha
It's chinese YOMO